The Three Dimensional Dog Q & A

Three Dimensional Dog is a training service located in Birmingham, Alabama. They are an in-home behavioral training service that WORKS.
​You can find them online at ThreeDimensionalDog.com or on Facebook.

My husband and I used them to help us train our puppy Murphy (pictured above) about three years ago. Not only did Aaron correct Murphy's main behavioral issue during our first session, but he armed us to become more effective “dog parents” by understanding how to better communicate with Murphy.

I had the great opportunity to sit down with the owner of
​Three Dimensional Dog, Aaron McDonald, for this Small Business Spotlight!

How did you get into dog training and why did you create Three Dimensional Dog?

I started working with dogs about 18 years ago by apprenticing with a dog training school. In the early 2000s, my family and I developed out our own training business called McDonald Canine Academy. This was where I gained my best education on what it was like to start, run, and grow my own business. We had unique opportunities like working in northern Iraq with the prime minister's family as well being the lead consultant for the Kurdistan Regional Government's national canine security services.

Through my experiences I began to notice a pattern between dogs' behavior and their physical, intellectual, and emotional systems. This became what I now call the Three Dimensional Dog philosophy and that's how I started my current business: Three Dimensional Dog.

I wanted to develop my own company around that philosophy and a vision of helping people view dog behavior in a different way. At Three Dimensional Dog, we strive to help families find more satisfaction in their relationship with their dog and to better understand their dog. Often times, we heal and save those relationships.

What do you believe makes you different from other dog trainers and what do your customers value the most about your services?

When I started to develop out our philosophy on dog behavior, I noticed that most trainers and services were attempting to teach dogs how to do more things: sit, roll over, shake, etc.  But what we found when entering clients' homes, was that owners were often struggling with the exact opposite.
Their dog was uncontrollable and was already doing too much.

We actually target the problem of an “out of control” dog by teaching the dogs how to do less. We teach dog parents how to create healthy boundaries with their dogs. We identify behavior patterns or triggers for negative behaviors and work to mitigate those triggers. We teach a philosophy centered around communicating with your dog and understanding the conversation that's happening between the two of you. We use a different language: dog owners are “dog parents.”

We do all of this in the owner's home. We teach in the environment where bad behavior is most likely to surface and where boundaries can actually be created. The resounding value of what we do is in its effectiveness. It works.

Even in cases where the owner asks, “Is my dog 'train-able'?” I can usually calm wild behavior and gain control within minutes of entering their home.

What's the biggest challenge or obstacle you've encountered being a small business owner?

Learning perspective. As our business has developed, I've had to exercise a lot of self exploration. I had to understand where I was and where I should be. I have discovered that I need to move from the small details to the big picture ideas. And handing off those small details to someone else (no matter how competent they are) is a vulnerable thing.

What is your current marketing strategy or the best way you've gained new customers?

We've just started venturing into that area. We've worked off referrals from clinics and previous clients so far, but are trying to formulate a new way to gain customers as well.

I wrote a book, “Three Dimensional Dog, A Unified Theory of Canine Behavior,” that is a great resource for those interested in our services. Our team continually creates valuable content that any dog parent can access through our website (threedimensionaldog.com) and our Facebook page.

​Our goal is to stay top of mind to dog parents and to stay engaged with current, past, or potential clients.

What's one piece of advice you'd give to someone interested in starting their own business?

Always ask questions. Never ever quit learning and don't assume you know everything. Surround yourself with people who know more than you do. When you feel a little ignorant or a little “small,” chances are you're in the right place.