Emily Savill Photography

Courtney Ducey - Ducey Dog Walking

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Courtney Ducey is a one woman show, running her own business, Ducey Dog Walking. She is such an inspirational business woman; she has worked so hard to do what she loves and get paid for it.  I met her when we were working at a cafe together (one of her two jobs at the time). She was just getting Ducey Dog Walking started then, and I remember being blown away with how cool it was that she was starting a business where she could work with dogs every day, and work entirely independently. I also remember being impressed by how much work she was putting into it; she was really determined to make it work for herself.

 

When Courtney quit the cafe to work for herself full time I was sad, because she was a great coworker and I’d miss her, but moreso I was happy for her. That was three years ago, and now her business has grown and evolved. She has great relationships with her clients, both human and canine, and she’s always working hard to work with each dog’s individual needs, learning new techniques, and creating new programs for her customers to take advantage of.  

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I rode to County Park with Coutney and one of her favourite dogs, Sammy, who she has trained since he was a puppy. Watching how she connects with him is fascinating.  You can tell how much Sammy trusts and loves her, and vice versa. His behavior and temperament were especially impressive to me when other dogs would pass by and he wouldn't even whine or bark at them.  He was clearly interested, but so calm and such a good boy.  Sammy is a true testament to what good training can achieve. 

 

Weird in Lancaster: How long have you lived in Lancaster/are you originally from Lancaster?

Courtney Ducey: I’ve lived in Lancaster my whole life, but technically I was born in New York

 

WL: When did you know you were weird?

CD: I don’t know, probably always, but I remember getting into a fight with a friend in high school and they pulled the classic line of “I always stood up for you when people called you weird!” and then I was like fine I’ll be weird and doubled down.

 

WL: When did you get the idea for Ducey Dog Walking?

CD: 3 years ago, I was getting fired/quitting my corporate job and my best friend who was also my HR manager, she told me I was fired I was like “What the fuck am I gonna do?” She asked if I would keep working in finance, and reminded me that I always wanted to work with dogs. I’ve always been a go to person for watching dogs when friends and coworkers would go on vacation. I got a job at a doggy daycare, and then it just kind of happened from there.

 

WL: What is it you like about working with dogs?

CD: Everything. Dogs are easy to be around and there's no pressure. It’s especially cool with training dogs, it's cool to see them make the connection with what you’re teaching them, and just seeing dogs being dogs is nice, and it's better than sitting behind a desk.

 

WL: What made you decide to actually start your business?

CD: Being fired and being like I don't want to do finance anymore. I asked myself “Do I really like finance?” The answer was/is no.

 

WL: How long did it take to start your business once you got the ball rolling?

CD: It started right away, but very slowly.  I wanna say a year and half was how long it was before I was able to work it as my only job. Before I was working two jobs and building my business at the same time.

 

WL: Did you/have you had good support from your family and friends?

CD: Yeah, my family at first was like “What the hell?”, my dad was excited that I was gonna be a woman business owner, I think that’s still his favourite thing about my business, and my mom was supportive in her own way. She doesn't really like animals so she didn't get it, but she sees I’m a lot happier. My friends are the best, when I’m down on myself they're always like “you're dope” and that's always helpful and encouraging.

 

WL: What kind of services do you offer?

CD: Dog training and pack walks. I say dog training, but it's really like helping people have a better relationship with their dogs and making their lives easier. Helping them understand what their dog needs.

 

WL: What do your work days usually look like?

CD: Depends on the day. Sometimes I just have individual walks with dogs. I have Sammy 3 days a week and we spend our time hiking in County Park. We have a good bond and I trust him a lot. We’ll work on different things and get his exercise in, I try to bring him everywhere with me so we can work on different things. I'm supposed to do office work but that’s my least favourite part.

 

WL: How do you balance your work life and personal life as a business owner?

CD: I don’t know, it's hard. I never really had much of a personal life because I’m very introverted and then I met people who made me go out in public. All my friends like dogs so I can always bring them. I have a good group who always force me to come out. I try to keep the weekend for myself. I can't really keep it separate though, because my business is me. Everything that I feel flows into my business which can be frustrating, but that just how it is.
 

WL: Where are your favourite dog walking and/or training spots?

CD: I really love anywhere in County Park. There’s also a trail behind Spooky Nook Sports that I really love. County park you can be off leash and it's more like the wilderness, more natural. I like taking them to Home Depot or Dick’s or local pet stores when it's too cold outside. I can take Sammy anywhere because he's so good, so I’ll take him to Chestnut Hill Cafe and get coffee with him.

 

WL: Is there a community of Dog Walkers and Trainers in Lancaster?

CD: There's a bunch of us in Lancaster, but not really a sense of community. The pet industry is very competitive, which is silly because there are so many different needs and interests. I have one local friend, but it's hard to reach out because I don’t want them to think its a competition thing. I have a good community of people on facebook from around the world. Being a business owner is isolating so having people with the same goals is nice.

 

WL: Do you listen to music while your training or walking? If so, do the dogs like your music tastes?

CD:  I usually listen to audiobooks or podcasts which is sometimes not good because I listen to murder podcasts and i'm alone in the woods and scare myself. When I'm in the car I’m scream singing and I don’t know if the dogs love it. 70’s and 80’s music is what I usually listen to, and sometimes metal. I really don't think they care. I’ll dance with them sometimes, I think they like that.

 

WL: What was your best experience with a customer?

CD: I don't know, every client is different. The clients I have right now I all love I connect with them on a different level. I understand their dogs and the struggles. I have a good rapport and being someone they can trust is important to me. My clients are dope and i'm really lucky to work with people who appreciate what I do. I worked hard to change the clients I take so that I only take clients that I know appreciate the hard work I put into their dogs.

 

WL: Has owning your own business been what you expected?

CD: I think when I went into it I wasn't like “I'll be a business owner!” I was just like “I’m gonna walk dogs!” I knew it would be hard, but it's completely different than what I thought it would be. I'm a person who avoids all of my feelings and I can't avoid them any longer. All the personal stuff is affecting my business. I was like “Oh, I'll be more confident!” and this and that, but it's been the opposite. There is way more personal stuff in it that I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with in regards to business ownership.

 

WL: What are your plans for Ducey’s Dog Walking in the future?

CD: I really just wanna start focusing more on training. There are a lot of fusion programs I have in place so I can help people not just in Lancaster county. Not everyone needs one-on-one sessions. It's really up to owner to keep up with programs, so I want to be able to widen my horizons and help more people outside of the local area.

 

WL: What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own business?

CD: It’s gonna suck for a really long time but it's really worth it. I could never go back to working for anyone else. I love what I’m doing now but it's very hard and can be super isolating so you need a good support system. Like I said before, you gotta deal with personal shit because it will flow into your business. I have a great business coach who helps me with that, but at the end of the day I have to do the work. The stupid demons you didn't think would affect your work will pop up.

 

WL: Is this your dream job?

CD: Yeah, I guess so, there is more I wanna do with it but I like where I am now.

 

WL: What did 7 year old you want to be when they grew up?

CD: I wanted to be a vet. Then we took our dog once and I saw the vet tech stick her finger in my dogs butt and I didn’t want that anymore. That seemed like the only option when you’re little though, if you wanna work with animals.

 

WL: What was your first job?

CD: I worked at Brusters. It was so much fun. I worked with my two best friends and we ate ice cream all the time. My dad would come through the drive through to pick me up and would always order the same thing, and that's when i knew it was time to clock out.

 

WL: What is your favourite breed of dog?

CD: I think Bernese mountain dog.

 

WL: What’s your favourite weird place in Lancaster?

CD: Oh, Chestnut Hill Cafe, there is a picture of me on the espresso machine so go find me and talk to the green haired lady.

 

WL: Where do you feel most comfortable being yourself?

CD: Anytime I'm with a dog. Usually if I’m outside with Sammy.

 

WL: How did you gain the confidence to go into business for yourself?

CD: I was forced into it, but once I started getting more clients and I was able to do it part time I was like “Okay, this is a thing!” I remember quitting my job at the doggy daycare was the coolest feeling ever.

 

WL: What inspires you?

CD: My clients. They work really hard with their dogs and just seeing them change their lives is cool. My friends are all inspiring and they are all very creative and that makes me happy. They inspire me to be more of myself and not be so insecure.

 

WL: What motivates you?

CD: I don’t know, I mean like, whenever I try something new and cool with a dog, that motivates me to do more cool new things. The first time I walked Sammy off leash was so cool, and then I started integrating off leash pack walks, so seeing the rewards makes me keep wanting to try new things.

 

WL: How do you express yourself?

CD: I don't feel like I’m very good at that. I've been trying to expand my fashion and makeup horizons. I guess hair is really how I express myself. I've been changing that the most ever since I've been able to dye it.

 

WL: Have people been unkind to you about your weirdness? If so how did you handle it and what did you learn from it?

CD: I think in high school is when I started being purposefully weird. I had fights with friends and they would always be like “You’re weird!” in a mean way. I don’t know, in high school I was insecure and tried to be normal for a while because of that. Now my family always tells me I’m weird and I’m comfortable with it now but it took me a while to embrace it.

 

WL: So since I know you, I know you’re obsessed with Harry Potter. How long have you been a fan?

CD: Since it came out. I was never as much of a fan as I am now, but it was always something i've been into.

 

WL: What is your Hogwarts house?

CD: Hufflepuff and proud of it!

 

WL: What is your patronus?

CD: I took the Pottermore quiz twice and got two different results: Either a tortie cat or gray horse or something. I don't get i;, i feel neither would protect me.

 

WL: Who is your OTP?

CD: I really love Ron and Hermione but I love reading Draco x Hermione fanfic. Also Draco is definitely in love with Harry, but Harry isn’t in love with Draco. I have a lot of feelings about Harry Potter.

 

WL: How many wands do you have?

CD: I have 6 and I just ordered another one. Sirius, Ron, two Harry’s, a Hermione wand that lights up, the Elderwand, and I just ordered another better Ron wand.

 

WL: What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever done?

CD: Like, exist. I guess the weirdest is to start a dog business while i have a bachelor's degree in finance.

 

WL: What would you like to be remembered for?

CD: For being a kind person, but also being pretty dope and a really great dog trainer.

 

WL: What is the weirdest (positive) thing from your childhood?

CD: This was before kindergarten. My best friend Charlie and I would pretend to be dogs, and we would crawl around and take his dad’s belts and put them in our pants like tails and then make his mom feed us on plates on the floor. Then he moved to Wyoming and my life has never been the same.

 

WL: What is your favourite thing about yourself?

CD: I love my eyelashes and refusal to listen to anyone.

 

WL: What does weird mean to you?

CD: I guess it's just kind of like not normal, but what is normal? I guess doing your own thing and being who you are and not trying to “fit in”.

 

WL: Are you ever afraid to express yourself? If so, how do you find confidence?

CD: All the time. It's gotten better recently, but I remember when i first started my business, I knew I was weird, and I like to show it though dyed hair and tattoos and piercings and I was worried no one would hire me, but once I got more comfortable and more selective with my clients, I was like “Fuck it, I'm gonna be who I am, and if someone doesn’t like it, I don't wanna be around them.” It’s hard because I want everyone to like me, but it’s easier when I'm with weird people. When I’m with my friends we can all be weird together.

 

WL: How would you describe your style?

CD: Comfortable goth.

 

WL: How has Lancaster changed since you’ve been here?

CD: I don't feel like it has changed. I went to Manheim Township and it’s never been a very accepting place. I think Lancaster City has always been more accepting, but I think generations of people who have lived in Lancaster forever are still very judgy.  My parents came from New York and had thick New York accents and people didn't like that. My mom was like “I don't get it, everyone here is blonde and white!” and they were not very accepting of outsiders.

 

WL: What would you like to see more of in Lancaster?

CD: We don't need any more cafes. I wanna see more dog friendly places; I wanna go places with the dogs that isn’t a hardware store. I spend a lot of time with dogs I want more unique places to take them. I like going to Philly and Manhattan because of the unique businesses. I wanna see more cat cafes or new and different things. It's just a lot of coffee here, which i love, but different cuisines, more weird stuff.

 

WL: What’s your favourite restaurant in Lancaster?

CD: I don't go out much but I miss The Seed so much. I eat meat now but that vegan reuben was so good.

 

WL: Do you have any favourite local artists?

CD: Emily Savill, Annajane Dauphine, Shadai Santiago, and Emily Truman of Collage Dropout.

 

W: What is your favourite cryptid?

CD: Nessie. My friend Ellie.

 

WL: Who would you nominate for a Weird in Lancaster shoot?

CD: Kelly Erikson, Shes so dope. Mindy Campbell and Zoe Carman are also super dope.

 

WL: Anything you’d like to add?

CD: Ron Weasley is my favourite person in the entire world and he deserves better.

 

Follow Courtney on Facebook and Instagram, and check out her website for further details on her services!

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