The Dog Site

A career in dog training can be tremendously rewarding for you if you love working with dogs and it does take a very special and dedicated person with a really big heart towards animals to become a professional dog trainer.

However, a dog training career can also be very challenging and it is going to take you a great deal of time, patience and determination to become a successful dog trainer.

Therefore, before you go enroll yourself to become a dog trainer, let’s first examine your motives and ask yourself a few questions:

• Do you love all dogs regardless of age, breed or temperament? Can you really work with them even if the dogs are stubborn and aggressive?

• Are you comfortable working with people? A dog trainer job is not just about training dogs. It is also about training people, specifically the dog owners themselves on how to train their dogs.

• Are you kind, respectful and patient? Dog trainers must be kind and patient teachers since most dogs cannot be trained in a couple of minutes. Many hours of dedication and patience will be required to work with both animals and humans to achieve the desired results.

• Are you willing to put in a lot of time and effort to become a successful dog trainer? In your dog training career, you will come across many different types of behavior problems with different breed of dogs therefore you will need to be committed to keep your dog training knowledge up-to-date by attending seminars, workshops and conferences so that you will become a well-qualified, knowledgeable and skillful dog trainer who understands canine behavior, knows the appropriate techniques on how to train and care for the dog.

Let's say that you have decided that you are truly passionate about dogs and committed to make handling dogs a successful career, the next big question is how to do you start your dog training career?

A career in dog training can begin in a number of ways:

• By volunteering at one of your local rescue centres or animal shelters, you can pick up lots of great hands-on and observational experience. Often dog shelters will also have some form of training program for their volunteers or you may also be assigned to help one of the trainers. As your experience progresses, you will be given more responsibilities to help out in the training.

• While expensive and quite a time commitment, attending a proper dog training school or a K9 academy can give you a more formalized and professional education as a dog trainer. To get started, check with your local pet stores or veterinary hospitals for reference and recommendations.

• You can also contact the local dog behavior trainers or dog breeders in your area and become an apprentice to take lessons from them directly. Alternatively, some guide dogs training centers offer apprenticeship programs for anyone interested in becoming instructors for the school.

• Another way to start your career in dog training is through self study. Read as many training books as possible and attend lots of seminars, workshops and conferences to learn about dog training and behavior modification. In addition, you may also want to volunteer to train your friends or neighbor's dogs to get some hands-on experience and improve your training skills with dogs.

While there are also some mail and internet correspondence courses that claim to "certify" you as a "professional" in the field of dog training and behavior, you would do well to avoid any of them. Most correspondence courses at most can only offer you basic information on dog handling skills and you probably will learn as much from reading books on dog training.

As you make the transition from trainee to dog trainer, you can start your professional career in dog training working full time or part time. As a professional dog trainer, the income that you could earn can be attractive. Many full time dog trainers earn an average income of between $30,000 to $100,000 annually depending on experience, reputation and location.

As mentioned before, a career in dog training can be extremely satisfying and rewarding. If you truly care about dogs and can work with both dogs and humans on a daily basis, then becoming a dog trainer would be an excellent and fulfilling career choice for you.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Career in Dog Training

People who are really passionate about dogs will sometime choose a life’s career in this field so they can use their love for dogs everyday to help them, making it their goal to become a professional dog trainer.

Before you look at a career as a dog trainer ask yourself if you are someone who loves dogs and wants to love them more, or, are thinking about it, just because someone brought it to your attention as a possible option?

Respect for Fundamentals

Before choosing a career in dog training you should know it not only requires a love for dogs, you also need knowledge about their basic behaviors, and you will need the skills on how to handle and discipline them properly. Dog trainers usually have a long history of experience with dogs and interaction with many dog owners, handlers and their pets.

Do You Know your Dogs Division?

There are two types of careers in the dog world: the pet service training and the dog training. Both are very popular in demand however, there are more opportunities in the dog training field verses a career in pet service training.

Pet dog training involves teaching the dog how to live as a companion with his master and learning the basics such as obedience, being potty trained and learning acceptable behaviors which may include eliminating bad behaviors such as biting and barking.

Service training, on the other hand, involves specified training on services required by people with disabilities and those undergoing therapy. Some service dog trainers teach dogs to be search and rescue dogs such as the ever important police dogs or even hunting dogs.

These are highly intensive trainings and require the handler to get sufficient preparation to lead the dog in employing its specialized functions.

Canine Psychology – What is It?

Learn all about dog behavior – their thinking, their behaviors and their reaction to stimulus. Training adheres to conditioning the thinking of the dog to make specific responses. You should also know well the fundamentals of associative conditioning.

What about Dog Training Education?

A dog training career requires that you have basic skills in dog training and handling. Currently today, there are no colleges or universities that offer the ability for people to get degrees in dog training. However, there are dog “academies” or “schools” that could provide basic training. Often, the best dog trainers are often self taught and have natural inclination to dog handling.

Some have apprenticed with excellent dog trainers while others simply have a natural talent for training dogs. You can also find a number of dog training organizations or books with great techniques on training dogs.

A good dog trainer works with both the attitudes of people and dogs

Usually dog training involves training the handlers of the dog as well. Since you will be working with all kinds of people, you will need to have good people skills and be able to work with all personality types.

There are impatient owners who expect fast learning from their dogs, and they are reluctant to taking advice openly, however, others are relatively open to suggestions. During your career in dog training you will be working with both types of dog handlers and many other personality types too. So as you can see, a good dog trainer will not only be working with dogs but with their owners and handlers too.

Dog training is not limited to “training” alone; there are also certain aspects that you should be knowledgeable of, like the maintenance of proper dog hygiene, nutrition and grooming.

Having a vast knowledge of what accessories to use and training aids that are available will help during dog competitions. It is also important to be able to distinguish different dog breeds and have an understanding of their fundamental differences.

To be a good dog trainer it is not required to have a ’know it all’ mentality’ but basically all you need to know is how to handle all types of dogs, work well with their handlers and have sufficient knowledge on the basics of dog training.

Things to Know Before Considering a Career in Dog Training

Some people choose a career in dog training simply because it is a popular choice, however, there are those who are really passionate about canines in a way that their life’s direction has led them towards loving dogs even more.

Do you fall in the category of people who pursue their career in dog training just because someone said it is a good thing to do, or, because you have fallen so in love with dogs and want to fall even deeper?

Respect for Fundamentals

Before choosing a career in dog training you should know it not only requires a love for dogs, you also need knowledge about their basic behaviors, and you will need the skills on how to handle and discipline them properly. Experienced dog trainers have a good working relationship with many dog owners, dog handlers and of course their pets.

What is your “Dog Division”?

You can choose one of two careers in working with dogs, the first would be ’The Pet Service Training’ and the second, ’Dog Training’. Both have relatively high demands in the market but there are a lot more opportunities in pet dog training than in service training.

Pet dog training involves teaching the dog how to live as a companion with his master and learning the basics such as obedience, being potty trained and learning acceptable behaviors which may include eliminating bad behaviors such as biting and barking.

Dog Service Training is geared towards helping people with certain disabilities or working with people undergoing therapy. Some service dog trainers teach dogs to be search and rescue dogs such as the ever important police dogs or even hunting dogs.

These are highly intensive trainings and require the handler to get sufficient preparation to lead the dog in employing its specialized functions.

Canine Psychology – What is It?

Learn all about dog behavior – their thinking, their behaviors and their reaction to stimulus. Training adheres to conditioning the thinking of the dog to make specific responses. Trainer should understand the basics of associative conditioning.

What about Dog Training Education?

Careers in dog training require you have the skills to train and handle dogs. There are no degrees in dog training yet, for there are no colleges and universities offering such. The good news is that there are dog ’academies’ or ’schools’ that provide the basic training you will need. Often, the best dog trainers are often self taught and have natural inclination to dog handling.

Some people learn by practical experience while others just have a certain natural talent with dogs. You can also find a number of dog training organizations or books with great techniques on training dogs.

People and dogs both have attitudes and a good dog trainer will need to work with both.

Dog training involves training the handlers of the dog as well Since you will be working with all kinds of people, you will need to have good people skills and be able to work with all personality types.

Some owners are impatient and want their dogs to learn everything fast, so they may disregard advice from the trainer, however, there are others that are more patient and open to the suggestions given by the trainer. You need to work with both types of dog handlers and everyone in between. So as you can see, a good dog trainer will not only be working with dogs but with their owners and handlers too.

Dog training is not limited to “training” alone; there are also certain aspects that you should be knowledgeable of, like the maintenance of proper dog hygiene, nutrition and grooming.

Having a vast knowledge of what accessories to use and training aids that are available will help during dog competitions. You will also need the ability to distinguish different types of dog breeds and know what the fundamental differences are.

You don’t have to be a master in dog training to be an excellent trainer; you only have to develop certain skills necessary in working with dogs and their handlers, by using sufficient knowledge on theories, then have the capacity to use them in a practical way.