Today we’d like to introduce you to Sofía Ramírez De Arellano.
Hi Sofía, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My love for animals started early, but it turned into something serious when I began working at a dog daycare in 2017. That’s where I really got exposed to dog behavior. Not the ideal version people talk about, but the real, messy, misunderstood side of it. I became obsessed with understanding why dogs do what they do, and I started diving into anything I could get my hands on to learn more.
As I built my career, I worked in multiple areas of the pet industry: training facilities, grooming, veterinary care, and pet sitting. This gave me a very well-rounded understanding of dogs from every angle. I also had the opportunity to be mentored by experienced trainers, which helped me refine my skills and develop my own approach.
Early on, I worked at a larger training facility where I gained hands-on experience with a wide range of dogs and behavioral cases. Over time, I stepped into a leadership role, running the board and train program and working closely with both dogs and their owners.
What really shaped my path was realizing how many dogs were being misunderstood. A lot of training focuses on quick fixes or one-size-fits-all methods, but dogs are individuals. Their genetics, history, and instincts all play a role in how they learn and behave. That perspective pushed me to develop a more balanced, thoughtful approach to training that focuses not just on obedience, but on clarity, structure, and helping dogs actually feel more confident and stable in their environment.
Eventually, I decided to branch out and start my own business, Ruff Times Dog Training. I now offer private lessons, board and train programs, and day training, working with everything from young puppies to more complex behavioral cases. My goal is always the same: to set both the dog and the owner up in a way that actually works in real life. Not just in a controlled training setting.
Building this business hasn’t been easy, but it’s been incredibly rewarding. Seeing the transformation in both dogs and their owners and knowing I played a role in that makes all the long hours worth it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges has been working in an industry that’s completely unregulated, where anyone can call themselves a dog trainer. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and a lot of dogs being set up to fail because of it. Part of the challenge has been not only training the dog, but undoing confusion and unrealistic expectations that clients come in with.
Another big one is that this kind of work doesn’t end when the session does. You’re dealing with living animals and human behavior, which means results aren’t instant, and they’re not guaranteed. A lot of people want quick fixes, and part of my job is setting clear, sometimes uncomfortable expectations about what real training actually looks like and what it requires from them.
On the business side, building something from the ground up comes with its own challenges. ESPECIALLY in a city like Miami where things move fast and competition is high. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t see, from managing operations to maintaining quality and structure as you grow. As a business owner, you really have to wear a lot of different hats.
That said, those challenges are also what shaped the way I work today. They forced me to be very clear in my approach, very intentional with my clients, and very honest about what actually works.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Ruff Times Dog Training?
Ruff Times Dog Training is a South Florida based training business focused on lasting, real life results. I work with a wide range of dogs – from young puppies to more complex behavioral cases, but I’ve become especially known for working with independent, strong-willed breeds.
That part honestly happened a little unintentionally. I somehow ended up with a steady stream of Shibas, Huskies, and similar personalities. And it turns out I’m really good with them! Most trainers tend to avoid those types of dogs because they’re not as eager to please and don’t respond well to overly rigid or one-size-fits-all approaches. I’ve always enjoyed figuring them out instead.
What sets my work apart is the emphasis on clarity, structure, and understanding the dog in front of me. A lot of dogs get labeled as “stubborn” or “difficult,” when in reality, they’ve just been misunderstood. I take a balanced, individualized approach that focuses not just on obedience, but on creating dogs that are more stable, neutral, and able to function in real world environments.
I work on everything from foundational skills like potty training, leash manners, and basic obedience, to more complex behavioral issues like reactivity, separation anxiety, excessive barking, and aggression. The approach always depends on the dog, there’s not a preset formula.
I offer private lessons, board and train programs, and day training, depending on the level of support the client needs. But regardless of the program, a big part of my work is educating the owner. The goal isn’t just to change the dog, but to change the dynamic between the dog and the owner in a way that’s actually sustainable.
What I’m most proud of is the level of honesty I bring into my work. I’m very upfront about what training can and can’t do, and I don’t sell unrealistic expectations. I’d rather set someone up properly from the beginning than promise something that won’t hold up in real life.
At the end of the day, my focus is on helping people actually understand their dogs, not just control them. And that’s where you see real, lasting change.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Honestly, I think it comes down to how I see dogs. I don’t expect them to fit into a certain mold, and I don’t take things personally when they don’t. That makes it a lot easier to work through behaviors instead of fighting against them.
And on the human side, I’m very direct. I set clear expectations and focus on what actually works, not what sounds good. Clients really appreciate that honesty. It helps them feel more comfortable trusting me and the process. That trust is a huge part of the work, because dog training is very collaborative. Without it, the results don’t hold.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rufftimesdogtraining.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rufftimesdogtraining
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GoAumN2hy/
- Other: https://share.google/4tvbHjiSh5ym78YYf
