Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Sessa.
Alex, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I fell in love with dog training and animal behavior while volunteering at Athens-Clarke County Animal Control when I was a student at UGA. There were so many dogs being surrendered there due to behavior issues, and I felt that there had to be a way to help keep animals in their homes. Around that same time, I went to a book signing for Victoria Stilwell, celebrity dog trainer and host of Animal Planet’s “It’s Me or the Dog.” Little did I know that this event would change the course of my life.
She and I hit it off immediately at the book signing, and we exchanged contact information. I kept in touch with her throughout my time at UGA, and after I graduated, I was offered a job working for her. Over the next five years, I had the privilege of traveling the world with Victoria and learning from her in all facets of training and behavior. Together, we co-produced our passion project, Guardians of the Night, a web series documenting the lives of police dogs and their handlers. Through that project, I met my now-husband Will, who happens to be a police K-9 handler!
At the start of 2017, the timing was right to launch my own training business, a dream I’d had for many years. With the support and encouragement of my husband, family, and friends, Peach on a Leash was born. And it’s been full speed ahead ever since!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been a surprisingly smooth one! This has been a career that I’ve been preparing for many years, so the transition was relatively seamless. I’m constantly making changes to the business and tweaking things that aren’t working as well as I’d like, and I think that’s the key to a successful business. You have to be flexible, and you have to be willing to recognize when a component of your business needs to be updated or changed. The biggest struggle for me has been maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I tend to swing too far on the work side!
Please tell us about Peach on a Leash Dog Training & Behavior Services.
Peach on a Leash provides a broad range of training services for our clients. We offer private, in-home training as well as group classes at Spalding Animal Hospital in Peachtree Corners. We also have an incredibly unique “Puppy Camp” board & train program that’s designed to give puppies under 5 months a jump-start at learning in a structured training environment. We work on potty training, preventing problem behaviors from developing, and teaching foundation behaviors like sit, down, place, stay, walking nicely on leash, and come.
My goal with each of my clients is to provide them with effective, easy-to-implement training that utilizes the latest science-based modern training methods. I follow the LIMA protocol, recognized as a humane standard for dog trainers, and which states that trainers should practice the least intrusive, minimally aversive methods for every dog in our care. Just as in the pledge that medical professionals take, I also take a pledge to do no harm to my canine clients.
I also give back to the rescue community as much as possible, working with rescues including Furkids, Angels Among Us, and Atlanta Boxer Rescue.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I was a magnet for animals in need as a child. Whether it was picking up stray dogs on the side of the road or stealing my dad’s fishing worms to put them back in the ground, I was always looking for an animal to save.
Pricing:
- Group Classes: $140-150 total for a six week group class.
- Private Training: Packages beginning as low as $270
- Puppy Camp: $120/night or $1500 for 2 weeks
Contact Info:
- Website: www.peachonaleash.com
- Phone: 404-272-2007
- Email: info@peachonaleash.com
- Instagram: @peachonaleash
- Facebook: Facebook.com/PeachonaLeash
Image Credit:
Professional photos with dogs – Amy Jo Photography.
Guardians of the Night – Victoria Stilwell Enterprises.
Getting in touch: VoyageATL 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.
