DOGCO YEAR 2 · FOR 2026 MEMBERS
You built the foundation.
Now learn to scale on it.
Year 1 helped you build a better business.
Year 2 helps strengthen what you built, and finding the gaps before growth does.
$629/month, or pay in full and save 20%. Renewal closes 1/3/27.
Look at what you've already done
This year you worked on your numbers, your profit, your operations, your systems, your team, your retention, your lead flow, and how much the company leans on you.
That's a lot of foundation.
But growth puts pressure on everything. The pricing that worked at $300k, the scheduling system that worked with 8 employees, the manager setup that worked last spring. Some of it will crack as you get bigger.
Year 2 is where we find those cracks with you, before they find you.
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You are here
Year 1
Build It
Learn the numbers, fix the fundamentals, build the systems and create margin.
"My business works better."
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You are here
Year 2
Strengthen It
Keep learning with DogCo while we strengthen what you built and find the gaps before growth does.
"I know how to keep making my business better."
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You are here
Year 3+
Accelerate
An ongoing home base with the people, resources and support to keep building.
"I don't have to scale alone."
Year 2 is where the Scaling Loop gets real
As the company grows, there will always be another constraint. That doesn't mean something went wrong. That's scaling.
Measure → Diagnose → Fix → Stabilize → Grow → Repeat
In Year 1, we taught you the loop. In Year 2, we run it with you on harder, more specific problems, and poke holes in what you built so it holds up at your next size.
The DogCo Scaling Loop
We start with your numbers and fix what's actually in the way
We don't hand every company the same fix. We find what's actually holding yours back, and work on things in the right order.
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Measure
What's actually happening?
Real numbers, not gut feelings. What you bring in, what you keep, what your team costs, who's staying, and how much of it lands on you.
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Diagnose
What's holding us back right now?
The loudest problem usually isn't the real one.
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Fix
What needs to change?
Fix the one thing that's in the way. Not everything at once.
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Stabilize
Did it work, and will it stick?
A change only counts once it keeps working without you pushing it along.
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Grow
What can the business handle now?
You made room. Now use it: more clients, more staff, more time off.
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Repeat
What's in the way now?
What worked at $300k may not work at $600k. So we start over and look again.
Growing isn't a checklist you finish once. It's something you learn to do over and over, as your company changes.
By the end of Year 2
A business that holds up as it grows, and an owner who knows how to keep it that way.
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You decide with your numbers
No more guessing whether the business is healthy or where money is going.
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You catch problems earlier
You see what the business is telling you before it turns into a crisis.
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You solve the right problem
Not every problem is marketing, staffing or pricing. You learn to tell the difference.
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The company needs you less
Clearer roles, stronger leadership, and fewer routine problems landing on your desk.
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Your growth is on purpose
You know what the company can support, and which opportunities actually serve it.
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You keep what you built
Your Year 1 gains stay put while you keep improving.
Same support. Harder questions.
In Year 1, most companies are fixing the same things.
Labor's too high.
The owner's doing too much.
The numbers aren't clear.
Systems haven't kept up.
In Year 2, the problems get more specific to your company, so the teaching and direction get more specific too.
Year 1
Build It
- The teachingWe teach the foundations
- The question"What do I need to build?"
- The workBuild the systems, numbers and team
- The Scaling LoopLearn it
Year 2
Strengthen It
- The teachingWe go deeper into your company
- The question"Where will this break as we grow?"
- The workPressure-test it and close the gaps
- The Scaling LoopRun it with us on harder problems
HOW YEAR 2 WORKS
Year 2 is still weekly teaching, still group coaching, and still real direction from DogCo. What changes is how hard we push on your business.
Weekly teaching - Year 2 content built to strengthen what you've built and take it to the next level
Direction on what's next - we help you see which part of the business needs strengthening first, and what to do about it
Pressure-testing - pricing, labor, leadership, systems and lead flow, checked against the company you're growing into
A deeper Success Leader relationship - more focus on your specific company, alongside the teaching
A smaller office hours room - the Year 2 room is smaller and more focused
Everything you already have - SOPs, ProcessBuilder AI, the CRM, the training archive and the owner community
We're still in it with you. We're just asking harder questions.
How DogCo Works
In the DogCo Scaling Mastermind, we pull together the core components of what we believe companies need to create effective change in their companies.
These components include:
Strategy. Weekly teaching, implementation and quarterly goal setting.
Accountability. Success Leaders, matched groups, accountability partners and the owner community.
Expertise. Specialists in profit, hiring, retention, marketing, sales, data, AI and productivity.
Systems. SOPs, ProcessBuilder AI, challenges, CRM, snapshots and templates.
Company Development. Support that reaches your managers and your team, not just you.
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With DogCo, you aren't just joining a coaching program. You're plugging your company into an ecosystem built to help you thrive, not just survive.
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Each week, Founder Michelle Kline leads live content on scaling your pet care company. These frameworks alternate between marketing and operations skills that have been tested across 300 companies to drive results and impact in pet care businesses.
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Every teaching session is followed by dedicated time to start applying it inside your company. These a working 60 minute session with Michelle Kline to test strategies in your specific company and get individualized feedback.
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Mastermind participants get access to the operational model that Michelle Kline used in her pet care business, which she ran absentee owner. Our SOP library includes over 400 pages of pet care business specific documents: written by hand, not by AI.
The expansive document library includes everything from training manuals for team members and managers to position descriptions to onboarding documents.
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Participating companies are paired with a DogCo Success Leader upon entry into the program. Success Leaders are former graduates that are now on the DogCo Team to support new clients and help guide their growth throughout the year. Accountability Groups are a small group of DogCo enrollees who are matched on company size, stage, goals and complexity. In these groups, you will not have any competitors so you’ll be able to be open & honest about what you’re working on.
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Want more accountability? We'll match you with another business owner who fits where you are and where you're headed.
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Meet with your Success Leader every quarter to review progress, clarify priorities and set your next 90 day goals and strategies.
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Mastermind participants have access to a private online community with other participating pet care companies to learn and grow with each other on a daily basis.
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Office Hours are one-hour Zoom calls offered throughout the week, hosted in turn by DogCo Coaches Robert Strickland (AI & Automation), Doug Keeling (Hiring & Retention), and Corinne Moore (Financial Literacy & Profit), Lauren Dunkle (Data Integration & Strategy), Dave Peterson (Sales), Maris Miller-Sonnabend (Marketing & Brand) and Collin Funkhouser (Workflow & Productivity), plus the occasional surprise guest in specialty topic areas.
All Mastermind participants are welcome to join these calls to ask questions, listen to others, and learn from industry experts.
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Every DogCo coach has one additional resource to help members implement in their area of expertise. This resource is distributed at the start of the year and is here to help your company implement their topic area more deeply.
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Access to CRM software (Go High Level) is included with Mastermind enrollment at no additional cost. Go High Level is a powerful, all-in-one marketing solution to manage lead flow and nurture clients.
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DogCo Launch has partnered with Pawsome Metrics to provide access to 30 spreadsheet templates designed to help track data and metrics, create more visibility, and go deeper with reporting.
The creator of the templates, Corinne Moore, is a DogCo Partner and is available during Office Hours each week to answer questions and provide support.
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Mastermind participants get access to a staff training on Dog Body Language & Handling to support team safety in the field.
Mastermind participants are able to access this training for unlimited team members through the year.
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If you’re ready to sell your pet care business or to acquire another business, you’ll have access to a Buy-Sell Network where you can list your company or see others for purchase.
Please note: there are additional fees associated with listing your company and for engaging in the purchasing process.
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A development space for your admin and management team, built for skills, leadership and retention.
The DogCo Manager Community is a no-cost private community for managers, admin, and leadership in your company to help provide them with more specific training through DogCo and to help them build peer community.
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Early access, member pricing & a ticket to the VIP night!
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Go High Level onboarding videos and Snapshots by Robert Strickland
30-day Marketing Challenges with Michelle Kline
Additional webinars, content, and courses by Michelle Kline through the year
Guest content and speakers
Tech Tutorials
Early access and special ticket pricing for the 2026 DogCo Business Summit conference
Everything included in your enrollment
DogCo is excited to announce industry partnerships with other industry softwares and vendors for 2027.
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Current DogCo clients receive a 15% discount off of their insurance if they are an active client at the time of renewal.
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Members will have access to pre-built PPC tools and shortcuts that allow you to operate more quickly and seamlessly within DogCo methodologies. These shortcuts will allow ease of access to the information already existing inside of the platform with DogCo recommended reports and strategies at your fingertips.
PPC is removing the manual side of the data set up in PPC reporting through DogCo presets. Giving you easier access to visibility alongside the DogCo coaching strategies and implementations.
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Current DogCo Clients receive special pricing with TinyPaws Bookkeeping services.
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Get in the 2027 room.
DogCo Coaches
DogCo Launch is proud to partner with pet care industry experts to enhance the DogCo Mastermind experience. Mastermind participants can connect with DogCo Coaches at weekly Office Hours and have access to exclusive content in the DogCo classrooms
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ROBERT STRICKLAND
AI, TECH, & AUTOMATION SPECIALIST
With over 18 years of experience in the pet care industry, Robert Strickland is an entrepreneur and automation strategist dedicated to helping pet business owners streamline operations, save time, and scale effectively.
As the founder of NextLevel Pet Businesses, Robert leads a community of pet care professionals, providing guidance on leveraging automation, AI, and technology to enhance client experiences and maximize efficiency.
In addition to coaching and consulting, Robert owns and operates a successful pet sitting and dog walking business, giving him firsthand insight into the challenges pet care professionals face.
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DOUG KEELING
HIRING & RETENTION SPECIALIST
Doug Keeling runs an award-winning pet care company and is an industry-leading speaker and business coach specializing in hiring and retention.
As the creator of The Pawsitive Hiring Course, Doug helps pet care business owners build their dream teams. The course includes lessons on preparing to hire, navigating a multi-step hiring process, and managing and retaining team members.
Doug can also be found on YouTube as “Doug the Dog Guy,” a leading YouTuber in the pet sitting and dog walking industry with over 8,000 subscribers.
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CORINNE MOORE
DATA, METRICS, & TRACKING SPECIALIST
Corinne Moore is the owner of Paws & Claws Pet Service and the creator of Pawsome Metrics. With Pawsome Metrics, Corinne offers Google Sheets templates specifically for pet care professionals to track and measure data in order to make smarter business decisions.
A core tenet of DogCo is equipping companies with the skills and resources needed to make strategic decisions based on metrics, tracking, and real data.
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COLLIN FUNKHOUSER
WORKFLOW & PRODUCTIVITY
Collin helps pet care business owners stop running their companies out of their heads. Most owners aren't short on ideas, they're short on a system for turning those ideas into finished projects while the daily fires keep burning.
His approach comes from his training as a scientist. During his graduate work in biology, Collin learned to define the outcome first, isolate what matters, and let results drive the next decision. He coaches owners to run their businesses the same way: prioritize what actually moves the needle, break big initiatives into work that gets done, and protect time for the important things so they stop losing to the urgent ones.
Collin co-owns Funky Bunch Pet Care with his wife, Meghan, serving central and southwest Missouri since 2012. He also co-hosts Pet Sitter Confessional, a podcast for pet care business owners with more than 740 episodes.
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MARIS MILLER-SONNABEND
MARKETING & BRAND
Maris is the founder of House of Paws Pet Care in St. Louis, where she has grown the company from a one-woman operation into a team of 40+ staff in just five years.
With a background in marketing and brand strategy, Maris helps pet care business owners clarify who they are, say it consistently, and turn local visibility into booked clients. She focuses on the practical side of brand: positioning, messaging, offers, and the marketing systems that keep new clients coming in without constant hustle.
At DogCo, Maris coaches owners through building a brand that actually holds up as the business scales, from first impression to repeat client.
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LAUREN DUNKLE
DATA & INSIGHTS STRATEGIST
Lauren Dunkle is the owner of The Pet Lady, Ltd., a professional dog walking company serving Chicago’s western suburbs since 1991. Since taking over in 2015, Lauren has developed a passion for using client and business data to make smarter, more strategic decisions.
As DogCo’s Data & Insights Strategist, Lauren helps pet care business owners understand the numbers that actually matter. Her focus isn’t just on tracking data; it’s on understanding what that data tells you and turning those insights into practical action.
Her philosophy is simple: you don’t have to be a “numbers person” to use your data well.
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DAVE PETERSON
SALES
Dave Peterson is the owner of Bethesda Dog Walkers, an award-winning pet care company serving hundreds of client households with a team of professional employees.
After acquiring Bethesda Dog Walkers in 2024, Dave rebuilt the company’s sales and onboarding systems, growing monthly recurring revenue 4X in one year while shortening the onboarding process from weeks to hours.
As DogCo’s Sales Coach, Dave helps pet care business owners turn more inquiries into long-term recurring clients through better offers, faster follow-up, and a simple, question-led sales process.
Coach’s Bonuses
Every year, the DogCo Coaches offer an exclusive bonus to the DogCo Launch Client Base that they can’t receive from their teachings elsewhere.
Check out our Coaches Offers below - you’ll receive access at the start of the program in January, if you enroll!
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Quarterly reset workshops: “The Quarterly Personal Retreat is a two-hour guided virtual workshop that gives DogCo members space to step back, reflect, and make an intentional plan for the next 90 days. You’ll take stock of what’s working, what’s getting in the way, and where your time and energy would be best spent. You’ll leave with 1–3 clear priorities, a realistic quarterly plan, and your first steps on the calendar—with time to think and plan built into the session.”
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An expanded version of her Pawsome Metrics Spreadsheets, with Precise Pet Care versions of spreadsheets that could not previously be run.
Plus, a Financial Dashboard - Personalized to Companies with their data!
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"The Meet & Greet Method" E-book and a DogCo Sales Course with pre-filmed lessons!
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The Pawsitive Hiring Course - helping companies grow their teams! Additionally, Doug has included DogCo exclusive offerings:
NEW for 2027: Leadership & Retention Training — The Pawsitive Hiring Course has been expanded beyond finding and hiring great employees. Doug is adding brand-new lessons designed to help you successfully lead the team you worked so hard to build.
Hiring the right people is only half the battle. Keeping them is where great pet care companies are built. In the new Pawsitive Hiring Course lessons, you'll learn how to lead and retain the team you worked hard to find!
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Data Course for DogCo Clients: “Tracking Data for Your Pet Care Business and Setting Up Strategic Insights & Strategy for Your Company”
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DogCo Brand Builder (Brand Positioning training + resource to build prompt for bot) + DogCo Brand Building Training with Maris!
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Robert is doing a full tutorial on using Claude to implement automations in a pet business, and he's sharing four of them you can build yourself.
The whole build is shown on screen. You follow along and end up with working systems.
■ Payroll. Claude logs into his booking software, pulls the reports, calculates what everyone is owed, checks mileage entries for errors, and uploads to his payroll processor.
■ Client success stories. Generated weekly from your visit reports. These are real moments from real visits, which gives your marketing a kind of authenticity you can't write from scratch, and they're ready to drop onto social media or your website.
■ Visit report monitoring. Many businesses spend a lot of time reviewing client visit reports, and this makes it fully automated. Claude reads every report and alerts management immediately when something needs attention, whether that's an emergency, an incomplete report, or a client who isn't happy.
■ Google Analytics. Reviewed automatically each month with specific steps to improve your Google rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. Year 1 built the foundation. Year 2 is new teaching aimed at strengthening what you built and pressure-testing it against the company you're growing into. Same weekly rhythm, harder questions.
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Nobody finishes everything, and Year 2 doesn't abandon Year 1 work. We keep protecting those gains while we go after what's limiting you now. If you're unsure, bring it to your Success Leader or book a quick call.
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We are firm believers that networking is one of the most powerful tools in our industry and because of that, you will be placed with a new Success Leader with new people (but maybe a familiar face or two!) as your last pod.
We strategically place you with other businesses in a similar stage and size as yours, with a no-competitor guarantee in your pod.
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DogCo Mastermind is a 12 month program. Participants that actively engage for the full year get the most out of the program.
However, we understand that flexibility is necessary sometimes, and it is never our intention to force anyone to remain in the program if it’s not a good fit for them.
This is why we offer two payment plans:
Monthly
Participants are required to complete the first 90 days of the program. A 30-day notice is required to withdraw.Pay-in-full
Participants who pre-pay for the full year receive a discount. Discounted items are nonrefundable.
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The DogCo library, SOPs, ProcessBuilder AI, the training archive and your CRM stay with you.
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Yes. Live teaching every Wednesday at 3:00pm ET. Sessions are recorded, because nobody makes all of them.
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Yes! The Manager Community is now included in your enrollment so you can add all of your managers, team leads, admin, etc at no additional cost.
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No. Accelerate is for owners who have completed Year 1 and Year 2. That's what keeps the room what it is: everybody in it has done the work and speaks the same language.
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Usually it's the opposite. A rough patch is a bottleneck showing itself, and that's exactly the work. What matters is whether you're willing to look at it honestly and change something.
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No, you can renew right here on this page through the form above. If you'd rather talk it through first, there's a link at the bottom of this page to schedule a quick 15 minute call.
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Reach out. We can't promise a spot after the class starts together in January, so don't sit on it.
Year 2 is when the pieces start working together.
The numbers you learned become the numbers you make bigger decisions with.
The systems you built become the base for more growth.
The leadership work you started gets you further out of the day-to-day.
The profit you created gives you options.
The capacity you created gives you room to grow.
After Year 2
When Year 2 wraps, you'll move into DogCo Accelerate, an ongoing home base with more flexible, build-your-own pricing.
No boxes to check before you're "done." The goal is to keep making your company better, with DogCo around you for as long as it helps.