BY JENNIFER MOONSONG
GLASGOW NEWS 1
Some people have jobs, and some have callings. For the McGills, it’s a little bit of both.
Ben and Becky McGill, the owners of GoodBoy dog (and cat) training met while attending Western Kentucky University, and from the beginning, the dynamic duo both had a special place in their hearts for “man’s best friend.”
Ben and Becky McGill are business partners who found love and purpose together. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Born in Australia, Ben moved to America when he was young. Ben started his career in the early 2000s when he started working at his first humane society, where he trained dogs and worked on feline behaviors to aid in their forever homes. He later assisted at a wildlife sanctuary in Emerald, Australia, and worked at a zoo and several stockyards in the United States. His current methodologies for animal training were enhanced when he studied and worked in the field of applied behavior analysis therapy and as an ABA therapist/registered behavior technician working with children who have autism.
Becky is an American Kennel Club Socialization, Training, Activity and Responsible Owner, commonly abbreviated as STAR, Puppy instructor. Ben now specializes in aggression cases and four types of service dogs.
Both have their hearts invested in the work they do.
“Working with animals has always been a huge part of my life. Once I started going to school for psychology, I began working with children on the spectrum in ABA therapy and I realized that this would translate well for animals,” Ben said.
“Once we saw how many service dogs were needed and how hard and expensive it can be to receive a well-trained service dog, we knew we had to help,” Becky said.
Dogs and their people participate in a GoodBoy training session with Ben McGill, left. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Both Ben and Becky find the work very rewarding.
“For me, the best part is seeing an aggressive dog go from scared and reactive to confident and calm,” Ben said.
Becky added: “My favorite part of this job is getting to watch the families and puppies bond. I love showing people just how much their dog is capable of learning. Things like, sit, come and stay are needed, but teaching them how to effectively communicate and how to pair in ways they never thought about has always been my favorite.”
One thing the McGills hope to educate people about is the many ways service dogs can assist.
“Anybody that falls under the classification in the [Americans with Disabilities Act] is something we can assist with. For many people, they may not even know how a service dog could help them. A lot of disabilities are invisible. Services dogs can help with so many things. [Post-traumatic stress disorder], allergy detection, seizure alert, diabetic alert, and so much more people don’t know about,” Becky said.
At this time, GoodBoy is a business, but the McGills are striving to make it a nonprofit organization. As with any rewarding life path or career path, their journey has challenges.
Ben McGill and friend sit with GoodBoy’s new director of operations, Maggie Mae Dennis. SUBMITTED PHOTO
“The hardest thing is always not being able to help everyone. There are so many people out there that need help training a service dog, an aggressive dog or even their puppy. It is always difficult not to have the reach or the funds to help. That is what we are hoping we can change by working towards going nonprofit,” Ben said.
To learn more about GoodBoy, or to contact the McGills or their trainers with a need, click here.
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