A Love For Animals and Community: How Cassandra McGreevy is Working Toward Connected, Healthy Relationships Between Owners and Their Dogs
Collider is passionate about sharing the stories of Rochester entrepreneurs and small business owners! We recently met with Cassandra McGreevy, who shared with us her journey as a lifelong animal lover turned business owner and educator through her dog training business, Delightful Downtown Dogs. We also got to meet her dog, Layla, and she certainly is delightful!
Photo contributed by Cassandra McGreevy
Raised in a family of animal lovers, Cassandra always knew that her life work would revolve around animals in some way.
“I always knew that I wanted to work with animals as a career. Growing up, it felt very special being able to be around so many animals as my family always had dogs, horses, and cats as pets. I really felt that I was able to connect to them and understand them in a special way. I learned early on that animals mostly care about just living and being happy, which in turn is great for us to be around as humans.”
While pursuing her college education at the University of Wisconsin River Falls, Cassandra majored in animal science with a minor in chemistry, at the time thinking that she may pursue a veterinarian career. She also dedicated time in college to further her knowledge of horses and training techniques while at school by participating in the Colts-in-Training Program, which is a nationally recognized program that teaches students how to start and train young horses. While in the program she was able to work directly with a young horse and build relationships with people in that area of expertise.
Never remiss in filling her time, Cassandra also taught gymnastics during her college years.
“That’s where my love of teaching children and just teaching in general really began growing and flourishing for me.”
After graduating, Cassandra continued using her knowledge of horse training by working on a ranch, assisting them in training twenty young horses over the course of a summer.
“The following summer I worked as the lead wrangler at Ironwood Springs, a local youth camp, where I taught horsemanship classes to the kids, as well as private lessons. I took kids out on trail rides and did kid’s camp activities, so I learned a lot about teaching and being around kids and horses. I was also lucky to find some great mentors there.”
After that summer at Ironwood ended and the heart-rending passing of her own horse occurred, Cassandra decided to take a small step back from working with horses. Her attention shifted to getting and training a dog. She had always dreamed of having a Dalmatian and dove headfirst into researching the breed to make sure it was right for her and interviewing various breeders. In the end, she drove eight hours to pick up Diamond D's Princess Layla CGC BN RN TKI, her very own Dalmatian puppy.
Photo contributed by Cassandra McGreevy
“I quickly realized why mom never let me have a Dalmatian as a child. They are very, very smart and I found that Layla was always two, three, four steps ahead of me. So I really needed to brush up on my training and change my training methods from an old school philosophy that I learned while growing up, into more positive reinforcement and behavioral science based training methods, which I have found to work much better for almost any dog out there. I went to a lot of seminars and dog shows with her so we could learn together.”
Photo contributed by Cassandra McGreevy
While going through an extensive training process with her own dog, Cassandra started noticing needs within the general Rochester dog ownership community.
“I would see things like dogs being off leash in inappropriate areas, or aggressive dogs on the trails. I thought that I could really help the dog owners in this community and bring a lot of positive energy and knowledge to the table.”
Cassandra connected with her first clients through her mother’s dog boarding business, Completely Canines, and from there found that word of mouth sent many others her way.
“A lot of what I’ve done to get more clients is just to do my very best with each individual that I work with. I’ve found that it always comes back to me positively as they refer me to others that they know.”
Taking on training dogs (and their owners) may not always be easy, but Cassandra enjoys the challenges each situation brings to her.
“I would say that I’m challenged by everyone that I work with. Each person learns differently in their own individual way, and dogs are the same. So it’s always fun meeting new people and their dogs and figuring out what their lifestyle is like, how their relationship with their dog is, and determining what puzzle pieces they are missing to communicate well and live together harmoniously.”
As Cassandra's client, individuals would communicate their training goals and share about their dog and themselves. From there she schedules virtual or in person training sessions which can be from home, or out and about in Rochester.
“We practice heeling, loose leash walking, stay, and relaxation. I always teach responsible ownership skills as well, like picking up after your dog, giving your dog space, and knowing how to react if your dog is stressed or upset. Usually I only need to work with pretty inexperienced people with the most reactive dogs up to six times at most to see really meaningful change. I provide reading materials and extensive notes on our sessions together and make sure that owners are learning right alongside their dogs.”
While she finds her work rewarding, it has not been without its challenges. She has found that while she is very passionate about working with dogs and their owners, she’s less excited about paperwork, building a website, and managing a social media presence.
“There are things that are easier and things that are harder, but I’m a lifelong learner. I’m taking a class right now all about marketing and social media. I'm learning a lot. I’ve found that, in my experience with owning a business, that it really is a reflection of you, especially when you’re still a really small business like I am. I have to be the best version of myself both inside and outside of work, which is going to allow me to grow and progress as a person and a business owner.”
Along with training Layla to be a good companion and an accomplished show dog, Cassandra has taken the time to undergo therapy dog training through Pet Partners.
“During these classes you have the opportunity to introduce your dog to wheelchairs, walkers, and different people. It really teaches you how to read your dog’s body language and figure out what your dog is communicating, so that you can help them feel safe and comfortable in unfamiliar situations. At the end of the course you have to pass an informational exam and your dog needs to pass an evaluation to make sure you both meet certain requirements.”
In the future, Cassandra would love to work toward owning her own small indoor training space where she could work with clients. Ultimately, she’s just excited to work with as many people and dogs as she can.
“At the moment, my main goal is just to connect with a lot of people in our community and help them develop happy, healthy relationships with their dogs.”
Outside of running Delightful Downtown Dogs, Cassandra loves playing music, which is how she met her husband. They love to perform together and Layla often joins them on stage.
Photo contributed by Cassandra McGreevy
“Sometimes I wonder if people are stopping for our music or our pretty dog,” Cassandra said, laughing.
She also loves hiking, horseback riding, and has recently gotten into plants and gardening. Local spots she loves include Kinney Creek Brewing, Benedicts, and Cafe Steam.
“I love my work and teaching people. I find it amazing that we really can directly influence our dogs’ behavior, we just have to learn how.”
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Cassandra’s story! If you find value in this content, please consider donating to help Collider continue amplifying the voices of Rochester entrepreneurs. You can also learn more about Delightful Downtown Dogs by clicking the link below!
Article by Corrie Strommen, Director of Community at Collider.
