AFTER 28 years at an electronics plant in her hometown, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Toni Cory found herself out of a job when the plant closed. Instead of looking for another manufacturing job, she vowed to start a dog day-care and kennel business.

Although she had dogs of her own, she had no clue where to start. To help, she called on VocationVacations, a company based in Portland, Ore., that enables the curious to spend time trying out potential new jobs. The company hooked up Ms. Cory with Dawn Walton, an owner of the Dog Zone, a dog day care business in nearby Cedar Rapids.

There, Ms. Cory had an experience she says she will never forget.

Over two and a half days, she walked dogs; she washed them; she groomed them and fed them. When she wasn’t dealing with dogs directly, she cleaned kennels, calmed cranky customers and balanced budget sheets.

Ms. Cory returned home, she said, exhausted but fulfilled. Three months later, she opened Almost Home, a dog day care and boarding service in Mount Pleasant.