If you ask any small business owner what makes them successful they’ll all have three things in common: hard work, dedication, and patience. Running a business isn’t easy, and growing and expanding a business is something many small business owners never have the opportunity to do. Bruce Ringer doesn’t have that problem. His Pennsylvania dog training business isn’t just growing, he’s relocating it as well.
When the former Lieberth & Sons car dealership building at 3041 Freeport Road in the Natrona Heights section of Harrison went up for sale, Ringer knew it would make a great location for a dog training facility. He says his business, Ringer’s Pet Dog Training in Tarentum, has been growing for quite some time. In fact, he says they’ve finally outgrown their current location. That’s why he bought the old car dealership and decided to expand his company.
RELATED: How to Start a Dog Training Business
According to the Allegheny County deeds records, Ringer and his wife bought the lot for $695,000. That’s a lot of money to invest in a business expansion, but Ringer is sure of his decision. He says that the new facility will offer everything that the old facility offers. They have class training and private sessions, as well as a retail space for pet food and toys. They also offer doggy daycare. No wonder they outgrew their old space!
Ringer says the new location will be larger and much nicer than the current facility, located at Sixth Avenue and Corbet Street. They will be able to hold more dogs and expand their retail space. He’s also hoping to hire more employees if he can. They can’t do much to the new site until the township grants the couple an occupancy permit, which they are hoping to have by the beginning of October.
Doggy daycare services have been a huge success in the area. Pet parents can drop their dogs off between 6:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and pick up is from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Group training classes cost $100 and run for seven weeks. Dog owners can bring their pets to learn to sit, lie down, and follow other basic commands. Private training lessons are used to help aggressive dogs and service dogs.
They may be opening a new location, but the Ringers aren’t new to the dog training business. Bruce worked as a trainer in Tampa, Florida beginning in the mid 1980’s. He only stopped when he had to move away to take care of family in 1996.
RELATED: Therapy Dog Training: How to Get Your Dog Certified
Bruce’s wife Kim is proud of the fact that she and her husband are actually the first two nationally Certified Professional Dog Trainers in Western Pennsylvania. Bruce was the first Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI) in Western Pennsylvania as well. The couple attends over 100 hours of dog training and behavior seminars each year.
With over 30 years of experience, Bruce says that his favorite part of owning his dog training business is being able to help people. He most enjoys doing private lessons with people who require the assistance of a service dog. He says the rewarding part is that he’s helping to give someone back a small piece of their freedom. Ringer’s Pet Dog Training has four Certified Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT-KA) on staff.
If you’re in the Western Pennsylvania area, it sounds like the Ringers would be an excellent resource in helping you train your pet. Finding a dog trainer you can trust is important and the Ringers have a list of references a mile long. Their story is inspiring. They took something they love, working with canines, and turned it into a successful business that they enjoy owning and operating each and every day.
