Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Fleury.
Hi Angela, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I actually grew up terrified of dogs, which is probably not the beginning you’d expect from a dog trainer.
I grew up in Florida, and when I was about 10 or 11, I was visiting my dad in Colorado. He had a huge show dog named Aspen. We were taking a picture to show my mom just how big he was, so Aspen was standing on his hind legs with his paws on my arms—and he was taller than I was. My dad snapped the picture, and literally seconds later, as I lowered my arms, Aspen lunged and attacked me in the face. I ended up in the emergency room getting stitches.
I actually still have that photograph. It’s a picture of me with Aspen just seconds before the attack that would leave me terrified of dogs for years.
After that, I wanted very little to do with dogs. I grew up with cats and reptiles instead.
Fast forward about 20 years, and I moved to Virginia, where my mother already owned her own dog training business. I had absolutely no intention of becoming a trainer. I started working for her as basically the receptionist and salesperson—the safe, non-dog-training side of things!
But I kept watching the transformations happening with these dogs, and eventually she convinced me to try training one myself. That dog was DeeDee, a former breeder dog who had very little experience living in a home or even being treated like a pet. We trained DeeDee to become a service dog, and she eventually went to a veteran. Watching that dog give him the confidence and independence to leave his home, be present for his children, and start living his life again completely changed something in me. I realized dog training wasn’t really just about dogs—it could change entire families and, in some cases, someone’s life.
From there, I slowly became braver and more confident until I became a full-blown trainer. Over time, I also developed my own style. I wanted clients to feel involved in their dog’s training, so I focused heavily on communication, videos, education, and showing them not only what we were doing, but why. I even fell in love with a dog, my Rottweiler Skrillex.
Then the pandemic happened. I thought nobody was going to spend money training dogs anymore. Instead, apparently everyone decided to get a puppy!
At the time, my youngest daughter was only about six months old, and my husband, Rob, and I decided to take a huge leap and start K9 Caring Angels Dog Training. Rob definitely didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a dog trainer either. He pretty much got dragged into this life by me! But somewhere along the way, we realized something interesting about both of our childhood experiences with dogs: neither of us had really disliked dogs—we disliked being around dogs with no boundaries.
When your experiences with dogs involve being jumped on, barked at, pulled around, or otherwise overwhelmed by them, it’s easy to decide you’re simply “not a dog person.” We realized that if the dogs we’d grown up around had been trained and had appropriate boundaries, both of us might have had completely different experiences.
That realization has become an important part of what we do today. Training isn’t only about making life better for the dog or its owner. A well-trained dog can have a completely different relationship with everyone it encounters. We want people to enjoy their dogs while also understanding that it’s okay—and important—to give them structure and boundaries.
Our business has continued to grow, and today we have a team of four trainers and offer private lessons, Board & Trains, and other training programs.
But my favorite part hasn’t changed. We often hear from families who tell us, “You’re our last stop.” Their dog’s behavior has gotten to the point where they’re considering surrendering or rehoming them, and they don’t know what else to do. Being able to help that dog gain confidence, teach the family how to communicate with them, and ultimately keep a dog in the home with the people who love them is still the most rewarding part of what we do.
It’s pretty crazy to think that the little girl in that photograph, standing beside the dog she was about to become terrified of, would eventually grow up to spend her life surrounded by dogs—and build a business helping other people have better experiences with theirs
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I’d describe it more as a roller coaster!
One of the first challenges was learning that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to dog training. Every breed is different, every temperament is different, and every dog comes with its own history and challenges. Then you add people into the equation—and honestly, the people are usually harder to train than the dogs! A huge part of this job is teaching owners how to communicate with their dogs and understanding that what works for one dog may not work for another.
There have also been some very real physical challenges. Over the years, I’ve been attacked and injured by dogs whose owners genuinely believed their dogs were friendly or under control. You learn pretty quickly in this business that you have to trust what the dog is showing you, not just what someone tells you about the dog. Many people have no idea how to read their dog, and praise the wrong behavior making it worse.
But probably one of the hardest periods was when I first moved to Virginia. I was a single mom raising my daughter, Alynna, while working 12- and 13-hour days, 7 days a week. I was driving all over Virginia doing in-home evaluations, spending an hour or more with families hoping they would choose to move forward with training, then driving back for lessons, picking up dogs, dropping off dogs and trying to build a career at the same time. I felt like I was constantly ping-ponging across Virginia while also trying to be a good mom, and keeping my daughter in a private school. Mom guilt is real, and there were not enough hours in the day. Seemed like I would be working this hard forever.
One of the more unexpected turning points in my story actually had nothing to do with dogs. In 2017, I entered a national fitness competition for XSport and ended up winning the entire competition. The prize money allowed me to buy a home for Alynna and I. Having our own home was life-changing personally, but it also gave me space and flexibility to work with dogs that I hadn’t had before. It became another stepping stone toward what we eventually built.
It also gave me the chance to show my daughter something I’ve always wanted my kids to understand: your circumstances don’t have to determine where you end up. You can work incredibly hard toward something and completely change your situation.
Another huge lesson along the way has been learning to work smarter instead of just working harder. When the pandemic hit, I stopped doing in-home evaluations and switched to virtual consultations. That alone was a game changer. Suddenly, I wasn’t losing hours every day driving back and forth across Virginia.
Then eventually I had another realization: I’ve done literally thousands of evaluations. There isn’t much I haven’t heard at this point! I found myself answering the same questions and explaining the same concepts over and over again. So I created consultation videos that allow families to learn about our methods, programs and expectations before moving forward with us.
That’s been a big part of growing the business—constantly asking, “Does this still make sense, or are we just doing it this way because this is how we’ve always done it?” Every time I’ve found a better way, I’ve been willing to change. My husband has supported every change and that has meant the world to me.
And as the business has grown, the challenges haven’t disappeared; they’ve just changed. Building a team, learning to delegate, trusting other people with something you’ve poured yourself into, handling difficult situations, and realizing that not everyone who enters your life or your business is meant to stay have all been lessons of their own.
So no, it hasn’t been a smooth road. But I’ve gotten much better at smoothing out the road as I go. I’ve learned that working hard will get you somewhere, but learning when to adapt, change and work smarter is what allows you to keep growing.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
K9 Caring Angels Dog Training is a family-owned dog training business offering Board & Train programs, private lessons, group classes, boarding, and specialized training for therapy and psychiatric service dogs.
We’re known for helping with everything from basic puppy manners to anxiety, reactivity, confidence issues, leash behavior and serious nuisance behaviors. Some of our favorite cases are the families who come to us saying, “You’re our last stop.” Helping a dog stay with the family who loves them instead of being surrendered or rehomed is one of the most rewarding things we do.
One thing that’s extremely important to us is setting realistic expectations. We aren’t going to promise someone that we can magically “fix” everything about their dog. For example, if your dog is leash-aggressive toward other dogs, our goal may not be to send them home suddenly loving every dog they meet. Our goal is to help them become better behaved, more manageable and able to make better choices around those triggers. Dogs aren’t robots, and we won’t pretend they are just to sell a training package.
We also don’t believe dog training should happen behind a curtain. We send videos daily throughout training so owners can see the good moments, the challenges and the breakthroughs. We focus heavily on training the owner too, because a beautifully trained dog doesn’t mean much if the family doesn’t know how to maintain it.
We believe dogs should still get to be dogs. They can run, play, be goofy and have fun, but they also need boundaries and should listen when it matters. We focus on real-world training so those skills work outside of a controlled training environment.
I’m incredibly proud of the reputation we’ve built. We have hundreds of five-star reviews across Google and Facebook, and many of our new clients come from referrals. To me, that’s one of the greatest compliments a business can receive.
We’re also truly a family business. My husband, Rob, works alongside me, our oldest daughter, Alynna, has been training with me since she was little, and now our youngest is starting to follow in her footsteps.
Ultimately, K9 Caring Angels isn’t about creating perfect dogs. It’s about helping people communicate better with the dogs they already love and giving them the tools and confidence to enjoy life together. Once you train with us, you’re also part of what we call the K9CA Family, and we’re proud to continue supporting our clients long after their initial training is over.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Don’t be greedy. Quality will always win over quantity.
It’s tempting when you’re starting a business to say yes to every client and every opportunity because you want to grow. But taking on more than you can properly handle will eventually cost you. I’d rather turn someone away or tell them we don’t have availability than take their money and not give them the quality of service they deserve. Your reputation is worth more than one more sale.
I’d also tell anyone who wants to leave their 9-to-5 that owning a business isn’t necessarily freedom from work—sometimes you’re trading a 9-to-5 for a 24/7! That’s especially true when your business involves caring for what people consider members of their family. When someone’s dog is in our care, I take that responsibility very seriously.
And probably the biggest thing I’ve learned is that growth isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes it’s about figuring out what you can do better, what you should stop doing, and where you need to work smarter instead of harder.
Build something you’re proud to put your name on. The money and growth should follow the quality, not the other way around.
Pricing:
- Our training programs are customized based on the dog, the family’s goals, and the level of training needed, so we prefer not to list specific pricing here. Current program options and pricing information are available directly through K9 Caring Angels Dog Training.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://K9caringangelsdogtraining.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wigglebutts_k9ca?igsi=MTJneTRmbG9jM2dnaQ==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19KM7vVeT7/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@k9caringangelsdogtraining?si=38RKZFPgae59X-4q
