When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, Kristy Martin found herself reevaluating her career like many others.
The dog lover always enjoyed taking furry friends on a hike and didn't think to turn her hobby into a career, until a friend paid her for hiking with their dog.
"I think it started when a friend's mom paid me in a gift card and this lightbulb moment went off for me that I could actually hike with the dogs as a career," says Martin.
Shortly after, Martin enrolled herself into an entrepreneurship program where she created a business plan and launched her dog hiking business Wander Paws Pet Services.
Martin and her team now offer several programs for dogs, such as off-leash hikes and private walks.
"What we'll do is we'll meet with the dog, they'll do a consult, talk with the owner, talk about what would be the best fit for them," says Martin.
The consultation process is key for the program as it allows the team understand the training and recall of the dog, determining which service will suit each pet best.
"Either they do a private walk first until they're at that point or we're just always working with the dog owners to improve on their skills," says Martin.
Although, Martin adds the pack mentality within dogs is useful as they begin to understand the process of each hike.
"They just know the drill, they get there, they're on their leash, they get to the spot, I take off the leashes and they run," she says.
Currently working on her dog training certificate, Martin says because she has been around dogs for a long period of time, it has provided her with conflict resolution skills.
With one pack at a time, Martin says her business continues to boom as more owners return to the office for work.
"I am getting pretty busy so I am on a waitlist for a couple of days, but we definitely have flexibility," she says.
