She Dreamed of This for 12 Years.
How Tory B. went from dog daycare worker to launching her own training business in just 5 months — through APC’s Online Dog Trainer Certification.
| GRADUATE AT A GLANCE | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tory B. |
| Age | 36 |
| Location | Imperial, MO |
| Before APC | Dog Daycare Worker & Home Dog Sitter |
| Program | Online Dog Trainer Certification (APC-PDT) |
| Now | Certified Dog Trainer — Launching Star Bright K9 Solutions |
“The thought of making $70K a year instead of $30K, and knowing I could help people create a stellar bond with their dogs, pushed me not to lose sight of my goals.”
Her Story Summarized
Tory B. had known she wanted to train dogs since she was young. But life — a new baby, tight finances, and a career that kept evolving — had a way of pushing that dream to the back burner. She first discovered The Academy of Pet Careers back in 2013, even toured the facility, and came close to enrolling. Twelve years later, after building real experience working with dogs at a local daycare and running her own dog-sitting operation from home, she finally made it official.
The road to enrollment wasn’t smooth. In the summer of 2025, an Alarm 5 fire tore through the daycare where she worked, consuming the building just hours into her shift. Tory and her team managed to get all 70-plus dogs out safely — a moment that speaks volumes about who she is. But with the daycare gone, so was her income and her carefully laid plan. Rather than let the setback derail her, she leaned on the community support that followed, expanded her home dog-sitting to cover her bills, and signed up for APC’s Online Dog Trainer Certification that fall just as she’d intended.
Today, Tory is certified, confident, and on the verge of launching her own training company — Star Bright K9 Solutions — out of a brand-new daycare facility, Ruff Adventures, LLC, set to open in mid-2026. With clients already lining up for training, her long-held goals of working with allergy alert dogs and service animals for veterans are no longer a dream deferred. They’re the next chapter.
About Tory
My name is Tory B., I’m a 36-year-old mother of one from Imperial, MO. I do dog sitting from my home and some training with basic house manners with the dogs that come to visit each day. I enjoy taking my own dog, Starlight, out on hikes or anywhere I can possibly take her for a chance to put her skills to the test.
I have always loved dogs and my dream of training dogs started young. I didn’t realize it could be a career until I started noticing students from a training school would come into the Subway I had worked at in my early 20s. Talking with some of the students and instructors while they ordered opened my eyes to the real possibilities that I could do something I loved.
When my daughter got older and became more independent, I was able to start focusing on my own dreams. I started working with dogs at a doggie daycare close to home. When talking with the owner about my plans for my future, she was very supportive and excited for the possibilities for both of us to grow and expand to offering training options at the daycare.
Life Before The APC
Early summer of 2025, the daycare was engulfed by a devastating Alarm 5 fire only a few hours into my shift. Quick action combined with amazing teamwork and the grace of God allowed us to get all 70-plus dogs out of the facility safely. The daycare had become a huge part of my life, and with it gone I was unsure of how to move forward.
I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to begin the course in the fall like I had planned since I no longer had any income. Clients from the daycare were displaced and I was overjoyed to hear from my now former boss that there were people reaching out specifically for me to see if I was going to do dog sitting for myself. More clients than I anticipated were interested in day visits along with overnight stays, which allowed me to maintain my $2,500 minimum to cover my bills.
As much as I loved hanging out with the dogs in my own home, I felt I was missing the part that brought me even more fulfillment — training dogs. The thought of making $70K a year instead of $30K, and knowing I could help people create a stellar bond with their dogs, pushed me not to lose sight of my goals.
“The fire may have taken what felt like a second home for me, but it did not take away my desire to work with dogs and help improve their lives.”
Finding and Choosing The Academy of Pet Careers
I first heard of APC back in 2013, right after my daughter was born. I found them online and even scheduled a tour of the facility. I had investigated other training schools, but they were either too far away for a new mother to travel or did not offer the training methodology I wanted to utilize. APC offered the positive methods I wanted and also offered a deeper dive into therapy and service work.
My end goal is to train allergy alert dogs for those with peanut allergies and service work for veterans. My responsibilities as a new mother and my limited budget kept me from signing up during that tour. I knew the time I would have to dedicate to the program, and at that phase in my life it would have been too difficult. I wanted to be able to fully focus on the program to get the most out of the experience.
I was finally in a spot where I could pursue the program. I had spoken to my boss about signing up for the online course in the fall so I could still work full time at the daycare. She was extremely supportive, explaining that I could adjust my schedule as needed and use dogs from the daycare for any assignments. The fire changed those plans — but also helped me achieve my goal to start the fall course like I intended. With the amazing support from the community and my determination to achieve my goals, I made the decision to set aside my doubts and signed up.
“I was on the fence due to financial reasons, but the payment options available along with the flexible learning schedule made signing up an easy decision for me.”
The Experience During the Program
When I began, I was nervous since I had not taken online courses before. Everything was formatted clearly and my introduction with Hannah made everything easier to navigate. The information in the course was extremely helpful and provided a deeper understanding of not only how to teach a skill, but also why it’s important to know the skill.
I really enjoyed the hands-on assignments that I was able to apply what I learned with different dogs I had available. Personally, I learn better with hands-on instruction, so I was worried that the reading material would be more difficult to understand and stick with me. When I ran into those unclear sections, Hannah answered all my questions in a way that I could better understand the material.
I was surprised to discover how much having a greater understanding of the mechanics improved my teaching style. This helped me navigate obedience lessons with a client working with her 1-year-old dachshund.
“I was surprised to discover how much having a greater understanding of the mechanics improved my teaching style.”
Results: Where She Is Now
Now that I have completed the course and earned my certification, I can continue my training career. I have plans to begin my own training company as Star Bright K9 Solutions. I will be working out of a new doggie daycare, Ruff Adventures, LLC, and there are already people interested in signing up for training at the new facility.
I can credit this course with helping me grow outside of the training world as well. With the extra knowledge on dog behavior, I have become more comfortable meeting strange dogs and gauging their interactions when new dogs approach. Along with the extra knowledge, my confidence in myself has been boosted. I am carrying myself as the professional that I am — approaching people who seem interested when they see me practicing tricks with my dog at a park. The more I frequent the same parks, the more I’m noticing some of the same people and dogs. Talking with them, I’ve discovered how their training journey is going and I’m helping with minor tips while informing them of the soon-to-open facility.
Future Plans
The new daycare I plan to offer training out of is set to open in mid-May/early June 2026. I will miss day sitting dogs out of my home, but the excitement of going out to a facility with my own space dedicated to training has me overjoyed. I am hoping that with the steady flow of dogs in the daycare and in grooming, I will have a steady flow of dogs for training as well.
My life will become more fulfilled than it has been in a long time, and I will be able to provide the life that my daughter and I — and Starlight — deserve. I do plan to work toward allergy alert and more service dog work in the future, but this is a great start to achieving those long-term goals.
Her Message to Anyone Considering APC
If you are someone who loves dogs and wants to help each dog reach their potential in a fun and positive manner, APC is a perfect fit for you. There are different routes available that you can take to achieve your training goals.
If you want to dive right in and immerse yourself, then the in-person course is the way to go. Getting in-depth discussion and hands-on instruction is a great way to learn everything you need to know. If you’re like me and have a busy home life with work and kids, then the online option may be a better suited route. There is still all the same in-depth information — you’re just able to go at your own speed. The assignments given are a fantastic way to get that hands-on practice, and the instructor, Hannah, was great with feedback designed to help you improve.
I would recommend APC to anyone considering a career in dog training. And if they choose the online course like I did, I also highly recommend the in-person workshop that was offered. It helped create that extra bond with your dog with all the staff there to help. They are just as excited for you as you are.
“If you’re like me and have a busy home life with work and kids, the online option may be a better suited route. There is still all the same in-depth information — you’re just able to go at your own speed.”
— Tory B., Imperial, MO | Online Dog Trainer Certification Graduate