Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Puentes.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It’s Never Too Late to Change from Real Dogs Real Problems Real Solutions.
When Dr. Marc Agronin was interviewed on the Today Show to promote How We Age, his last words were, “It’s never too late to change.” His words stuck in my head and remind me that we can apply them to our relationships with our dogs. It’s never too late to change the way we feel, what we think, what we believe, what we do, and how we behave in relation to our dogs. My journey hasn’t always been a carnival ride or a red-rose speedway. In fact, it’s been a slow, long, winding road. I’ve sold Kirby vacuum cleaners, cleaned fish farm tanks, cooked pizzas in a delivery truck, and done security work.
Sometimes I worked three jobs at a time to barely make ends meet. When my wife was pregnant with our first daughter, I took a good, honest look at myself. I got real, and I didn’t like what I saw. I stopped using excuses. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I was at the point where I truly wanted to change and start my career as a dog trainer.
I was going to make it happen no matter what and started working hard at it. That’s the same approach I take with dog training. It wasn’t always fun and games. I took risks, and it was scary. I make sure my customers understand that until they are sick and tired of being sick and tired, stop making excuses, take accountability, take action, and get real, they’re not going to make any significant, lasting changes in any aspect of their lives—or in the lives of their dogs. No matter if your dog is dominant, shy, fearful, energetic, docile, stubborn, or aggressive, your dog is acting perfectly normal.
It may not be easy for you—and it will take some work—but if you want to modify his natural behavior, you’re going to have to make it happen. Here’s the good news—if you don’t know how, I will show you!
Has it been a smooth road?
I’ve managed to keep my business up and running successfully—even during the hardest times that businesses in this nation have faced: 9/11, the recent housing crisis and financial meltdown in 2008, and the second-highest unemployment rate of this nation’s history in 2010. I owe it to my faith, perseverance, hard work, excellent customer service, and understanding my customers. I often give them more than what they paid for or expected. In turn, I thank them for becoming repeat customers in that time of need. I would like to express my gratitude to my wife, Gina.
If it weren’t for her decision to leave her insurance career of twenty-five years in 2007 to take over my important duties of secretary, public relations expert, and salesperson—and even filling in for dog trainers at times—my business would have never reached the level it has today. I would be in an insane asylum with multiple personalities. It’s a miracle she has been able to keep her own sanity. She believed in me during the bad times. I’m glad to say that we’ve gone through a lot of really good times during our journey. I know that most didn’t even believe I had what it took to even take that first step to start and successfully run a business training dogs for twenty two years.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with K-9 Solutions – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Who is Carlos Puentes, and why should I listen to him? Why should you listen to your grandparents, mother, father, or elementary school teacher? Because you can learn from them. They have more years of experience than you do about life in general. I may not be older than you or even wiser than you in general, but chances are good that I have a lot more experience and wisdom than you do when it comes to solving dog problems. In fact, the chances are very high.
I’ve been surrounded by dogs all my life. I am the owner and founder of K-9 Solutions, a dog-training company I have run successfully for twenty two years. My track record speaks for itself; visit my website at www.k-9solutionsinc.com, click on testimonials, and see for yourself. There are more than a thousand verifiable testimonials and photos to choose from.
I’m not going to claim to have trained twenty thousand dogs because I would be lying. I do not train dogs in group settings because of quality versus quantity. If that were the case, I could say that I trained thousands of dogs during my career. Instead, I offer private, in-home dog training. I’m the author of Who’s Training Whom? 6 Easy Lessons to Put Any Dog Owner Back in the Driver’s Seat and in Control of Their Dog.
I refuse to write books that are 75 percent filler and 25 percent relevant to the reader. I don’t like to write books filled with fairy tale stories; those are entertaining, but they fall short where they are needed most—helping you solve your problems. I have conducted seminars and have spoken in front of large groups of people as an expert in the field. I was formerly the dog training expert for La Nueva 88.3 FM, a radio station based out of South Florida that reaches out to the Hispanic community. I was a weekly regular for two and a half years and help out by answering questions from callers and listeners. I’ve been sought after for live TV interviews on the subject of dog training by Telemundo and Univision, as well as every other local Hispanic TV station in South Florida. I’ve been a guest on the national morning TV show “Despierta America” on Univision. Recently, I was featured as a dog expert in a documentary for National Geographic Mundo. I have learned from dog trainers from before my time—and maybe even before your time.
I’ve also learned from present-day dog trainers. I always keep an open mind, and I’m certain that I will learn something from others in the future. I have personally met and learned from world-renowned successful dog trainers—yes, even the ones you see on TV. I’ve also studied courses from trainers at the top of their games and graduated at the top of my class. I’ve read more books on the subject than most people own in a lifetime. Some I have agreed with—and some I have not completely agreed with—but I’ve learned something from all of them. One thing is for sure: we’re not going to agree with everyone or everything they have to say, and we also can’t please everyone. I am an expert at helping others who are in dire straits with their aggressive, stubborn, or shy dogs. The best you will get out of me in this book are the lessons that I have learned from the mistakes I made early in my career as a dog trainer. I didn’t become a successful dog trainer by only dealing with the easy dog owners and their responsive dogs. Stubborn owners and their stubborn dogs are put in difficult situations. Those types of owners really have a problem making lasting changes; they are the ones who really need my help. If I can help them, I can say I’ve really been successful.
On a typical day at my office, you’ll most likely hear the word problems mentioned about a hundred times. It’s not unfair to say that dog problems are the main topic at work every day. That’s why when you open up my company brochure, the first thing you see in big letters is “No More Dog Problems—Only K-9 Solutions.” My logo is a man and a dog about to shake. My slogan is “We Bring People and Dogs Closer Together.” I’m not complaining. I help people and dogs every day and make a difference in their lives. In turn, it has helped me support my family and put food on the table for years.
I’ve trained dogs for people of all types of religions, cultures, walks of life, and nationalities. I live in South Florida, which is considered the melting pot of the world. I have trained dogs for doctors, lawyers, police officers, firefighters, pilots, veterinarians, priests, construction workers, models, artists, mail carriers, engineers, bodybuilders, judges, teachers, professional athletes, TV celebrities, psychologists, waiters, psychiatrists, authors, news reporters, businessmen, and businesswomen. I have trained dogs for people with learning disorders, handicapped people in wheelchairs, therapy dogs for people dying of cancer and cancer survivors, as well as the healthiest people alive. I’ve trained dogs for the blind and deaf. I’ve trained blind and deaf dogs as well. Some clients were rich, and some were poor. The young and old, the good, the bad, and the ugly are just a few, including an ex-congresswoman.
All these types of people—and more—have made my list of customers. And all of them have had two things in common: they all love their dogs and hate the problems associated with owning them. They have been the smartest, most responsible people with incredibly demanding careers that somehow allowed their personal problems and emotions to become the cause of the nightmares they had to live with when they came home to their dogs every day. Nightmares that sometimes lasted for years; if prevented, they would have continued to be proud owners of the dream dogs they had from day one when they first brought the dog home.
My daily work involves basic obedience and advanced off-leash training, solving common behavior problems and not-so-common behavior problems, including all types of aggression. These cost innocent people bodily injury and result in lawsuits and large medical bills at the owner’s expense—not to mention the grief that everyone involved goes through. Housebreaking and destructive behavior are usually at the top of the list, and they can cost thousands of dollars—and put the dog’s safety at risk.
Pulling, scratching, and jumping are annoying and dangerous behaviors for many—especially the elderly and toddlers. The problems include dogs that run out into the street and risk getting run over and killed. It boggles my mind how some owners don’t care to basic obedience-train their dogs; they are more concerned about housebreaking as a priority, for example. When they are confronted about their dogs bolting out their door and open gates into the street, they openly admit it’s not really a problem for them. They’re just concerned with housebreaking their dogs. I tell the story of a dog owner who housebroke his dog and it was run over by a car the next day because of an open door. It could have been prevented, but the owner thought it was never going to happen. Many owners insist that they only need help with housebreaking.
You will be surprised by how many calls I receive for a free evaluation of a dog’s destructive housebreaking problem. When I arrive, I discover that the dog has a major aggression problem—sometimes with the owners or their children. The sad truth is that all these incidents can be prevented. Canine solutions are my expertise. I am also an expert at preventing canine problems (if given the opportunity).
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like most about Miami is its diversity there are so many beautiful people from all parts of the world what I dislike is the heavy traffic.
Contact Info:
- Website: K-9Solutionsinc.com
- Phone: Dade 305-825-0057 Broward 954-443-3113
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k9solutionsinc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/K-9-Solutions-177758015595147/
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