Canine behaviourist and trainer Shirin Merchant on creating a market for a niche business and scaling by teaching

Growing up around dogs, says Shirin Merchant, she always had a passion for animals and wanted a career that would let her be around them. At that time, the only career option that she could pursue that would let her be around animals was to become a vet, but that wasn’t what she wanted. 

Her first exposure to canine training and behaviour came when she attended a short course by John Rogerson, one of the world’s leading experts in this field. Fascinated by his insights, she went to England for four years to study under him and learn more about the science behind dog behaviour. 

It’s been 27 years since Merchant started training dogs and over the years she has helped thousands of owners establish a better relationship with their dogs. Additionally, she offers courses and workshops for aspiring dog trainers and behaviourists, she has created easy accessibility to such courses for aspiring canine trainers and has created an eco-system that allows the community to thrive.

She speaks to Down to Business on setting up a niche business:

Creating a market

Today, there are several canine behavior institutes in India. But, the market was very different when Merchant started off.

“Initially, a lot of people thought dog training was rubbish. What is this behavior work? It’s not good. There was also somebody who told me it was demeaning for a dog to go to a shrink and things like that,” says Merchant.  

Things changed, she said, also when more TV shows about dog behaviour started to be aired. “People started to have a more open mind to it, but initially it was difficult because a lot of people were not very convinced about this, i.e. canine behavior, being the science it is. They just thought that maybe I was an animal communicator or something.”

What changed on ground for Merchant was the results that her work showed. “Especially, when vets began to see the impact. Then, they started to refer clients, so it really picked up I would say,” she adds. 

Marketing Oneself

When it comes to a service business such as canine training, says Merchant, word of mouth is key to growth.  “If a client liked my work, they would refer me on. In service related industries somebody says ‘this was good, I went there, I tried it’. Then it is more likely that other people will try it as well.” 

There is a certain amount of proactive self-marketing as well. Especially on social media in an Instagram world. Merchant says she is extremely introverted and over the years learnt to get out and do things outside of her comfort zone.

“When you run a service, you cannot afford to be shy. I tell my students that they have to be on Instagram. They have to talk and put their faces out there.” 

The first place that a client checks out someone they intend to hire, she adds, is Instagram. “And, if they do not see you there, then that is a kind of trust factor that goes missing. They need to see who they are going to work with, they need to see how that person looks, talks, behaves, their thought process etc. I have some students who are shy and are not on social media, they tend to lose a bit of business because of that.” 

She also emphasises on the importance of educating dog-owners about their dogs’ behaviour and how to handle them properly. She uses YouTube to educate people on canine behaviour. During Covid-19 pandemic, they also hosted several online events and have conducted offline events as well, where pet parents can interact and learn about dog psychology, training, and Shirin’s services. 

Scaling by teaching

Over the years, Merchant has trained hundreds of canine trainers.  These courses cover both theoretical and practical aspects of canine training and behaviour. She also provides mentoring and guidance for those who want to start their own business or work in this field.

Does it make business sense to create competition for oneself?

“One of the reasons I started these courses is because I would get calls from all over the country asking if I could head to some other city to help them. I would have to say no because I am based in Bombay,” says Merchant.

Being unable to help the person and the dog was not a feeling Merchant could sit with. “I felt like I’d left them hanging, they didn’t have answers and they would continue to struggle. The other reason for starting the course is that many people said they would love doing the kind of work I did, but were not sure how to make a living from it. So, I thought why not kill two birds with a stone and do a course where canine behaviorists can learn to do this as a profession and other people can be helped.”

“A lot of people think that, if you are the only one in the field, all the work will come to you. I do not think the world works like that.

“What I would typically see is the more trainers and behaviorists, the more work will come our way. Not that I did it for that reason. I do want to help people. Today, I am thrilled when somebody calls me from a different city and asks for a reference in their city and I can
actually help.” 

With editorial assistance from Dhara Mandaliya