Wānanga business programme helps launch The Dog Nanny

After completing the Certificate in Small Business at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Otautahi local Jane Dungey has turned her passion and experience as a nanny into a thriving business, The Dog Nanny.

Since returning to Aotearoa after 20 years away, Jane and her husband were enjoying the lifestyle of housesitting, but she knew she had more to offer.

“I had the idea, but I didn't have the confidence to know what to do. This programme covers everything – all your goals and even why you have a goal in the first place,” she says.

Drawing on her background in childcare and her love for animals, Jane began exploring how she could create a service that went beyond pet and housesitting and that’s when she discovered the 18-week programme.

With the support of her kaiako, Julie Falls Anderson and the practical tools and knowledge she was taught, Jane has been able to launch her website, consider financial planning and forecasting, and found her unique selling points for the business.

While living abroad in the UK, Jane would often bike around with a trailer, and it was this experience that sparked her idea to start taking dogs for rides around the city.

“I thought my business might appeal to people that have small, old, or young dogs, or dogs that can't walk far. It’s safe for them to have a learning experience that is getting them out and about, they’re getting enrichment and it's all part of the holistic care I can offer.”

The programme’s structure really appealed to Jane, as it allowed her to keep learning and immediately apply new ideas to her business plan.

Covering everything from marketing and finance to human resources and business structures, Jane found the confidence to turn her vision into reality.

“I'd go back and redo things because I kept learning. It was all going on my business plan, and I really felt like I was achieving things.”

After many years away from Aotearoa and with little knowledge of te reo Māori, Jane was initially nervous about studying with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, but the welcoming environment quickly eased her fears and even inspired her to enrol in a reo Māori programme for 2026.

“I just loved Julie's teaching style because we all felt relaxed. It was so easy to be there, and it felt like we all belonged. There's lots of different cultures, so it's not just bicultural, it's multicultural.”

To others with the spark of a business idea, Jane encourages them to take the plunge.

“You won’t regret it. It's not hard, and you've got an amazing teacher. You've got support if you need it and if you do have any issues, you get help. You'll not get that anywhere else.”

Find out more about our business programmes.