Meet Stefanie Strackbein of What Dogs Want

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stefanie Strackbein.

Stefanie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started volunteering in an animal shelter while finishing my degree in Psychology at ASU. I was planning on a career in human behavior but found I had a knack for working with/understanding dogs and decided to put my energy into that instead. There are a lot of reasons dogs lose their homes, but a majority of dogs are given up because of “behavior problems”.

It seemed as though a large number of these dogs were under-stimulated in their home environments (often causing behavior problems) so I started focusing my attention on providing enrichment for dogs, trying to find a way to be more proactive by helping dogs (and their people) BEFORE being turned in to a shelter. About this same time I myself adopted a dog and he was incredibly smart. He validated my beliefs that keeping him busy and enriched was the key to keeping him happy and healthy (and out of trouble).

Working closely with him on problem-solving activities or interactive games helped us bond closer… VOILA! What Dogs Want was officially born. I started this venture 11 years ago by offering in-home enrichment for dogs, providing fun and easy activities that let them think, be creative, experience novel things, etc. That grew into an opportunity to run a “day school” in Scottsdale, where dogs spent the day with us participating in similar activities to help build confidence. Parents of the “students” were always asking for ideas about working with their dogs at home so I developed ‘See Spot Think’, a monthly subscription box providing brain games and body awareness activities for dogs.

Last year I had a former client offer me the opportunity to use one of their rental homes as a dog enrichment center in central Phoenix so here we are today. Dogs can come spend the day here thinking, learning, and having fun in a social setting. We also work with a local shelter providing enrichment for their pups, preparing them to be fantastic companions and teaching them manners and polite behavior. We still offer the subscription box (it’s the ‘home version’ of what we do at the center) and we are now developing interactive programs for humans and their dogs to work together in a non-competitive way, sharing experiences and having fun.

My ultimate goal is to provide an opportunity for dogs to learn, think, develop and build confidence to help them be the best dog they can be. This will keep dogs IN their homes and will help homeless dogs find an appropriate home and be ready when they get there. At the same time, as people learn more about HOW their dogs think and learn I hope they become more appreciative of their dogs, form stronger bonds, and understand that dogs really like to do stuff that gives them purpose and lets them think and explore. THAT is what dogs want!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Enrichment for dogs in a bit of a nebulous concept. Everyone thinks I am either a dog “trainer” or run a dog daycare. While there are some training and reinforcing of manners/polite behavior in what we do, enrichment is about providing an opportunity to learn, deal with conflict, be exposed to novel objects, be creative….. all help a dog become a stable, confident dog.

We are certainly not a daycare in that we don’t have rooms that are over-crowded and dogs do not just come here to play and lose any impulse control they had. Trying to explain what enrichment really is and how it not only benefits but is crucial to a dog’s mental and physical health is an ongoing challenge. Once they understand, there is almost complete buy-in but a fair number of people scoff at the need to provide these types of physical and/or mental challenges for their dogs to keep them happy and healthy. We’ll get there, though!

Please tell us about What Dogs Want.
What Dogs Want specializes in dog enrichment and behavior. As far as I know, we are the only business who provides these cutting-edge, but important services.

We operate an enrichment center for dogs to spend the day with us, and we work with shelter dogs providing enrichment opportunities for dogs awaiting a forever home. We offer a monthly subscription box that provides brain games for dogs so people can work with their dogs teaching them life skills, practicing manners and having fun with a purpose. We are also excited to offer interactive programs for dogs and their people starting in fall, 2018!

I am proud to be the ONLY enrichment service for dogs in Phoenix, and possibly in the nation. The subscription box is also unique; I believe it’s the only one that offers interactive, educational fun for dogs and their people. I am also very proud to have helped people understand their dogs better, and we’ve helped dogs and puppies become more confident, well-mannered, focused…. and ultimately healthier, happier dogs.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I probably would have taken more business classes if I had known I would be running my own business one day!

Besides that, everything seems to have fallen in to place for me…. the experiences, people and dogs I have met, the failures I have had and the successes have all put me here and this is exactly where I want to be. I am absolutely living my dream.

Pricing:

• Subscription boxes start at $25/month + shipping
• Classes at our enrichment center are $80/day for a full day, $50/day for half day

Contact Info:

• Address: 1216 W. Colter St., Phoenix, AZ 85013
• Website: www.whatdogswant.org
• Phone: 480-242-0001
• Email: stef@whatdogswant.org
• Instagram: @whatdogswant
• Facebook: @itswhatdogswant

Image Credit:
Maren Bussey

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.