Client Spotlight - Blue Mountain Canine

For many dog owners, the moment a puppy starts nipping at heels or tugging on the leash, panic sets in. Blue Mountain Caine was built for exactly those moments. Operating out of Pendleton, Oregon, for the past five years, the company offers puppy training, therapy dog preparation and evaluation, and hands-on guidance for families navigating the everyday challenges of life with a dog. But what sets them apart isn’t just the skills they teach, it’s the philosophy behind the work. Blue Mountain Caine grounds everything they do in ethology and animal welfare science, with equal attention paid to both ends of the leash.

“We’ve seen greater harmony in our clients’ lives while increasing enrichment and joy for dogs,” they share. “Our style of training fosters greater confidence and resilience in our relationships with dogs—not only for families but the community at large,” details co-owner Mycal Quaempts.

As the business grew, so did the need for proper legal protections. Dog training is an unregulated industry, and the work can sometimes involve animals with serious behavioral challenges. Blue Mountain Canine needed liability contracts that truly reflected those risks—documents thorough enough to hold up if things went sideways. It was their business advisor at Livelihood NW, who pointed them toward the SBLC as a lower-cost option for getting that paperwork done right.

After meeting with their lead intern through SBLC’s Intern Program, Mycal and Frances decided to move forward. “We especially liked their transparency and commitment to the process,” they said. “Dog training can be a high stress and sometimes high risk job, so knowing that when we walk into a training we can do our jobs without worrying about legal ramifications is a blessing.”

This peace of mind was tested sooner than expected. Not long after receiving their contract, a prospective client described the agreement as “intimidating” and ultimately didn’t move forward. Given the way that the individual had communicated, Blue Mountain Canine was quietly relieved. What could have become a stressful situation simply… wasn’t. The contract had done its job before a single training session even took place. As they put it, the document has since functioned as “a sort of litmus test for the type of clients we wish to work with,” a bonus they hadn’t anticipated.

To other small business owners weighing whether to seek legal help, Blue Mountain Canine has straightforward advice: find a team that will actually listen. “I’d tell them to find a team that will listen to your concerns and answer all your questions no matter how silly they might seem. Our team was supportive but also clear and honest. You really can’t ask for more.”

Here at the SBLC, we’re proud to have played a small role in supporting a business rooted in community care. We look forward to watching Blue Mountain Canine continue to help families and their dogs thrive.

Story written by Ava Deng