Dog-Loving Veteran Starts Business To Help Community and Its Pets

Joshua Lopez, a Navy veteran, is taking his experience working with dogs to start his own business aimed at helping the community and its pets. As a K-9 handler, Lopez has always had a dog by his side. He served in the Navy at 18, was deployed to Afghanistan with a military working dog and worked with the department of state as a K-9 handler.

When thinking about his next step, Lopez knew he wanted to own a business, and offering dog training services was a no-brainer. That’s when he found Dog Training Elite*, which focuses on helping owners and their families learn to effectively and consistently support their dog’s training needs.

Lopez is excited to provide dog-training services to the Cleveland community. He wants to clear up the communication between dog owners and their pets, and hopes his services help lower the number of dogs going to shelters by providing longer ownership of dogs by their owners. Lopez says he owes everything he has to dogs and hopes his business will be a way for him to pay back everything they’ve done for him. As a father of two boys and three dogs, Lopez and his family are looking forward to helping the community create a lifelong friendship and bond with their pets.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Lopez: I did just under eight years in the U.S. Navy.

I was a dog handler in the Navy, a K-9 cop and deployed to Afghanistan with a military working dog. I have also worked with the department of state as a K-9 handler, so DTE was a natural progression for me. I wanted a franchise for a while.

I just didn’t know what I wanted to get into. I was tossing around home-based services. Once I found DTE, it was a no-brainer for me because of the experience I have with dogs.

I have a real estate business as well where I own rental properties. I used that to get started with DTE. I have three dogs and two kids (boys) who love dogs as well.

They’re already trying to train them by using popcorn.

Lopez: I didn’t want to buy myself a job. I wanted to do the opposite. As I found out more info, I realized I was purchasing a piece of a bigger partnership. A lot of the stuff was already done, and I didn’t have to do much work when it came to marketing either. It made the transition of buying a franchise very easy.

Lopez: The culture made me pick DTE. Going to Discovery Day made me feel like corporate was small and tight-knit. Everyone there knew my name. When I felt that camaraderie, it reminded me of what I had in the military.

Lopez: I want to clear up the communication between pet owners and dogs. The more I can clear up the communication between them, the fewer times dogs will be going to shelters. I want to influence longer ownership of dogs and help to create that lifetime bond between the animal and the owner. I hope to expand throughout NE Ohio. I want to have a brick-and-mortar location in Cleveland. I want to follow the model and keep reinvesting in my business.

Lopez: Dogs have given me everything. I was interested in the military from the age of 18 as a K-9 handler. Now, as a 34-year-old after working with dogs and the Department of State, I've basically done this all my life. If it wasn’t for dogs, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I eat, breathe and sleep this stuff.

Lopez: Do your due diligence, and have a passion for the franchise you decide to partner with. When you buy a franchise, the growth is quick so you need to be ready for it. Be prepared for the work.

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 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.