andy began her dog training career, almost as a hobby, by training her own dogs. She then got into search and rescue work and dog sports like agility. She also showed at Westminster and eventually worked in veterinary clinics. Ultimately, Mandy decided to become a professional dog trainer. She went through the Karen Pryor Academy, becoming a certified training partner. She continued her education and is now a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through the IAABC, a knowledge assessed CPDT certified trainer, a Fit Paws Master Trainer, and many more.

Mandy’s involvement in the training and pet care industry started out small but, step-by-step, she has created a phenomenal all-encompassing pet care business. In the beginning, she operated the training business by going into owners’ homes. Mandy got the word out about her services by visiting the local veterinarians, introducing herself and giving them information about her training program. Her business took off, and in a little over a year, she was so busy that she needed a brick-and-mortar facility.

“I found a building in Nicholasville, Kentucky,” Mandy shares. “I was hesitant and scared at first, but I rented the space and began holding group classes in addition to the individual training.”

The following year, the unit next to her training space became available. So, she opened a dog daycare in it and began to hire staff. Within just a year and a half, they outgrew that location. Deciding it was time to buy, Mandy and her husband, Mike, bought a building which they gutted and completely renovated. When it was completed, Manners Matter Dog Training and Daycare opened its doors. The new building has a 3,000-sq.-ft. indoor playroom, two 40’ x 50’ outdoor play yards of turf, two training rooms, a kennel room and lobby. They can accommodate about 40 to 45 dogs a day in their daycare.

When they opened, Manners Matter was very training focused, offering private lessons, day training and group classes. Mandy has carried the importance of having well-trained dogs into her enrichment-based daycare program. Through their monthly memberships, they offer different levels of enrichment daycare: Playcare, Mutt-essori, and Academy.

Caring for all of the dogs and providing the specialized services takes a skilled and competent staff, and Mandy has built a great team.

“I can’t be everywhere at once,” Mandy says. “So, when I hire someone, I tell them that they are an extension of me. I want them to be knowledgeable and to be able to answer clients’ questions. It’s an important role. It’s not just standing there and refereeing dogs all day.

“For example, I encourage my staff to interact with the owners and give them feedback on their dog,” she continues. “When you hand them that leash, you build a relationship. If an owner comes to pick up the dog and you just shove a leash in their hand and don’t say anything, that’s not going to make them want to come back. But, if you take an extra two minutes to say, ‘Bella had a great day. Her friend Tootsie was here and they had a ball playing with each other,’ you are paying attention to their dog and that’s super important to them.”

The training for the Manners Matter staff is very hands on. They require all new members to go through training classes, which give them an understanding of why they do what they do and how dogs learn.

“Now, the folks who work with me have been able to take on the role of organizing the enrichment dogs, doing the intakes, interviews, and meet and greets—which leaves me free for other things,” Mandy says.

“Also, I try to foster an environment where there is room for employee growth and people can actually look at it as a career,” she adds. “I offer continuing education to my team members every year as part of their perks. I can see the spark in my staff every time they come back from a conference and implement a lot of what they have learned. I am really passionate about doing that for my staff.”

It had always been a dream of Mandy and her husband to have some property in the country, and recently they made that dream come true. They purchased 22 acres not far from Manners Matter, and now Reddog Farm has been added to their canine-centered dream.

“We built a house last year at our Reddog property,” says Mandy. “We actually designed part of the house as an area to accommodate dogs so that we could start our board-and-train program.”

In addition to expanding their training programs and other existing services, Mike and Mandy have big plans for the expansive acreage they have at Reddog Farm.

“We intend to make this like a little ‘Disneyland for dogs,’” shares Mandy. “We have already put in a pool for dock diving, swimming lessons, and splash parties. The pool has been a fun thing. Every Friday night from May through October, we have pack walks, training classes, and other activities where people get together, make friendships, and become part of our ‘doggie’ family.

“We are also introducing fun new activities for the dogs and their owners,” she continues. “Last weekend we held an AKC Fetch Test, which is a new titling program through the AKC. We also have Frisbee seminars and we’re looking at doing Lure Coursing and Fast Cats.”

This year marks the 10th anniversary for Manners Matter, but most of their growth has happened in the last five to six years.

“It’s been fun, but also stressful,” admits Mandy. “As a business owner, you go into your business with a certain mindset of how you want it to be; you have a picture in your mind, but it doesn’t necessarily work out that way.

“I was an only child and didn’t have to share with anyone,” she continues. “Now I have to take into consideration what the dogs, clients, my staff, and my husband need. There’s a lot that goes into a business, and I didn’t realize the mental and emotional tolls that caring for animals can take on you.”

One of the ways Mandy copes is to concentrate on the positive things.

“If you focus too much on the negative, it wears you out,” she says. “Just let it go. Do your own thing and don’t worry about what anyone else is doing. I’ve had clients come in and say, ‘Hey, Mandy. You’re the one who started this new enrichment program, now the daycare across town is doing it.’ I just reply, ‘Great, I hope it works out for them.’”

Mandy and Mike are currently focused on their “Doggie Disneyland” project at Reddog Farm and are considering consolidating to one location.

“Instead of the constant hustle and bustle of having the daycare in Nicholasville and all the other training and activities at Reddog Farm, our thought is to sell that aspect in a few years, or to transfer management to where I’m not as directly involved and have all of the training and outdoor activities come out here to the farm,” Mandy says.

With the success experienced by Mandy and Matt from the inception of Manners Matter, the possibilities are endless of what they can do at Reddog Farm, where training still tops all!