June 27, 2025 • 32 mins
Welcome to Dog Friendly part 2 of my interview with Mo Thompson from Mo Mountain Mutts in Alaska. In this episode, Mo shares her daily routine running a busy dog care business in the Last Frontier. She talks about how her passion for dogs and her creative approach like running her own puppy bus help her manage everything from pack walks and training to making sure every dog feels safe and loved.
Mo also opens up about the challenges of working in remote Alaska, where community support and teamwork are everything. She’s honest about her social media efforts, how she handles both feedback and criticism, and her unwavering commitment to doing what’s best for the dogs and their owners.
If you love dogs, small business stories, or enjoy tales of resilience and innovation, this episode is for you. Stay tuned for the final part of our series, where Mo shares her exciting plans for the future of Mo Mountain Mutts and her vision for pet care in Alaska!
Check out Mo - IG: https://www.instagram.com/mo_mountain_mutts/
Website: https://www.momountainmutts.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkagwayDogWalker/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MoMountainMutts
E-Collar Technologies - https://www.ecollar.com/
Alpinehowl.com for your Handcrafted apparel for dogs and matching hats for their best friends.
Info@alpinehowl.com
IG: @alpinehowl
Check out Bixbipet.com for dog and cat food.
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
Good morning, dog lovers.
Welcome to Dog Friendly, thepodcast where we celebrate the
joy of dogs and the adventureswe share with them.
I'm your host, Brandon Bennettfrom Alpine Howell.
Each week, I take you todog-friendly locations to chat
(00:20):
with passionate dog owners abouttheir furry companions and the
unforgettable experiencesthey've had together.
We'll also hear from experts whoshare valuable insights on
training, health, and making themost out of our time with our
canine pals, all while enjoyingthe great outdoors.
So whether you're a seasoned pupparent or just a dog lover, grab
(00:41):
your leash, maybe a libation,and join us as we enjoy the
world of dogs and incredibleadventures that await.
Let's dive into today's episode.
Here we are, part two with MoThompson and her big old bus
(01:03):
party of dogs, living life inAlaska.
This is a great episode.
She gets into a little bit aboutthe bus, you know, how that came
about and how she does her dailywork, a little bit of social
media and, you know, how thataffects her day to day and their
business.
Pretty cool stuff.
She also talks about a littlebit of the hardships of being on
(01:26):
social media and what people aresaying about what she's visually
putting out there content-wise.
I got to tell you, she's a kindhuman.
She's doing what's right for thedogs and their owners.
And it's amazing how people cantake things out of context when
(01:48):
you're just being a human.
Back in the day, people didn'tsee this stuff out there.
It was probably happening.
There were things that werehappening that were no good.
And now with the world that welive in, It kind of stinks.
But she put it into perspective.
She doesn't shy away.
(02:08):
She does her.
And we got to take that becausewe are all in this together.
And we're doing what we love.
She loves dogs.
She loves what she's doing forher clients and the dogs, her
family.
So good job, Mo.
(02:29):
Take her away.
SPEAKER_00 (02:31):
So now...
our business is I run two groupsand then he runs the old and the
little.
We just recently created thisnew group and it's teeny tinies
on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Oh, you've got to send photos.
You've got to send some photos.
They're so small.
And so I had a meet and greetwith like this one dog and you
(02:53):
could hold it in like one hand.
And I actually had to tell herlike, I don't think it's a good
idea.
Like, She was kind of worriedabout me putting a collar on.
And I'm like, you know, ifyou're worried about a collar, I
don't think your dog should gobecause what if it gets like
rolled by a bigger dog?
I just, they're all mixed inlike the little dogs with the
big dogs.
There wasn't that much sizedifference.
It was like younger and olderdogs.
(03:14):
That was really the space there.
And so even the teeny tiniescan't go with the super seniors
because there's like they getkind of like shaky and wobbly
and like, what if they step onthe seven town dog, you know,
one of the oldest seniors.
So they have their own specialgroup now.
And so that's what we run now.
Morning crew is like puppies andadult dogs and adult dogs who
(03:38):
were like really well-mannered.
They're like the best dogs.
You want puppies around?
Like they have, they're, they'renice.
They don't overcorrect, butthey'll hold the dog
accountable.
They're like who you want tosocialize your young dog with.
And then second crew is like anoverflow of that.
plus some socially selectivedogs.
Dogs who maybe don't wantstrangers interacting with them.
(03:58):
It's just a little bit moremanaged, and then there's some
really easygoing dogs in thereto mix it up to.
And then old and little, there'sMonday, Wednesday, Friday, and
teeny, tiny Tuesday, Thursday inthe same slot.
And seniors and little dogs justaren't as high energy to have
Monday through Friday.
All
SPEAKER_01 (04:15):
right.
And so I think we're inchingtoward this puppy bus then.
You had...
One van, minivan, and thenbigger van.
SPEAKER_00 (04:24):
Yeah.
So the big dog van, I was in themiddle of the road driving on my
route and I'm like turning leftand my right tire fell off.
What?
And it's the middle of winterand I'm like, oh my God, what
the heck?
So I texted some clients, youknow, can you come grab your
dog?
In this, you know, small town,it was like a couple of friends
were like, oh, I could bring myneighbor's dog home.
(04:46):
And I'm like, let me justconfirm that's okay.
And they're like, yeah, yeah.
UNKNOWN (04:49):
So,
SPEAKER_00 (04:49):
Everybody's like helping bring the dogs home.
And then I like posted on thiscommunity page, like in search
of large van, like a tour bus ora mini bus or like a tour van.
Cause there's really big vans intown.
Cause people do a lot of tours.
And so I was like looking forsomething like maybe off season,
if somebody trying to get rid ofone or whatever.
And somebody messaged somebodyand was like, Hey, I think
(05:15):
there's this bus sitting in theairplane hanger.
That's not being used.
And then the guy was like, yeah,I just need to get rid of it
actually.
And he sold it to me for$5,000.
It's like really nice, but like,or I could not turn that down.
And then he's like, Oh, actuallythe battery is dead.
I'll take a hundred dollars off.
You're gonna have to buy abattery.
SPEAKER_02 (05:35):
Oh
SPEAKER_00 (05:35):
man.
It's like really, really coolguy.
It's Hamilton.
He owns like a bunch ofconstruction stuff.
So, um, just like how this townnetworks, um, There's like a bus
garage, and I used to pick updogs there.
Those guys came over, helped meget my van out of the middle of
the street.
They towed it, helped me fix it,and helped me connect with the
(05:57):
bus.
And so for a bit, we were usingthe van as a backup, but we just
got rid of it actually like acouple weeks ago because it sat
for too long.
It sucks in this town thatthere's not like a mechanic.
All it needed was a fuel pump,and since it sat for two years,
it's like, I guess it just hasto go.
SPEAKER_01 (06:14):
Yeah, bummer.
SPEAKER_00 (06:16):
Yeah, so both white vans we had, they're both, we
don't have either of those.
We just have the bus.
And so my bus actually brokedown two weeks ago.
And so when that happens, nowwe're just kind of like out of
commission, which does suck nothaving a backup vehicle.
But what can you do?
So yeah, my bus broke downrecently and I had to run all
the dogs home on foot.
(06:37):
My husband just stayed here towatch them.
And I would run in, grab two andrun off, grab them off.
How far away?
Luckily, the person that worksall the way down at the dock
drove to my house to grab hisdog instead.
I just texted him.
I was like, I'm going to do yourdog last because it's so far.
I was like, it's going to be awhile before he gets dropped
off.
And he luckily was able inbetween his tours to come grab
(07:00):
his dog.
So this bus, people are helpful.
I probably could have asked oneof his friends too, you know?
SPEAKER_01 (07:07):
Yeah.
Everybody knows everybody.
I, I, like I said, I grew up inthat, you know, everyone,
there's five last names where Igrew up.
It's, that's so wonderful thatyou have that community.
SPEAKER_00 (07:17):
It's great.
People are like, do you want tolike franchise or come do this
here?
And I'm like, it wouldn't be thesame.
It's like, it's just such aspecial little Segway thing, you
know?
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
Good for you.
That's, you know, I, uh,interestingly enough, I recently
interviewed a guy here inColorado.
He's called the Uber dog.
I don't know if you've heard ofhim and he's, you know, viral
and he does YouTube where hebrings his dog Bowie and puts
them in the front seat of his,uh, I think it's Yukon Denali.
I think he upgraded, uh, oursuburban anyway.
(07:48):
Uh, and he goes around and heUbers in Boulder, Colorado and
people are just like, liftedfrom like a day or whatever and
they just see this dog and theyjust light up.
So there's something about thatin the cars.
It's just so amazing.
SPEAKER_00 (08:02):
Okay, so he brings his dog to like see people?
SPEAKER_01 (08:06):
To Uber.
He Ubers in town and his dog isin
SPEAKER_00 (08:11):
the...
Oh, he just
SPEAKER_01 (08:12):
has his dog?
Yeah, and his dog is in thefront seat next to him and
everybody who gets in are justlike blown away.
It is so magical.
Like what...
just having his dog in the frontseat is...
SPEAKER_00 (08:25):
Oh, I get it.
Okay.
So there's this, it's calledOcean Wrap Tours.
It's actually the guy who fixedour bus.
We made a post about it withCasper, his dog.
And his dog is siblings withsome of the dogs I've worked
with, like Stella rides the bus.
So back when I worked atWestmark Hotel, I always look in
the restaurants and they havelike a restaurant in the hotel.
They would do these like Perkswhere they want you in the
(08:50):
beginning of the season to go onthe tour so that you can talk
about them and sell them to thepeople eating.
So it's kind of a win-win,right?
They're like, we'll take theemployees out in the beginning
of the season before things getbusy.
Then you'll like the ocean raftand then you'll talk about it.
So when the tourists are sittingdown, they're like, what do you
recommend?
You're like, I love going on theocean raft tour, right?
(09:11):
Yeah.
So I got to do that throughWestmark, my work.
They sent a group of us and theguy had his dog on the tour and
I loved it.
The dog was in the car for theway out.
He got on the boat and I'm like,I want on the boat with the dog.
So I get it.
I would be thrilled if there wasa dog in my Uber too.
SPEAKER_01 (09:31):
Yeah.
So, you know, with you and thiswhole bus thing, I mean, it's,
it's gotta be just magical.
I mean, I see the photos onInstagram.
You know, Instagram, and I'mjust like, this is special.
I mean...
It
SPEAKER_00 (09:46):
is.
SPEAKER_01 (09:47):
It really is.
How did you, like, think of theidea?
I mean, you did the van, butthey're buckled in.
Like, where did that come from?
SPEAKER_00 (09:56):
From a silly video of me pretending I was, like, a
flight attendant.
SPEAKER_02 (10:04):
That's how we got a lot of the videos.
Oh, that's
SPEAKER_00 (10:06):
so good.
Okay, so the seatbelts, theycame in because in my van, I
used to open up the back doorand just, like, toss in, like,
four, five, six dogs in theback.
And then there would be, like,three in the middle.
And I used to buckle in ortether down dogs sometimes
because they get up in otherdogs' business.
(10:28):
And so the socially selectivedogs don't want that.
So if you have a young dogwithout good boundaries
bothering a dog who really likestheir space, you're going to
hear, right off the bat.
SPEAKER_02 (10:37):
And
SPEAKER_00 (10:38):
so that's always been a problem in the vehicle.
Not like a problem, but it'salways something you have to be
really mindful of.
So the first time I discoveredthat was one of my regulars.
I was bringing in a new dog andshe's always been cool with dogs
outside, but she got morecomfortable in my vehicle.
So she started guarding it andthen she was resourced starting
my vehicle and didn't want thedog to get in it because she
(11:01):
didn't know the dog that well.
So then it's like, all right,This isn't going to work.
You know, now we just need tolike pack walk through here.
So I would do the thing where Iwould drive around with the dogs
that could ride together, getthe dog that can't, and then
start walking from their house.
Just park my car there, youknow, until they're like
comfortable.
So it's always like somethingdifferent depending on who's
(11:21):
here and who has what problemsand how can we manage this?
It's always been that.
And so the bus is like, wow,this solves all my problems.
Everybody has their own seat.
They're all buckled in.
Nope.
There's a licky puppy corner inthe back.
I have four seats in the very,very back.
I took out a whole row in frontof them.
So that way the dog couldn'teven lean over the seat in the
front.
(11:42):
Like they're all back there bythemselves.
So the dogs who want to likemake out, they go back there.
And that's where the dogs wholove pack walks, but just don't
want to be bothered by thepuppies in the seat.
They just want to ride calmly.
And so they sit right behind me.
So now I'm just like veryorganized, like seating,
especially when I like have newdogs.
(12:04):
Now they have like, there's aspace in the car that they can
just sit by themselves and kindof just watch and observe.
It's great.
You know, it just keeps themsafer.
And I had to like get a bunch ofharnesses.
That was like the whole thingwith the bus.
The bus added so much extraspace.
like gears, like I neededharnesses and all these
(12:25):
different sizes so that I haveone that fits everybody.
And back in the day, I would dothis thing where I would walk
the group, drop them off, pickup the next one, walk them, drop
them off, pick up the next one.
Now, I pick up a group, myhusband drops me off.
And while I'm walking thatgroup, he picks up the next one.
(12:46):
And he
SPEAKER_02 (12:46):
pulls up,
SPEAKER_00 (12:47):
first crew gets on and second crew gets off.
And then because the middlegroup, there's not enough time
and we don't like the littletiny dogs with the big energetic
dogs.
So then we just drop off secondcrew together, eat lunch on the
bus, and then we pick up theteeny tinies.
And then one of us goes home.
If it's teeny tinies, I do it.
(13:08):
If it's old and little, myhusband does it.
So then one of us takes ourtoddler home usually.
He's getting a little bit morestamina, but when he was a baby,
he couldn't do all three packwalks.
So there's just always like ajuggle of, What do we have?
What's everybody's needs?
Everything's always being likemodified.
I feel like my, every year ittweaks a little bit, trying to
make it safer, trying to make itmore organized, just trying to
(13:30):
like meet the dog's needs, youknow?
So it's just very flexible.
SPEAKER_01 (13:35):
That's a pretty amazing.
And what does the businessmodel, you know, I'm going to
ask this in the semiprofessional way of, but you
seem to have a pretty goodhandle on this.
What is the, the business modelof what you do in, in, from a
more specific part of that, thesocial media aspect and what
(13:58):
you're doing as the business ofdogs, because you have a
following on, obviously, I mean,again, I'm seeing on Instagram,
but like what, what, What areyou juggling?
SPEAKER_00 (14:07):
We have two million on TikTok.
Holy
SPEAKER_01 (14:10):
cow.
I haven't even got on TikTokyet.
And I have a dog clothingcompany.
I'm going to send you guys somestuff for your pups too.
So you got to get...
I'll email you after this andeverything so I can get you guys
some gear up there because it'llbe perfect for the cold weather.
My mom hand crochets hats andthen matching scarves for your
dog.
It is...
unbelievably magical oh it's
SPEAKER_00 (14:30):
well we like to make silly fashion show videos every
once in a while we only ever dothat in the winter because
summer is just too crazy thereis like all the seasonal dogs
come and just because they'renot regulars they have to get
kind of like acclimated it'sjust it's too much to make media
so there's definitely timeswhere we're not as media active
and we are way more active inthe winter just because it's
(14:53):
just local dogs A lot of peopleleave town for a month or so, so
dogs are kind of like on andoff.
And so the packs are smaller.
We do a lot more dog sitting, soit kind of balances out.
But we just have more mediapresence in the winter.
SPEAKER_01 (15:07):
Yeah, so getting back to my question, though,
what does your business looklike in the sense of, you know,
the following on social and thenthe day-to-day?
You know, is there any, like,how can you explain that to the
people that are listening?
UNKNOWN (15:23):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:24):
Um, I'm not trying to answer that.
I'm not sure what you
SPEAKER_01 (15:28):
mean.
You have the business every dayand then you have the, what,
what, what's, I guess I maybeI'll boil it down into like,
what does the social media addto on the level of what you're
doing for your passion?
SPEAKER_00 (15:42):
Oh, so how I started doing social media, even in the
first place was I used to haveonly like six dogs and I never
had to write anything down.
I could just remember theschedule off the top of my head.
And once I got around like nineto 12, I started writing things
on like my server papers andjust dabbing it in the front of
my like car, like with them,just like cook it in the heater.
(16:04):
It's like a little thing.
Perfect.
And I was like a list.
And then one time I forgotFrank, I'll never forget it.
I, cause he was like, he was theonly dog that alternated.
Everybody else was either likeMonday through Friday or they
would pick Monday, Wednesday,Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday.
There was never like a mixtureof groups.
But one day he went in themorning and the other day he
(16:26):
went in the afternoon.
And one of those times I forgothim.
And I was like, I can't rememberthis off the top of my head.
So I started like tweaking that.
And the media was, I would texteverybody individually a pump
date.
Like if there was any behaviorissues or a picture of where
they went, who they were with.
Like everybody would get likesome kind of like, hey, I came
(16:48):
by.
This is what we did.
Because it used to change a lot.
Like sometimes I played fetchjust so they would kind of know
what kind of exercise they got.
SPEAKER_02 (16:54):
Sure.
SPEAKER_00 (16:55):
And once they got 12 people or 12 dogs, people,
people do, it became moretalking to people than it did
walking dogs.
And it got kind of likeexcessive.
So I made, um, Instagram and Istarted posting pack walk
pictures instead of textingindividual people.
So I told all my clients, if youwant to see the pictures, um,
(17:18):
I'm going to post them here.
And if you want to watch the dogon their walk, I'm going to post
the story.
So I would record their walk andput it on my story.
I still do that.
And so I started the mediabecause it got too, like it's
too time consuming to text everysingle person, like what we were
doing and what they were up toand how they were and who they
played with and who theirfriends are.
SPEAKER_01 (17:38):
Makes total sense.
A hundred percent.
SPEAKER_00 (17:41):
Yeah.
Once I had 12 dogs, it was justlike two months.
And then that just became partof my thing because it's part of
my distraction training.
We're going to pull over.
We're going to do a groupsit-stay.
Well, if you're all sittinghere, I'll shoot.
I may as well take a picture.
And then it was like, I'm also ahairstylist, so I've always used
pictures for a portfolio.
(18:01):
You know, like a tattoo artist,hairstylist.
We all take pictures to showwhat we're good at.
And so I use my pack walks kindof to show who I'm working with.
And you see that dog who waslike...
not doing good with other dogs.
Now they're not wearing a muzzleand they're vibing and they're
doing this and they're doingthat.
It like shows, you know, whatkind of work you're doing and
how, how they're progressing.
(18:22):
So that was all just forclients.
And like my family back home inMichigan, like my parents, like
my YouTube channel was like formy parents, like here, watch
what I'm doing.
Like, look at the steel I saw.
Um, and when my husband joinedme and he became the camera
holder, then we started goingviral.
Like, us two together is whatmade better video.
(18:43):
And, like, I knew that this wasa thing because I used to hire a
friend to hold my camera when Iwould do training videos.
Because if you talk to a phone,it's not very personal.
And, like, if somebody isholding the camera, I talk to
you like you're a real personbecause I'm, like, talking to my
friend or my husband.
So it comes off way morepersonable if a human is holding
(19:04):
the camera.
Yeah.
And so that's kind of where theviral bit took off.
And then I had to like come upwith this like media contract
release for my owners to signbecause it was like, oh, like
there's this whole thing now.
Monetization is not the same asit used to be.
You don't get paid for views.
(19:24):
I feel like people think we'remaking like a bunch of money off
media or whatever, but theinternet doesn't pay like it
used to.
Plus, we never went for YouTube,which is the one that pays for
views.
We were on TikTok, which likejust gives you some pennies in
there.
But what's been really cool isthe connections I've made with
(19:44):
other dog trainers, theconnections I make with other
dog people, and then dogs likethe fans send the dogs treats
because they want to see themeat certain stuff.
And so instead of me taking apiece of beef liver and putting
it in a bag of kibble andshaking it around and using that
for food work, because beefliver is expensive.
And in the beginning, I was not,I'm not able to just like buy
(20:08):
buckets and buckets of like highvalue, you know, stuff.
I'm like, these dogs are eatinggood because the internet loves
them.
And they send toys.
And so I send the dogs home withgifts.
And if we get too many treats,then I just give them to the dog
owners, you know?
And so these dogs are justgetting...
snacks on snacks on snacks, likethe good stuff, you know?
SPEAKER_02 (20:29):
That's so great.
SPEAKER_00 (20:30):
And people were asking, you know, like, how can
we help you?
Or I would love to help you.
And I'm like, I'm going to addpoop bags to a wishlist.
I'm like, if you guys want tosend me poop bags like that, it
would be amazing.
And so we get some fans who sendus poop bags randomly.
SPEAKER_01 (20:43):
I like you talking about that aspect of it because
people wonder, you know, theysee the blue check mark and all
that stuff.
They're like, oh, they're justmaking tons of money and all
that stuff.
And it's right.
And again, I talk.
SPEAKER_00 (20:56):
I'm such a ding dong.
I could have monetized myselfyears ago, but I never tried.
I just, I never made media forthe intent of being a content
creator.
Yeah.
I never, that was never thegoal.
Like, so I just never tried toget monetized.
And so I could have forInstagram a long time ago.
I should have.
(21:17):
I could be doing the thing whereI make you pay a subscription to
watch my stories.
And there's so many things whereit's just like, I can't believe
you give all that informationaway for free.
He's like, you could charge forthat.
I'm like, I know, but.
SPEAKER_01 (21:29):
You're Midwest nice.
Again, I'm bringing that around.
I'm the same freaking brokenperson.
SPEAKER_00 (21:36):
I'm like, I like to talk about it.
I don't tell people about it.
Like my DMs on Instagram arelike so personal.
There's so many people that DMme on Instagram a lot.
They watch my stories and talkback and forth to me.
And there's some people I'vebeen talking to for years.
Like I've never met them, but wehave like a back and forth DM.
Like they, you know, talk aboutthe dogs and stuff or ask
(21:58):
questions.
And I'm just bound to educatepeople on dog body language.
And I know there's a lot ofstuff out there and it can be so
confusing about like whatapplies to me or what applies to
that.
And I just like to be kind oflike real about it.
And there was this whole thingabout people freaking out about
(22:21):
me using like certain toolsbecause there's like, you know,
dog drama controversy aboute-collars and this and that.
And I'm like, hey, I'm nottelling you you should do it.
I'm just showing you what I do.
And if something that I doapplies for something you would
like, you could, you know,copycat.
That's fine.
But I'm never making like, youshould do this with your dog
(22:44):
kind of stuff.
I'm just showing you what I do.
And if you want to take a tipout of there, take it.
If it's not for you, it's notfor you.
Whatever.
Scroll on.
So I've had some people really,really freak out about
e-collars.
And they assume that I'm like...
This one really blew my mind.
One time I posted this pictureof a lineup.
All the dogs were lined up in asit-stay looking all cute.
(23:05):
And somebody was like, well, nowonder they're there.
They're being shocked intoplace.
SPEAKER_02 (23:10):
Oh, man.
SPEAKER_00 (23:10):
And I was like, whoa.
I'm like, I've actually neverused an e-collar for sit-stay.
But wild that you assume that.
Like, I've never.
These dogs will sit and stayjust fine for a snack.
You know?
And there's a bigmisunderstanding in some tools.
And so sometimes I give a littlebit of education and then
sometimes I'm like, wow.
(23:32):
I really only care what the dogowners think.
SPEAKER_01 (23:35):
Yeah, that's important because, and I know
that too.
I mean, e-collars, they havethis old thought in their brain
that people are using e-collarsas shock collars.
That was the original way thatit
SPEAKER_00 (23:50):
was.
You're correct.
right out there you
SPEAKER_01 (23:54):
know yeah
SPEAKER_00 (23:55):
but it's and it was and it was for the working dog
it is so it's people forget thatthere's like working dogs and
there's pet dogs and they'redifferent and their drive is
different and their sensitivityis different you know
SPEAKER_01 (24:07):
yeah
SPEAKER_00 (24:07):
and so many dogs are just so different
SPEAKER_01 (24:11):
and they're making so much you know the
improvements on these you knowThey're tools and you don't have
to use them.
My day job is I'm a generalcontractor and I use different
tools than other people, but Istill get the job done, you
know, and people have to, youknow, do their own education and
not jump to that conclusion.
(24:31):
I'm with you.
I appreciate that, you know,you're smart.
expressing in the way for theowner and what you do from the
outside, looking in, ifsomeone's judging you, it's
like, no, no, no, I'm doing thisfor the, what the owner wants
and is important to them.
And,
SPEAKER_00 (24:48):
you know, and you can stage stuff with media.
Like I could go around and takeall their e-collars off and take
a picture, but I don't, I don'tcare.
I'm like going to show it how itis.
So recently I made this, thispost, I took a picture of, this
dog who is leaving town.
Her owner's very favorite.
She's not online.
She doesn't watch anything.
So I take pictures and I sendthem to her personally.
(25:08):
Sometimes she loves to see herGerman shepherd wrestling with
like the scary faces.
That's her favorite when her dogis showing up.
So I took as many as I could andI got the best ones.
Like she's that scary dog face.
And I posted them and was like,so her owner was like, I think
I'm leaving on Monday, but itmight be Tuesday.
I don't know yet.
(25:29):
And so I made a post and I said,this might be my last walk with
Mina.
Might see her Monday.
Might not.
Hashtag safe travels.
People freaked out.
They thought that she was on adog fight and then I kicked her
off pack walk.
And I'm like, that's wild.
Could you imagine there's a dogfight and I'm just taking
pictures of it and then I justposted it online?
Yeah,
SPEAKER_01 (25:47):
come on.
SPEAKER_00 (25:48):
Right?
Could you imagine that?
No.
Also, it's like, I'm sorry youdidn't read hashtag safe
travels.
That's not my fault.
And so it got really emotional.
It got really crazy.
People were like, DMing me,commenting, like, then you need
to take a break from socialmedia if you can't get your
captions right.
And if you can't, you know, justwhatever.
And I'm like, dude.
And then I'm like, you know,sometimes I just point and shoot
(26:09):
and post.
Like, that's just how it goes.
I guess business model.
If I were to do all of my mediaat the end of work, I would
never post it.
I have to do it right there.
I never rewatch my stories.
I don't go back and edit them atall.
I just point, shoot, post.
I don't even rewatch it before Ipost.
It is what it is.
It's live.
I go live on TikTok all thetime.
(26:31):
And once I stepped on a dog'sleash to keep him from lunging
and somebody reported me foranimal abuse and I got like,
there's a whole, a ban.
I got a shadow ban on TikTok foranimal abuse.
And then somebody, so my phoneis mounted behind my head.
So I can't see it while I'mdriving.
(26:52):
It's just behind me.
I'm not reading comments.
I'm not reading anything.
Somebody reported me fordangerous driving.
They thought that I was like onmy phone while working, like in
driving.
It's like, it's mounted to thewall.
Nobody's even touching it.
And then one time I was, the busis parked.
The dog's in their seat.
I have my baby in its babycarrier.
(27:14):
Like I'm wearing my baby, likein a, like an ergo baby.
I'm wearing him and I'm walkingaround and I'm passing out
treats.
And somebody is like, I can'tbelieve you're driving your bus,
wearing your baby and love.
I'm like, yeah, yeah.
I'm totally just, I'm driving onauto.
I have cruise control on with mybaby on passing out snacks.
Like this isn't a real airplane.
(27:34):
This is a joke guys.
SPEAKER_02 (27:35):
So
SPEAKER_00 (27:38):
yeah, it's been, so I'm a psychology major.
Right.
And I'm just like mega into the,like just people watching.
Sometimes I post things and Ijust like watch what happens.
SPEAKER_01 (27:48):
Sure.
Definitely.
Yeah.
And so, wow, that, that's socrazy.
But yeah, Thanks again, Mo.
Part two, that's a wrap.
Just remember everybody, youknow, you don't always know the
other side of things.
Again, I'm no expert in the dogworld.
(28:09):
I'm just interviewing lovelypeople about what they're doing
and their love for dogs.
Clearly, if you've beenlistening and if you follow Mo,
she's doing a good thing.
And those dogs are gettingtreated really well.
So go get them.
And I hope everybody enjoyedthis episode.
We got part three coming nextweek.
(28:30):
This was a great episode.
Part three, you know, talk alittle bit about some fun,
uplifting pieces of treatcheeses, things of that nature.
So, you know, check her out.
Got all the show notes.
Mo Mutz.
I'm sorry, Mo Mountain Mutz.
It's early, but thanks again,Mo.
(28:53):
Speaking of e-collar, she'stalked a little bit about that.
That is what I am reviewingtoday.
And I have an e-collar.
I use it with my pity mix.
It works wonderfully.
Again, the stigma behind it is,it's out there.
And I was a little apprehensiveat first.
But I went to ecollar.com, veryeducational, good resources, and
(29:20):
I also used it with a trainer.
So I've gotten to learn how touse it properly with my dog.
It's not this shock therapy likewe all have in our minds back in
the day, but ecollar.com, Ican't tell you how much they get
into different types, from petand yard e-calls and
(29:44):
accessories.
I love it.
It works wonders with my pity.
And I'm also reading a book.
They're talking about thee-collars and they talk about
the precise use of them.
And I got to tell you, I juststarted this book.
(30:05):
We'll bring it into the picturenext week as I get through it.
But it talks exactly...
It talks as you should use it inthe proper manner for the dog's
reaction and how to know if it'suncomfortable, how to know if
it's a piece that they're just,it's different for them, so it
(30:28):
might be a scratch.
And I'll tell you, when I usedit for my pinion the first time,
had the dials low and worked,the dial low even was good.
He's a tough, tough pup.
And I used it out on our walks,training him and now that I'm
listening to this book andhaving forgot a little bit of
the training because it has beena few years it just reminded me
(30:51):
of all those pieces so it's it'sgood it's a good tool as I
mentioned I'm a generalcontractor we use different
tools and you use it properly itworks wonders so check out
ecollar.com it gives a varietyof them again mine's a little
bit older The ET300, goodergonomic feel in the hand.
(31:14):
It's got the boost piece of it.
If you all look into that,you'll understand what the boost
means.
And it's fantastic.
And again, I hardly use it withhim.
Putting it on, he understandsthat he's got to look.
He looks back at me.
(31:35):
So it's a good tool.
And check out ecollar.com to getmore familiar with the different
pieces they have out there.
And again, as we talked about inher, at the end of our episode,
Don't jump to conclusions and,you know, be a good human
because we want to be a goodhuman to our good dogs.
(31:56):
And that's what it's all abouthere.
So just, you don't know what'son the other side.
Again, I'm standing by thecollar.
It works.
And again, e-collar, not shopcollar.
Just remember that.
So, all right.
Remember, pet them dogs.
Until next week.
Peace.
Today's episode was written andproduced by me, Brandon Bennett,
(32:16):
the owner of Alpine Howl.
To get the latest gear,handcrafted scarves for your
dog, and a matching hat fortheir humans, check out
alpinehowell.com.
It's summertime, so dogs lookgreat in their bandanas and a
matching ball cap for you.
Again, check them out atalpinehowell.com.
Remember, everybody, pet themdogs.
Good morning, dog lovers.
Welcome to Dog Friendly, thepodcast where we celebrate the
joy of dogs and the adventureswe share with them.
I'm your host, Brandon Bennettfrom Alpine Howell.
Each week, I take you todog-friendly locations to chat
(00:20):
with passionate dog owners abouttheir furry companions and the
unforgettable experiencesthey've had together.
We'll also hear from experts whoshare valuable insights on
training, health, and making themost out of our time with our
canine pals, all while enjoyingthe great outdoors.
So whether you're a seasoned pupparent or just a dog lover, grab
(00:41):
your leash, maybe a libation,and join us as we enjoy the
world of dogs and incredibleadventures that await.
Let's dive into today's episode.
Here we are, part two with MoThompson and her big old bus
(01:03):
party of dogs, living life inAlaska.
This is a great episode.
She gets into a little bit aboutthe bus, you know, how that came
about and how she does her dailywork, a little bit of social
media and, you know, how thataffects her day to day and their
business.
Pretty cool stuff.
She also talks about a littlebit of the hardships of being on
(01:26):
social media and what people aresaying about what she's visually
putting out there content-wise.
I got to tell you, she's a kindhuman.
She's doing what's right for thedogs and their owners.
And it's amazing how people cantake things out of context when
(01:48):
you're just being a human.
Back in the day, people didn'tsee this stuff out there.
It was probably happening.
There were things that werehappening that were no good.
And now with the world that welive in, It kind of stinks.
But she put it into perspective.
She doesn't shy away.
(02:08):
She does her.
And we got to take that becausewe are all in this together.
And we're doing what we love.
She loves dogs.
She loves what she's doing forher clients and the dogs, her
family.
So good job, Mo.
(02:29):
Take her away.
SPEAKER_00 (02:31):
So now...
our business is I run two groupsand then he runs the old and the
little.
We just recently created thisnew group and it's teeny tinies
on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Oh, you've got to send photos.
You've got to send some photos.
They're so small.
And so I had a meet and greetwith like this one dog and you
(02:53):
could hold it in like one hand.
And I actually had to tell herlike, I don't think it's a good
idea.
Like, She was kind of worriedabout me putting a collar on.
And I'm like, you know, ifyou're worried about a collar, I
don't think your dog should gobecause what if it gets like
rolled by a bigger dog?
I just, they're all mixed inlike the little dogs with the
big dogs.
There wasn't that much sizedifference.
It was like younger and olderdogs.
(03:14):
That was really the space there.
And so even the teeny tiniescan't go with the super seniors
because there's like they getkind of like shaky and wobbly
and like, what if they step onthe seven town dog, you know,
one of the oldest seniors.
So they have their own specialgroup now.
And so that's what we run now.
Morning crew is like puppies andadult dogs and adult dogs who
(03:38):
were like really well-mannered.
They're like the best dogs.
You want puppies around?
Like they have, they're, they'renice.
They don't overcorrect, butthey'll hold the dog
accountable.
They're like who you want tosocialize your young dog with.
And then second crew is like anoverflow of that.
plus some socially selectivedogs.
Dogs who maybe don't wantstrangers interacting with them.
(03:58):
It's just a little bit moremanaged, and then there's some
really easygoing dogs in thereto mix it up to.
And then old and little, there'sMonday, Wednesday, Friday, and
teeny, tiny Tuesday, Thursday inthe same slot.
And seniors and little dogs justaren't as high energy to have
Monday through Friday.
All
SPEAKER_01 (04:15):
right.
And so I think we're inchingtoward this puppy bus then.
You had...
One van, minivan, and thenbigger van.
SPEAKER_00 (04:24):
Yeah.
So the big dog van, I was in themiddle of the road driving on my
route and I'm like turning leftand my right tire fell off.
What?
And it's the middle of winterand I'm like, oh my God, what
the heck?
So I texted some clients, youknow, can you come grab your
dog?
In this, you know, small town,it was like a couple of friends
were like, oh, I could bring myneighbor's dog home.
(04:46):
And I'm like, let me justconfirm that's okay.
And they're like, yeah, yeah.
UNKNOWN (04:49):
So,
SPEAKER_00 (04:49):
Everybody's like helping bring the dogs home.
And then I like posted on thiscommunity page, like in search
of large van, like a tour bus ora mini bus or like a tour van.
Cause there's really big vans intown.
Cause people do a lot of tours.
And so I was like looking forsomething like maybe off season,
if somebody trying to get rid ofone or whatever.
And somebody messaged somebodyand was like, Hey, I think
(05:15):
there's this bus sitting in theairplane hanger.
That's not being used.
And then the guy was like, yeah,I just need to get rid of it
actually.
And he sold it to me for$5,000.
It's like really nice, but like,or I could not turn that down.
And then he's like, Oh, actuallythe battery is dead.
I'll take a hundred dollars off.
You're gonna have to buy abattery.
SPEAKER_02 (05:35):
Oh
SPEAKER_00 (05:35):
man.
It's like really, really coolguy.
It's Hamilton.
He owns like a bunch ofconstruction stuff.
So, um, just like how this townnetworks, um, There's like a bus
garage, and I used to pick updogs there.
Those guys came over, helped meget my van out of the middle of
the street.
They towed it, helped me fix it,and helped me connect with the
(05:57):
bus.
And so for a bit, we were usingthe van as a backup, but we just
got rid of it actually like acouple weeks ago because it sat
for too long.
It sucks in this town thatthere's not like a mechanic.
All it needed was a fuel pump,and since it sat for two years,
it's like, I guess it just hasto go.
SPEAKER_01 (06:14):
Yeah, bummer.
SPEAKER_00 (06:16):
Yeah, so both white vans we had, they're both, we
don't have either of those.
We just have the bus.
And so my bus actually brokedown two weeks ago.
And so when that happens, nowwe're just kind of like out of
commission, which does suck nothaving a backup vehicle.
But what can you do?
So yeah, my bus broke downrecently and I had to run all
the dogs home on foot.
(06:37):
My husband just stayed here towatch them.
And I would run in, grab two andrun off, grab them off.
How far away?
Luckily, the person that worksall the way down at the dock
drove to my house to grab hisdog instead.
I just texted him.
I was like, I'm going to do yourdog last because it's so far.
I was like, it's going to be awhile before he gets dropped
off.
And he luckily was able inbetween his tours to come grab
(07:00):
his dog.
So this bus, people are helpful.
I probably could have asked oneof his friends too, you know?
SPEAKER_01 (07:07):
Yeah.
Everybody knows everybody.
I, I, like I said, I grew up inthat, you know, everyone,
there's five last names where Igrew up.
It's, that's so wonderful thatyou have that community.
SPEAKER_00 (07:17):
It's great.
People are like, do you want tolike franchise or come do this
here?
And I'm like, it wouldn't be thesame.
It's like, it's just such aspecial little Segway thing, you
know?
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
Good for you.
That's, you know, I, uh,interestingly enough, I recently
interviewed a guy here inColorado.
He's called the Uber dog.
I don't know if you've heard ofhim and he's, you know, viral
and he does YouTube where hebrings his dog Bowie and puts
them in the front seat of his,uh, I think it's Yukon Denali.
I think he upgraded, uh, oursuburban anyway.
(07:48):
Uh, and he goes around and heUbers in Boulder, Colorado and
people are just like, liftedfrom like a day or whatever and
they just see this dog and theyjust light up.
So there's something about thatin the cars.
It's just so amazing.
SPEAKER_00 (08:02):
Okay, so he brings his dog to like see people?
SPEAKER_01 (08:06):
To Uber.
He Ubers in town and his dog isin
SPEAKER_00 (08:11):
the...
Oh, he just
SPEAKER_01 (08:12):
has his dog?
Yeah, and his dog is in thefront seat next to him and
everybody who gets in are justlike blown away.
It is so magical.
Like what...
just having his dog in the frontseat is...
SPEAKER_00 (08:25):
Oh, I get it.
Okay.
So there's this, it's calledOcean Wrap Tours.
It's actually the guy who fixedour bus.
We made a post about it withCasper, his dog.
And his dog is siblings withsome of the dogs I've worked
with, like Stella rides the bus.
So back when I worked atWestmark Hotel, I always look in
the restaurants and they havelike a restaurant in the hotel.
They would do these like Perkswhere they want you in the
(08:50):
beginning of the season to go onthe tour so that you can talk
about them and sell them to thepeople eating.
So it's kind of a win-win,right?
They're like, we'll take theemployees out in the beginning
of the season before things getbusy.
Then you'll like the ocean raftand then you'll talk about it.
So when the tourists are sittingdown, they're like, what do you
recommend?
You're like, I love going on theocean raft tour, right?
(09:11):
Yeah.
So I got to do that throughWestmark, my work.
They sent a group of us and theguy had his dog on the tour and
I loved it.
The dog was in the car for theway out.
He got on the boat and I'm like,I want on the boat with the dog.
So I get it.
I would be thrilled if there wasa dog in my Uber too.
SPEAKER_01 (09:31):
Yeah.
So, you know, with you and thiswhole bus thing, I mean, it's,
it's gotta be just magical.
I mean, I see the photos onInstagram.
You know, Instagram, and I'mjust like, this is special.
I mean...
It
SPEAKER_00 (09:46):
is.
SPEAKER_01 (09:47):
It really is.
How did you, like, think of theidea?
I mean, you did the van, butthey're buckled in.
Like, where did that come from?
SPEAKER_00 (09:56):
From a silly video of me pretending I was, like, a
flight attendant.
SPEAKER_02 (10:04):
That's how we got a lot of the videos.
Oh, that's
SPEAKER_00 (10:06):
so good.
Okay, so the seatbelts, theycame in because in my van, I
used to open up the back doorand just, like, toss in, like,
four, five, six dogs in theback.
And then there would be, like,three in the middle.
And I used to buckle in ortether down dogs sometimes
because they get up in otherdogs' business.
(10:28):
And so the socially selectivedogs don't want that.
So if you have a young dogwithout good boundaries
bothering a dog who really likestheir space, you're going to
hear, right off the bat.
SPEAKER_02 (10:37):
And
SPEAKER_00 (10:38):
so that's always been a problem in the vehicle.
Not like a problem, but it'salways something you have to be
really mindful of.
So the first time I discoveredthat was one of my regulars.
I was bringing in a new dog andshe's always been cool with dogs
outside, but she got morecomfortable in my vehicle.
So she started guarding it andthen she was resourced starting
my vehicle and didn't want thedog to get in it because she
(11:01):
didn't know the dog that well.
So then it's like, all right,This isn't going to work.
You know, now we just need tolike pack walk through here.
So I would do the thing where Iwould drive around with the dogs
that could ride together, getthe dog that can't, and then
start walking from their house.
Just park my car there, youknow, until they're like
comfortable.
So it's always like somethingdifferent depending on who's
(11:21):
here and who has what problemsand how can we manage this?
It's always been that.
And so the bus is like, wow,this solves all my problems.
Everybody has their own seat.
They're all buckled in.
Nope.
There's a licky puppy corner inthe back.
I have four seats in the very,very back.
I took out a whole row in frontof them.
So that way the dog couldn'teven lean over the seat in the
front.
(11:42):
Like they're all back there bythemselves.
So the dogs who want to likemake out, they go back there.
And that's where the dogs wholove pack walks, but just don't
want to be bothered by thepuppies in the seat.
They just want to ride calmly.
And so they sit right behind me.
So now I'm just like veryorganized, like seating,
especially when I like have newdogs.
(12:04):
Now they have like, there's aspace in the car that they can
just sit by themselves and kindof just watch and observe.
It's great.
You know, it just keeps themsafer.
And I had to like get a bunch ofharnesses.
That was like the whole thingwith the bus.
The bus added so much extraspace.
like gears, like I neededharnesses and all these
(12:25):
different sizes so that I haveone that fits everybody.
And back in the day, I would dothis thing where I would walk
the group, drop them off, pickup the next one, walk them, drop
them off, pick up the next one.
Now, I pick up a group, myhusband drops me off.
And while I'm walking thatgroup, he picks up the next one.
(12:46):
And he
SPEAKER_02 (12:46):
pulls up,
SPEAKER_00 (12:47):
first crew gets on and second crew gets off.
And then because the middlegroup, there's not enough time
and we don't like the littletiny dogs with the big energetic
dogs.
So then we just drop off secondcrew together, eat lunch on the
bus, and then we pick up theteeny tinies.
And then one of us goes home.
If it's teeny tinies, I do it.
(13:08):
If it's old and little, myhusband does it.
So then one of us takes ourtoddler home usually.
He's getting a little bit morestamina, but when he was a baby,
he couldn't do all three packwalks.
So there's just always like ajuggle of, What do we have?
What's everybody's needs?
Everything's always being likemodified.
I feel like my, every year ittweaks a little bit, trying to
make it safer, trying to make itmore organized, just trying to
(13:30):
like meet the dog's needs, youknow?
So it's just very flexible.
SPEAKER_01 (13:35):
That's a pretty amazing.
And what does the businessmodel, you know, I'm going to
ask this in the semiprofessional way of, but you
seem to have a pretty goodhandle on this.
What is the, the business modelof what you do in, in, from a
more specific part of that, thesocial media aspect and what
(13:58):
you're doing as the business ofdogs, because you have a
following on, obviously, I mean,again, I'm seeing on Instagram,
but like what, what, What areyou juggling?
SPEAKER_00 (14:07):
We have two million on TikTok.
Holy
SPEAKER_01 (14:10):
cow.
I haven't even got on TikTokyet.
And I have a dog clothingcompany.
I'm going to send you guys somestuff for your pups too.
So you got to get...
I'll email you after this andeverything so I can get you guys
some gear up there because it'llbe perfect for the cold weather.
My mom hand crochets hats andthen matching scarves for your
dog.
It is...
unbelievably magical oh it's
SPEAKER_00 (14:30):
well we like to make silly fashion show videos every
once in a while we only ever dothat in the winter because
summer is just too crazy thereis like all the seasonal dogs
come and just because they'renot regulars they have to get
kind of like acclimated it'sjust it's too much to make media
so there's definitely timeswhere we're not as media active
and we are way more active inthe winter just because it's
(14:53):
just local dogs A lot of peopleleave town for a month or so, so
dogs are kind of like on andoff.
And so the packs are smaller.
We do a lot more dog sitting, soit kind of balances out.
But we just have more mediapresence in the winter.
SPEAKER_01 (15:07):
Yeah, so getting back to my question, though,
what does your business looklike in the sense of, you know,
the following on social and thenthe day-to-day?
You know, is there any, like,how can you explain that to the
people that are listening?
UNKNOWN (15:23):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:24):
Um, I'm not trying to answer that.
I'm not sure what you
SPEAKER_01 (15:28):
mean.
You have the business every dayand then you have the, what,
what, what's, I guess I maybeI'll boil it down into like,
what does the social media addto on the level of what you're
doing for your passion?
SPEAKER_00 (15:42):
Oh, so how I started doing social media, even in the
first place was I used to haveonly like six dogs and I never
had to write anything down.
I could just remember theschedule off the top of my head.
And once I got around like nineto 12, I started writing things
on like my server papers andjust dabbing it in the front of
my like car, like with them,just like cook it in the heater.
(16:04):
It's like a little thing.
Perfect.
And I was like a list.
And then one time I forgotFrank, I'll never forget it.
I, cause he was like, he was theonly dog that alternated.
Everybody else was either likeMonday through Friday or they
would pick Monday, Wednesday,Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday.
There was never like a mixtureof groups.
But one day he went in themorning and the other day he
(16:26):
went in the afternoon.
And one of those times I forgothim.
And I was like, I can't rememberthis off the top of my head.
So I started like tweaking that.
And the media was, I would texteverybody individually a pump
date.
Like if there was any behaviorissues or a picture of where
they went, who they were with.
Like everybody would get likesome kind of like, hey, I came
(16:48):
by.
This is what we did.
Because it used to change a lot.
Like sometimes I played fetchjust so they would kind of know
what kind of exercise they got.
SPEAKER_02 (16:54):
Sure.
SPEAKER_00 (16:55):
And once they got 12 people or 12 dogs, people,
people do, it became moretalking to people than it did
walking dogs.
And it got kind of likeexcessive.
So I made, um, Instagram and Istarted posting pack walk
pictures instead of textingindividual people.
So I told all my clients, if youwant to see the pictures, um,
(17:18):
I'm going to post them here.
And if you want to watch the dogon their walk, I'm going to post
the story.
So I would record their walk andput it on my story.
I still do that.
And so I started the mediabecause it got too, like it's
too time consuming to text everysingle person, like what we were
doing and what they were up toand how they were and who they
played with and who theirfriends are.
SPEAKER_01 (17:38):
Makes total sense.
A hundred percent.
SPEAKER_00 (17:41):
Yeah.
Once I had 12 dogs, it was justlike two months.
And then that just became partof my thing because it's part of
my distraction training.
We're going to pull over.
We're going to do a groupsit-stay.
Well, if you're all sittinghere, I'll shoot.
I may as well take a picture.
And then it was like, I'm also ahairstylist, so I've always used
pictures for a portfolio.
(18:01):
You know, like a tattoo artist,hairstylist.
We all take pictures to showwhat we're good at.
And so I use my pack walks kindof to show who I'm working with.
And you see that dog who waslike...
not doing good with other dogs.
Now they're not wearing a muzzleand they're vibing and they're
doing this and they're doingthat.
It like shows, you know, whatkind of work you're doing and
how, how they're progressing.
(18:22):
So that was all just forclients.
And like my family back home inMichigan, like my parents, like
my YouTube channel was like formy parents, like here, watch
what I'm doing.
Like, look at the steel I saw.
Um, and when my husband joinedme and he became the camera
holder, then we started goingviral.
Like, us two together is whatmade better video.
(18:43):
And, like, I knew that this wasa thing because I used to hire a
friend to hold my camera when Iwould do training videos.
Because if you talk to a phone,it's not very personal.
And, like, if somebody isholding the camera, I talk to
you like you're a real personbecause I'm, like, talking to my
friend or my husband.
So it comes off way morepersonable if a human is holding
(19:04):
the camera.
Yeah.
And so that's kind of where theviral bit took off.
And then I had to like come upwith this like media contract
release for my owners to signbecause it was like, oh, like
there's this whole thing now.
Monetization is not the same asit used to be.
You don't get paid for views.
(19:24):
I feel like people think we'remaking like a bunch of money off
media or whatever, but theinternet doesn't pay like it
used to.
Plus, we never went for YouTube,which is the one that pays for
views.
We were on TikTok, which likejust gives you some pennies in
there.
But what's been really cool isthe connections I've made with
(19:44):
other dog trainers, theconnections I make with other
dog people, and then dogs likethe fans send the dogs treats
because they want to see themeat certain stuff.
And so instead of me taking apiece of beef liver and putting
it in a bag of kibble andshaking it around and using that
for food work, because beefliver is expensive.
And in the beginning, I was not,I'm not able to just like buy
(20:08):
buckets and buckets of like highvalue, you know, stuff.
I'm like, these dogs are eatinggood because the internet loves
them.
And they send toys.
And so I send the dogs home withgifts.
And if we get too many treats,then I just give them to the dog
owners, you know?
And so these dogs are justgetting...
snacks on snacks on snacks, likethe good stuff, you know?
SPEAKER_02 (20:29):
That's so great.
SPEAKER_00 (20:30):
And people were asking, you know, like, how can
we help you?
Or I would love to help you.
And I'm like, I'm going to addpoop bags to a wishlist.
I'm like, if you guys want tosend me poop bags like that, it
would be amazing.
And so we get some fans who sendus poop bags randomly.
SPEAKER_01 (20:43):
I like you talking about that aspect of it because
people wonder, you know, theysee the blue check mark and all
that stuff.
They're like, oh, they're justmaking tons of money and all
that stuff.
And it's right.
And again, I talk.
SPEAKER_00 (20:56):
I'm such a ding dong.
I could have monetized myselfyears ago, but I never tried.
I just, I never made media forthe intent of being a content
creator.
Yeah.
I never, that was never thegoal.
Like, so I just never tried toget monetized.
And so I could have forInstagram a long time ago.
I should have.
(21:17):
I could be doing the thing whereI make you pay a subscription to
watch my stories.
And there's so many things whereit's just like, I can't believe
you give all that informationaway for free.
He's like, you could charge forthat.
I'm like, I know, but.
SPEAKER_01 (21:29):
You're Midwest nice.
Again, I'm bringing that around.
I'm the same freaking brokenperson.
SPEAKER_00 (21:36):
I'm like, I like to talk about it.
I don't tell people about it.
Like my DMs on Instagram arelike so personal.
There's so many people that DMme on Instagram a lot.
They watch my stories and talkback and forth to me.
And there's some people I'vebeen talking to for years.
Like I've never met them, but wehave like a back and forth DM.
Like they, you know, talk aboutthe dogs and stuff or ask
(21:58):
questions.
And I'm just bound to educatepeople on dog body language.
And I know there's a lot ofstuff out there and it can be so
confusing about like whatapplies to me or what applies to
that.
And I just like to be kind oflike real about it.
And there was this whole thingabout people freaking out about
(22:21):
me using like certain toolsbecause there's like, you know,
dog drama controversy aboute-collars and this and that.
And I'm like, hey, I'm nottelling you you should do it.
I'm just showing you what I do.
And if something that I doapplies for something you would
like, you could, you know,copycat.
That's fine.
But I'm never making like, youshould do this with your dog
(22:44):
kind of stuff.
I'm just showing you what I do.
And if you want to take a tipout of there, take it.
If it's not for you, it's notfor you.
Whatever.
Scroll on.
So I've had some people really,really freak out about
e-collars.
And they assume that I'm like...
This one really blew my mind.
One time I posted this pictureof a lineup.
All the dogs were lined up in asit-stay looking all cute.
(23:05):
And somebody was like, well, nowonder they're there.
They're being shocked intoplace.
SPEAKER_02 (23:10):
Oh, man.
SPEAKER_00 (23:10):
And I was like, whoa.
I'm like, I've actually neverused an e-collar for sit-stay.
But wild that you assume that.
Like, I've never.
These dogs will sit and stayjust fine for a snack.
You know?
And there's a bigmisunderstanding in some tools.
And so sometimes I give a littlebit of education and then
sometimes I'm like, wow.
(23:32):
I really only care what the dogowners think.
SPEAKER_01 (23:35):
Yeah, that's important because, and I know
that too.
I mean, e-collars, they havethis old thought in their brain
that people are using e-collarsas shock collars.
That was the original way thatit
SPEAKER_00 (23:50):
was.
You're correct.
right out there you
SPEAKER_01 (23:54):
know yeah
SPEAKER_00 (23:55):
but it's and it was and it was for the working dog
it is so it's people forget thatthere's like working dogs and
there's pet dogs and they'redifferent and their drive is
different and their sensitivityis different you know
SPEAKER_01 (24:07):
yeah
SPEAKER_00 (24:07):
and so many dogs are just so different
SPEAKER_01 (24:11):
and they're making so much you know the
improvements on these you knowThey're tools and you don't have
to use them.
My day job is I'm a generalcontractor and I use different
tools than other people, but Istill get the job done, you
know, and people have to, youknow, do their own education and
not jump to that conclusion.
(24:31):
I'm with you.
I appreciate that, you know,you're smart.
expressing in the way for theowner and what you do from the
outside, looking in, ifsomeone's judging you, it's
like, no, no, no, I'm doing thisfor the, what the owner wants
and is important to them.
And,
SPEAKER_00 (24:48):
you know, and you can stage stuff with media.
Like I could go around and takeall their e-collars off and take
a picture, but I don't, I don'tcare.
I'm like going to show it how itis.
So recently I made this, thispost, I took a picture of, this
dog who is leaving town.
Her owner's very favorite.
She's not online.
She doesn't watch anything.
So I take pictures and I sendthem to her personally.
(25:08):
Sometimes she loves to see herGerman shepherd wrestling with
like the scary faces.
That's her favorite when her dogis showing up.
So I took as many as I could andI got the best ones.
Like she's that scary dog face.
And I posted them and was like,so her owner was like, I think
I'm leaving on Monday, but itmight be Tuesday.
I don't know yet.
(25:29):
And so I made a post and I said,this might be my last walk with
Mina.
Might see her Monday.
Might not.
Hashtag safe travels.
People freaked out.
They thought that she was on adog fight and then I kicked her
off pack walk.
And I'm like, that's wild.
Could you imagine there's a dogfight and I'm just taking
pictures of it and then I justposted it online?
Yeah,
SPEAKER_01 (25:47):
come on.
SPEAKER_00 (25:48):
Right?
Could you imagine that?
No.
Also, it's like, I'm sorry youdidn't read hashtag safe
travels.
That's not my fault.
And so it got really emotional.
It got really crazy.
People were like, DMing me,commenting, like, then you need
to take a break from socialmedia if you can't get your
captions right.
And if you can't, you know, justwhatever.
And I'm like, dude.
And then I'm like, you know,sometimes I just point and shoot
(26:09):
and post.
Like, that's just how it goes.
I guess business model.
If I were to do all of my mediaat the end of work, I would
never post it.
I have to do it right there.
I never rewatch my stories.
I don't go back and edit them atall.
I just point, shoot, post.
I don't even rewatch it before Ipost.
It is what it is.
It's live.
I go live on TikTok all thetime.
(26:31):
And once I stepped on a dog'sleash to keep him from lunging
and somebody reported me foranimal abuse and I got like,
there's a whole, a ban.
I got a shadow ban on TikTok foranimal abuse.
And then somebody, so my phoneis mounted behind my head.
So I can't see it while I'mdriving.
(26:52):
It's just behind me.
I'm not reading comments.
I'm not reading anything.
Somebody reported me fordangerous driving.
They thought that I was like onmy phone while working, like in
driving.
It's like, it's mounted to thewall.
Nobody's even touching it.
And then one time I was, the busis parked.
The dog's in their seat.
I have my baby in its babycarrier.
(27:14):
Like I'm wearing my baby, likein a, like an ergo baby.
I'm wearing him and I'm walkingaround and I'm passing out
treats.
And somebody is like, I can'tbelieve you're driving your bus,
wearing your baby and love.
I'm like, yeah, yeah.
I'm totally just, I'm driving onauto.
I have cruise control on with mybaby on passing out snacks.
Like this isn't a real airplane.
(27:34):
This is a joke guys.
SPEAKER_02 (27:35):
So
SPEAKER_00 (27:38):
yeah, it's been, so I'm a psychology major.
Right.
And I'm just like mega into the,like just people watching.
Sometimes I post things and Ijust like watch what happens.
SPEAKER_01 (27:48):
Sure.
Definitely.
Yeah.
And so, wow, that, that's socrazy.
But yeah, Thanks again, Mo.
Part two, that's a wrap.
Just remember everybody, youknow, you don't always know the
other side of things.
Again, I'm no expert in the dogworld.
(28:09):
I'm just interviewing lovelypeople about what they're doing
and their love for dogs.
Clearly, if you've beenlistening and if you follow Mo,
she's doing a good thing.
And those dogs are gettingtreated really well.
So go get them.
And I hope everybody enjoyedthis episode.
We got part three coming nextweek.
(28:30):
This was a great episode.
Part three, you know, talk alittle bit about some fun,
uplifting pieces of treatcheeses, things of that nature.
So, you know, check her out.
Got all the show notes.
Mo Mutz.
I'm sorry, Mo Mountain Mutz.
It's early, but thanks again,Mo.
(28:53):
Speaking of e-collar, she'stalked a little bit about that.
That is what I am reviewingtoday.
And I have an e-collar.
I use it with my pity mix.
It works wonderfully.
Again, the stigma behind it is,it's out there.
And I was a little apprehensiveat first.
But I went to ecollar.com, veryeducational, good resources, and
(29:20):
I also used it with a trainer.
So I've gotten to learn how touse it properly with my dog.
It's not this shock therapy likewe all have in our minds back in
the day, but ecollar.com, Ican't tell you how much they get
into different types, from petand yard e-calls and
(29:44):
accessories.
I love it.
It works wonders with my pity.
And I'm also reading a book.
They're talking about thee-collars and they talk about
the precise use of them.
And I got to tell you, I juststarted this book.
(30:05):
We'll bring it into the picturenext week as I get through it.
But it talks exactly...
It talks as you should use it inthe proper manner for the dog's
reaction and how to know if it'suncomfortable, how to know if
it's a piece that they're just,it's different for them, so it
(30:28):
might be a scratch.
And I'll tell you, when I usedit for my pinion the first time,
had the dials low and worked,the dial low even was good.
He's a tough, tough pup.
And I used it out on our walks,training him and now that I'm
listening to this book andhaving forgot a little bit of
the training because it has beena few years it just reminded me
(30:51):
of all those pieces so it's it'sgood it's a good tool as I
mentioned I'm a generalcontractor we use different
tools and you use it properly itworks wonders so check out
ecollar.com it gives a varietyof them again mine's a little
bit older The ET300, goodergonomic feel in the hand.
(31:14):
It's got the boost piece of it.
If you all look into that,you'll understand what the boost
means.
And it's fantastic.
And again, I hardly use it withhim.
Putting it on, he understandsthat he's got to look.
He looks back at me.
(31:35):
So it's a good tool.
And check out ecollar.com to getmore familiar with the different
pieces they have out there.
And again, as we talked about inher, at the end of our episode,
Don't jump to conclusions and,you know, be a good human
because we want to be a goodhuman to our good dogs.
(31:56):
And that's what it's all abouthere.
So just, you don't know what'son the other side.
Again, I'm standing by thecollar.
It works.
And again, e-collar, not shopcollar.
Just remember that.
So, all right.
Remember, pet them dogs.
Until next week.
Peace.
Today's episode was written andproduced by me, Brandon Bennett,
(32:16):
the owner of Alpine Howl.
To get the latest gear,handcrafted scarves for your
dog, and a matching hat fortheir humans, check out
alpinehowell.com.
It's summertime, so dogs lookgreat in their bandanas and a
matching ball cap for you.
Again, check them out atalpinehowell.com.
Remember, everybody, pet themdogs.
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