I’m taking a pause from the “When Will My Dog Be Trained” series to share some resources that I have been seeing around for supporting BIPOC folks in the dog training world - and why inclusivity and diversity in dog training is an important subject to address. I’m arguably the least qualified person to address these issues as a relatively sheltered, absolutely privileged white middle-class cis woman. I’m probably going to get things wrong - but I’ll learn, adjust, and do better.
I want to share some resources with you that I’ve been given. Despite dogs being a major focus in American culture and society, the love of animals and desire for pets crossing cultural, racial, and socioeconomic boundaries, the world of dog business and dog sports is overwhelmingly white. I’m lucky enough to be aware of amazing people who are making an effort to change that, and I want to encourage anyone reading this to take a look at the businesses linked in this post to support black-owned businesses as well!
And in light of COVID-19, things are so much more available online - including stores, training, and other services that you might not otherwise be able to connect with. I can tell you that I don’t know all of these products, but that I’ll be trying them out over the course of the next several months/years, following their pages, and doing what I can to amplify their presence.
By far, this is the best collection I’ve found of Black-Owned Dog Businesses, most with online presence, that has been circulating. It has representation from all over the country, from training resources to all-meat treats, to vegan treats, to bandanas and headbands and toys and gear and more. Most of the folks on there have online stores, and almost all of them have some form of social media (I humbly recommend following Smart Bitch Dog Training - IG @smartbitchdogtraining - for some awesome tutorials and infographics). Let me know what products you really like, and I’ll try to keep folks posted on what I have tried.
The other corner of the internet to visit is Paco Collars Facebook page - not only are they an incredibly well-regarded company themselves, but they are also POC-owned and have been highlighting some incredible stories recently from BIPOC in the dog training community. While you’re visiting their page, pick up some very cool sparkly collars for your dog!
