Jancke Opperman, owner of Noblepaws Behaviour, with her pet, Sybil the labrador. Image: Supplied.
The South African pet sector is worth more than R7 billion and as the industry continues to boom, major retailers are upping their game in pet offerings to consumers.
The Shoprite Group announced earlier this year that it was continuing to expand its pet-related offerings.
As much as one loves their pet it is not often that you can look at your furry beloved friend and think to yourself, “I can pursue a career that can sustain me, and make a living out of it.”
This was indeed the case for Jancke Opperman, the owner of Noblepaws Behaviour.
Opperman helps assist pet guardians with behaviour modification and training needs of their animals.
She shared how she got into starting her company with Business Report.
Opperman said, “I studied for four years. I first did a certificate for dog training, and afterwards, I did an introduction course for animal behaviour. Thereafter I did a diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour. I studied through COAPE International. A year after completing my Diploma I started my own business.”
The pet behaviourist says that she always loved animals and was fascinated with their behaviours.
“My interest was further peaked when two of our dogs started fighting. Due to a lack of knowledge about dog behaviour, we had to separate our dogs. I felt helpless during this dark time of our lives and wanted to improve her life and even others. Our one dog became extremely anxious during this time. With my studies, I was able to improve her reaction towards other dogs, her anxiety and improve her overall mood,” she said.
Opperman says that owning a pet in 2023 is very different compared to the past because, as studies have shown, animals are affected by the way they are treated.
The business owner who runs her company in the leafy suburb of Weltevreden Park in Johannesburg, said: “While I was growing up dogs lived outside and had to respect you and this was accomplished by using force. With more studies being completed about dogs and how training methods can influence their behaviour, training has become less forceful and aversive to a more compassionate approach where we take our animals’ emotions into account.
She said that during the Covid-19 lockdown, she conducted classes remotely via Zoom meetings.
“With the Covid-19 lock down there have been some good and some bad changes. A lot of people got dogs during this time, with most of us spending 24/7 with our dogs. When their guardians had to return to work full time the dogs experienced separation distress.”
Speaking of the challenges of running her business, apart from working around load shedding, Opperman said: “One thing I have noticed is that dog guardians don't necessarily know how important training your puppy or dog is. Going to a force-free puppy school can help you to set your puppy up for success.
“The dog training and behaviour industry is unregulated, this means that anyone can claim to be a dog trainer or behaviourist without ever completing any studies. Due to this, there are many trainers and other professionals who advocate for outdated methods or research to be used when trying to help animals who struggle.”
Opperman advised pet owners to make sure that their dog trainers were accredited.
She said, “I am qualified and accredited, clients can trust that I have the knowledge and skills necessary to work with their dogs in a safe and effective way. Although the industry is largely unregulated I am accredited by CAPBT and ICAN, and I have a code of ethics I follow. My clients can feel comfortable knowing that I have this code of ethics.”
BUSINESS REPORT