Meet Abby McKay | Dog Trainer & Owner of Sweetwater Bark

We had the good fortune of connecting with Abby McKay and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Abby, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind the success of Sweetwater Bark is consistency in providing excellent service and building up a clientele that freely tells others about the wonderful experience they had with us. Also building up word-of-mouth referrals from trusted veterinarians in the area who have experienced our services themselves or have had clients give them positive feedback.

What should our readers know about your business?
Sweetwater Bark is a positive reinforcement dog training business that provides in-home private lessons, group classes, puppy board and trains, and day training. Something that I am most proud of is building up a team of trainers who are all on the same page in regards to training philosophy and the high level of care for dogs and their owners. The first three years of running the business were a ton of work and it was only me. As the company grew, it was scary but also exciting to start adding people to the team that have the same passion as I do. I think the biggest challenge for my company was after I had my son three years ago and I had to make adjustments in my business due to me not being as available as I previously was. But, my team stepped up, and we have adjusted and are in a wonderful place now.

I want the clients that we have helped to remember how much fun they had seeing their dogs learn and how empowered they felt in communicating and advocating for their dogs. Training shouldn’t be stressful for the dog or the owner, it should be a bonding experience for both of you, building trust.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love going to the Houston Zoo! I’m an animal lover of all animals! I especially love the new sea lion exhibit. I would then go to Star Pizza, dessert at Amy’s Ice Cream, and then have a fun time at Top Golf. In Sugar Land, I love going to Jupiter’s Chicken and Waffles at Sugar Land Town Square and Kilwin’s for chocolate and ice cream after. There are a lot of pet friendly patios at Sugar Land Town Square so I love taking dogs there. Cullinan Park is a great place to go hiking with dogs so would probably make a stop there too.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not be where I am right now without the support of my parents. They believed in me from the beginning when I wanted to be a dog trainer right out of high school and when I wanted to start my business at 23 years old. When I started my business, they helped me get everything set up and my Dad helped make my first marketing materials. Specifically, in dog training, I’ve learned so much from multiple different trainers that I have worked alongside throughout the years. I have especially been impacted by Karen Pryor who was one of the foundational trainers of positive reinforcement in dog training.

Website: https://sweetwaterbark.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetwaterbark/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swbark

Image Credits
Leah Ashworth Photography, Courtney Griffin Photography, and Kelly Russo Photography