Today we’d like to introduce you to Randy Ogden.
Hi Randy , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story starts with a dog named Blueseph.
I was fresh out of the military, at the height of my amateur boxing career, and wondering, “Where is my life taking me?”
She was my first dog. I was 23, had finally gotten back on my feet after leaving the military, and was living with a friend who had recently bought Blueseph’s sister.
When my friend gave me a point of contact to check whether there were any puppies left, the response was, “All the pups are accounted for.”
That was the last I thought of it.
This was two weeks before Christmas. Then, at around 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day, I received a message from the family: “Someone just backed out, and a puppy is available.” Who would have known that $350 would turn into one of the most enriching and eye-opening decisions of my life?
Blueseph loved to please. She loved to learn, and she taught me how to love learning, too. We faced everything together, and she was a major reason I was able to say goodbye to my life in Canada and move to Southern California.
And while my journey began with Blueseph, and she is no longer here, our journey is just getting started. That is what Canine Conscious grew out of. People saw how well-trained Blueseph was and wanted to know how to do the same with their own dogs. Eventually, it became my full-time work.
Today, I train dogs on our property in Valley Center or go wherever we are needed. I work one-on-one with owners, take dogs for board-and-train stays, and share my work publicly through training content so owners everywhere can learn to read their dogs better.
Blueseph is gone now, but everything I teach traces back to her.
She was not the dog I expected. She was the dog I needed.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest challenges I faced was riding my bicycle from the east coast of Canada to Ocean Beach, California, with my three dogs at the time. The journey took two and a half months, averaging 50 miles a day.
When I finally arrived in Oceanside, California, the living arrangements I had made fell through, and I ended up homeless for another two and a half months. During that time, I would go to Brother Benno’s every morning to shower, eat, and then set out for the day. My mission was to train dogs. I knew I had to look as presentable as possible to earn people’s trust, which, given my circumstances, was sometimes easier said than done.
After two months, I finally landed two dog-training clients and was able to move into a room. From there, my life began to change quite dramatically for the better.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Canine Conscious ?
When I left the military, I didn’t know what I wanted to do next. Maybe personal training, maybe getting serious with boxing. I wasn’t sure. But when Blueseph came into my life, I knew one thing immediately: I wanted to spend every moment with her.
And I did. My girlfriend at the time wasn’t impressed, as most of my time and effort went into training Blueseph, with my limited knowledge at the time, rather than finding a job to help pay the bills.
But it was that same love for Blueseph that led me to my career. While searching for work, I came across a dog-walking position at a new doggie daycare and called immediately.
To my surprise, the owner answered, and I had an interview that same day.
The rest is history. Blueseph accompanied me to work every day, and what started as a desire to spend more time with my dog became an opportunity to learn the art of dog training and psychology. Looking back, she was the beginning of everything.
What that job really gave me was a foundation. The military had already taught me structure, and working with dogs every day taught me patience, timing, and how to read a dog before asking anything of it. That combination is still at the core of everything I do.
Today, Canine Conscious is a dog training business built around one belief: communication over punishment. I am the trainer that dogs who have nowhere else to go come to. When owners have run out of options, when a dog has been labeled too reactive, too fearful, or too much, that is who I work with. I specialize in traumatized dogs and reactive dogs, the ones who need understanding before they need obedience. My approach is engagement first. Every rep is a trade, and choosing me always pays. We build in small increments, and we protect each dog’s peace with clear, consistent structure.
I offer one on ones, structured play days, board and trains, and virtual consults for owners anywhere. I am also currently developing the Dontbeg app, a self paced program that walks owners through those same foundations step by step, and the modules are in production and can be expected for full launch by December 15, so owners can soon carry those lessons, plus a community and daily training content, in their pocket. Alongside training, the Conscious Canine Collective offers daycare and boarding, and the Canine Collective Trails on Sniffspot give reactive dogs a safe place to just be a dog.
What I am most proud of, brand wise, is that none of this is about quick fixes or flashy obedience. It is about helping owners truly understand their dog. I have also spent countless hours creating clothing that I enjoy wearing while also promoting man’s best friend. That is also why 60% of every merch purchase goes to the Canine Conscious Sanctuary, because the dogs who taught me the most are the ones who had the hardest starts.
Blueseph has since passed away. Her memory is carried on in my work with dogs, in every session, every walk, and every dog who gets the chance to be understood the way she taught me to understand her.
If you have a dog you think may be too far gone, there is still hope. Reach out to us at dontbeg.co, where you will find all of our socials and everything you need to get started.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
What surprised me most was how much dog training would teach me about learning itself.
In school, I thought I was stupid. I dropped out in Grade 10 to join the military. After leaving the military, I started looking into courses to upgrade my education so I could get into college.
But when I began working with dogs and learning about their psychology and how to change their behavior, something clicked. For the first time, I could see how the same principles could apply to myself. I began to understand how I learned best, and rather than pursuing the traditional route of going to college, I decided to take ownership of my education and learn in the way that worked for me.
Once I made that connection, I became addicted to learning. My room filled with books on everything from dog training and human psychology to personal development, social studies, science, and history.
Dog training opened up my world in a way I never expected. Through it, I realized that I loved learning. I just hadn’t figured out how to make it accessible to myself until then.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Dontbeg.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canineconscious?cplk=eDMwaDR0MjZsanEz&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seeconnections?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@canineconscious?si=wQUDtcdD02Vtbf_K
- Other: https://Dogclothesforhumans.com
