02/10/2026
Our business is turning 6 years old, we got a face lift (new logo) and a name change!
Proud to announce A-Z DOGS is now Wholistic Mutts.
I started this business truly not knowing how my “dreams” were going to keep my dogs and me off the street. Years later, I never realized this business was the first baby that I had built from the ground up. This business has seen everything from a young, dumb twenty-year-old self with dogs and a dream to the older seasoned trainer and owner. This business has forced me to be an entrepreneur that I never knew existed. The owner role has caused burnout, stress, tears, and blood. It has seen me at my best and worst of my 20s. Its heard me say to stop taking aggressive cases 1000x to then never give them up, to saying “I will never have kids” too, being pregnant with two under two and postpartum, and ready with the match to burn it all down. It pulled me through it all because of your trust in me. The sleepless nights , the stress of working 24/7, of always looking after someone's fur baby, rotating a million different quirks ,schedules, and personalities in hopes of giving you your dream dog. This business has took pieces of me, chewed them up and spit them back at me but I’m grateful for it. I am grateful to be the seasoned trainer.I am grateful to be the person with scars and knowledge. The gift is to you, to create more like me of trusted training programs.
So why do I do it? Why not burn it all down?
The trust in me is why, even if I tried to shut my doors, I would have clients banging down my doors and saying good try, get up. I have had dogs that would go to typical boarding and be so traumatized that they would reverse 2-3 years of training and trust I built. Some of the same clients who came to me in 2020 have trusted me to take care of their fur babies and future siblings, helping with nutrition, health, grooming, and behavior. I love the calls “are you still training?” or “ I got another crazy one for you,” and I love helping clients navigate the rough waters of dog parenting, but at the end of the day, I am only one person. Here is where most mothers (dog & human) would have waved the white flag and called it a day. They would have given up hope long ago, but we all know I am not normal, nor shutting my doors anytime soon. (in this economy?)
Instead, we are rebranding, collecting the ashes and experiences of the past, and building a foundation for a TRUSTWORTHY and holistic-minded place to go for daycare, boarding, grooming, and training, all in one place, with a holistic mindset. I am tired of the one-size-fits-all dog training or people thinking diet and dogs behavior aren't directly correlated. I am tired of my clients pets getting cancer and the system failing them or doing what's right by their wallet not your baby.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE DOG!
I am rebranding and expanding to show dog owners there is hope.
There is hope to have a dog trainer who actually gets it, who was once a confused dog client too.
A dog trainer who has ten years of experience who looks out for the best interest of your pup's health and wellness.
A dog trainer who wants the best for you and your pup. One that cheers you on not to give up even during the hardest dog moments.
A dog trainer that is also human and knows progress is NEVER linear.
A dog trainer who does not just tell you what food to buy but teaches you how to read the labels.
A dog trainer who has seen her three dogs through chronic allergies, adhd, surgeries, reactivity, and aggression.
A dog trainer who is going to tell you the truth that other corporations won't.
My vision with this rebranding is to empower dog mom and dad like myself to question everything and not to give up hope that there is someone you can trust your pup with, while youre working or traveling, whether it's 3 days or 365 days.
xo,
Ruth Smith
