When Jennifer Kressin first started teaching dogs in Antigo, Wisconsin, her classroom was a driveway and the weather was far from ideal.

She opened Jenny’s House of Dogs at 29773 Hwy. 45 North after moving to Antigo about 13 years ago, building a local business that now offers grooming, dog training and doggy daycare. With pet ownership in the U.S. rising—74% of households currently own pets and approximately 68 million of those own dogs, fueled by younger generations who view pets as family—Kressin saw a definitive need for these services in her community. The business began as a way to fill a gap in dog training services in the area and grew over several years into a repurposed commercial location.

Kressin remembers the first session plainly. “My very first class was in my driveway at my house in April, so, it wasn’t super nice out,” she said, describing the modest start that preceded her later expansion. This personal touch in her initial approach reflects a broader trend where many pet owners are increasingly prioritizing quality care and training for their pets, seeking reputable trainers who are recognized by established certification bodies like the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.

That expansion came “a few years ago,” when Kressin converted an old bar and grill into the current location of Jenny’s House of Dogs. The reuse of the building provided space for training rooms, grooming stations and daytime care for dogs, and allowed her to formalize the services she had begun offering informally from home. This trend of repurposing existing structures is not uncommon among small businesses looking to establish a presence in their local communities.

Running the business proved difficult at first. “It was very hard, the first five years were very hard to just survive,” Kressin said, reflecting on the early period when steady customers and reliable revenue were not yet established. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 50% of small businesses fail within their first five years, underscoring the challenges many entrepreneurs face. She later summed up the series of challenges and eventual persistence with another brief reflection: “By all means, I really shouldn’t have made it.”

The facility now markets a combination of grooming, training and daycare services, a mix Kressin developed after recognizing local demand for more comprehensive canine care. A profile by Langladecountyedc highlights how she repurposed the bar and grill into the business’s present home and how the services evolved from that driveway puppy class. Kressin’s narrative represents the resilience common among small business operators adjusting to the fluctuating demands of their local markets.

Owners and operators of small, service-focused businesses commonly face long early stretches before reaching steady footing; Kressin’s account emphasizes the irregular income and persistence many small-business proprietors confront. Though she has moved into a permanent commercial space, she continues to frame the business around training and daily care as complementary offerings aimed at local dog owners.

Kressin’s story is also one of adaptation: taking an existing, disused commercial site and converting it into a place tailored to animals and their owners. The change in use of the building at 29773 Hwy. 45 North allowed more formal scheduling, secure grooming areas and dedicated rooms for training classes that had once been held outdoors. As the pet care industry continues to grow, these kinds of services are becoming higher in demand, with many pet owners seeking out businesses that provide a holistic approach to canine care.

Customers and community members now find a single location offering multiple services for dogs, the result of a business that grew slowly from a driveway class to a full-service operation. Kressin’s reflections on the difficulty of those early years underscore the resilience behind small enterprises that expand to meet local needs.

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Original reporting: view the original article.