By day, Mrs. Hudson is known as the energetic and spirited gym teacher at Greater Latrobe Senior High School, rallying students through drills and workouts. But after the final bell rings, her clientele changes to energetic dogs.
“I started because I had rowdy, out-of-control dogs and couldn’t find the help I needed around here. So I dove into training myself, and then found a real love for it. With my background in coaching and teaching, it just made sense and I realized I could help other people too,” Mrs Hudson said.
Now, Mrs. Hudson juggles a full-time teaching job and a growing side business as a dog trainer. She has five of her own full-time dogs along with one occasional guest dog from her husband’s side of the family. Her canine crew includes a German Shepherd mix, a Bernese-Golden Retriever mix, a Black Labrador, a German Shorthaired Pointer, a Coonhound-Retriever mix, and a Yellow Labrador. Their names are Duke, Bera, Cali, Ripp, Lucy, and Gunner. “They’re all huge. Our smallest is 55 pounds,” she said.
When she’s not teaching gym class or training dogs, she’s deep in study. “I did a lot of online webinars and online courses,” she said. Mrs. Hudson is currently wrapping up a certification course she calls “the gold standard for dog training”—the Training Without Conflict certification. “It’s super intensive. There’s an online portion, and then I flew to Florida for an in-person written test. Now I’m doing hands-on practical tests. It’s super pricey but I’ve learned a lot so it’s worth it,” she said.
Her training philosophy is all about balance and flexibility. “I don’t really like to talk about methods too much. People get caught up in labels like ‘force free’ or ‘purely positive.’ I prefer to look at what the dog is showing me, and what the owner is capable of doing. I use prong collars and e-collars, but I also use treats, praise, and toys. I love using play to train,” Hudson said. Her training is very customized to what will work the best with each individual dog and owner.
One of her recent success stories is a pitbull mix with a history of chaotic walks. “She used to lose her mind on walks, pulling her owners all over. Now the owners keep messaging me saying, ‘Oh my gosh, that walk was great.’ The cool thing is, we’ve barely even worked on the walk, we’ve done most of our training in the yard, but the skills still transfer,” Mrs. Hudson said.
Mrs. Hudson’s most popular service is in-home private training. “Usually people do three sessions, sometimes more if the dog is really young or out of control,” she said.
She’s also started offering a unique service: weekend drop-ins, where she trains the dog while the owner stays inside. “It works really well. The dog learns from me first, and then I transfer those skills to the owner. Sometimes when I have to teach the owners the skills they kind of fumble through, the dog is fumbling to learn. I just find it’s an easier process if I train the dog first, and then I transfer the skills to the owner. It’s a lot smoother that way,” said Hudson.
“People’s lifestyles are often the challenge with training a dog,” she said. “I get it—when I first started, my dogs were wild because I was teaching full-time, coaching, and running a gym. I’d get home at 3:00, leave again by 4:30, and not get home until 8:30. One short window to exercise and train them just wasn’t enough. I try to help people understand that dogs need time, stimulation, and exercise. It’s not just about walks,” she said.
For now, her business is a new hobby, but the future is bright. “My goal is to be as busy or as slow as I want. In the summer, I’d love to do board-and-trains to supplement my income, and maybe down the line, make it a full-time thing,” she said.
Her husband may even get involved. “He’s really into bird-dog hunting. He hunts pheasants with our GSP and our labs. Eventually, we’d love to run hunting programs for people in the community,” said Hudson.
With a busy schedule, half a dozen current clients, and a pack of her own dogs to train, Mrs. Hudson’s days are packed. She shares her advice on starting a business? “Just start. You’ll figure it out as you go. If it’s scary, dig in deeper. Don’t be afraid to try something and see if it fails, then tweak it and try again,” she said.
And judging by the wagging tails and grateful clients, she’s definitely on the right track.
