The Great Franchisee: Bert Ballard, Dog Training Elite, Denver

Last year, former Pepperdine University communications professor Bert Ballard closed the chapter on his career in academia to open his own business. But Ballard didn’t leave education behind entirely. As one of the newest franchisees with Dog Training Elite*, the 30-plus-unit dog training franchise out of Denver, Ballard is educating dog owners to help them better understand and interact with their pets.

Ballard’s Dog Training Elite location opened in Denver in July 2020. Since then, he and his team have placed a particular focus on helping train guidance and support animals for customers with disabilities or medical issues.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?

Bert Ballard: I was a professor of communications at Pepperdine University, specializing in communication ethics, interpersonal and intercultural communication. I coordinated the graduate program in strategic communication, conducted research on intercountry adoption, and coordinated the curriculum for the communications undergraduate program. Additionally, I was a student mentor and advisor. During my time teaching at Pepperdine, I spent a year teaching in Shanghai, China where I taught communications to Pepperdine students. We all lived and learned in a community in Shanghai and had the opportunity to travel together and travel on educational trips around the country. I also spent three years teaching at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada prior to Pepperdine. I received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication from Colorado State University and earned my Ph.D. in Communications at the University of Denver. 

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising, and what was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchise owner?

Ballard: I had a basic understanding of the franchise model and industry, but becoming franchisees was a personal decision for my wife and me since we wanted to support our family and return to our roots in Colorado. We were ready for our next adventure and wanted a little more freedom, which is what made owning a franchise such an attractive option for us. We could be our own bosses without being totally on our own starting and building a business from the ground up while also leaving a legacy for our children.

1851: How did you decide you wanted to be a franchisee?

Ballard: My wife and I have always wanted to go into business together and do something that would give back to the community, provide a service that was fulfilling and fill a need in our community. Once we found Dog Training Elite, everything just fell into place.

1851: How did you perform your research?

Ballard: I looked into franchises online and came across a site that sells franchises and was interested in learning more. My wife and I went through this discovery process with Dog Training Elite. It was a great experience, and we were able to meet the corporate team and ask all of the questions we had. We had to shift some assets around, but the overall investment was doable, and we didn’t have to take out any loans to do it. We had been looking at relocating from California to Colorado, which is where my wife and I grew up. It’s also where my daughter was receiving much of her health care, as she has a rare condition and wasn’t getting the health care she required in California. 

1851: Why did you pick Dog Training Elite? What excited you most about the brand’s potential?

Ballard: I have three kids, and one of them, my daughter Adria, suffers from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, which causes seizures. For so long we said no to getting a dog, but like most parents, we finally gave in. As my daughter continued to suffer seizures, we were constantly traveling from California to Colorado for her doctors’ appointments. After some time we realized that the dog, Snickerdoodle, was able to alert us about 10 minutes before she experienced a seizure. Snickerdoodle had no specific training in this skill, and this experience really showed us the value that K9 companions can offer members of our community who suffer from medical challenges. Not only has Snickerdoodle become an alert system, but she has also given our daughter so much more confidence and comfort when it comes to navigating the world. She now has the freedom to be on her own, knowing that Snickerdoodle is able to be there for her if and when a seizure occurs. Adria is actually our training director and the best trainer we have!

I’m excited about the market that we are in — the Denver area has more dogs than children so there are lots of people and dogs that need our services. We are also bringing people onto our team who are interested in learning the trade and having a presence in the community. We don’t look at it as selling dog training; we look at it as selling care, connection, and community. It’s so rewarding to go out and work with a family whose dog is in need of our services. It can change the whole family's perception of their dog and can improve the dog's life tremendously. We help people feel good about the dog they have, we help calm the anxiety that a lot of dogs experience, and we help train service dogs that allow people more freedom and a better quality of life. 

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Ballard: I want this business to become a legacy for my three kids, and I want to be able to help create a strong connection between people and their dogs. I want to enable folks who are working for the business and working in the areas of training to have the same positive impact on the community. There are a lot of life lessons that people can learn from training a dog that can also help us understand and communicate with each other as human beings, like consistency, patience, and boundaries. We want to be the first training program along the Colorado Front Range that clients think about and choose for their dog training needs. 

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Ballard: You have to be comfortable wearing many hats and performing many roles in order to run your own business. Be prepared to work hard and to follow your passion, but also don't forget to include time for yourself and your family. Take what you do seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously. 

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Ballard: I do a lot of hiking throughout the state. I’m a big runner, and whenever I have the time and energy, I read mostly fiction. As a family, pre-COVID we traveled a lot and are hoping to get back to that as the world goes back to normal. 

ABOUT DOG TRAINING ELITE

With more than four decades of experience in dog training, Dog Training Elite is one of the country’s leading obedience and specialized training franchises. Offering a comprehensive suite of customizable training programs, Dog Training Elite works with dogs and owners to meet any and all training needs, including therapy dog training and advanced service dog training for PTSD support, psychiatric support, mobility support, autism support, diabetic alert training, personal protection training and an array of other services. In addition to the wide breadth of services offered, Dog Training Elite differentiates itself from competitors through a uniquely human-focused approach to dog training, which focuses on helping owners and their families learn to effectively and consistently support their dog’s training needs. To learn more about franchising with Dog Training Elite, visit https://dogtrainingelite.com/franchise.