becoming a dog trainer

No experience necessary - new graduates welcome

Becoming a dog trainer

I have developed this program to be a structured approach to becoming a professional dog trainer and learning the art of training dogs.

One does not need to be licensed or accredited in any way to become a professional dog trainer. And, as with most things this is both bad and good. On the bad side are the somewhat questionable dog trainers and the ones that just went though a group class and now claim to be experts. On the good side we don't have a extremist telling everyone how to believe and behave.

There are a few organizations vying for power over the industry. I hope our dog trainers directory will establish a somewhat exclusive group of highly effective and trainers who are inclusive. We hope to promote acceptance of training as well as discourage the divisive emotions of competing philosophies.

Although some organizations may veer off in unhealthy direction, we should embrace these organizations. We can be of assistance to those who want to build walls to fight from, if we can help them understand how an us and them approach will harm all trainers and the industry. With your help, we can establish a healthy approach to dog training that is good for society.

Becoming a dog trainer with the help of a mentor.
Many dog trainers learn their profession by studying under experienced and knowledgeable mentors. In fact this is one of the more important parts of my education. I don't think I could have learned what I know about dog behavior without these people passing their knowledge on to me. And, I am eternally thankful to them for their gifts of insight. In fact this gift of knowledge is like a golden thread that will connect my students to me and to my teachers.

Books can help you on your quest to becoming a dog trainer.
Large quantities of vital knowledge can be acquired though reading books. This is an area we will use extensively though out this training program. Books are like stepping stones, which make getting to your destination easier and more pleasant. Books are most useful if one has a foundation or reference that the textual material can be related to.

Becoming a dog trainer is easier if you really know about dogs.
One of the most important areas of learning comes from the subject itself. The dog. My best teachers have been the dogs I've known and trained. Because dogs are such good teachers I want you to spend a certain amount of time actually working with dogs. There is no substitute for being around, caring for, and working with many different dogs. A person can be great at training their own dog and not be good at training dogs in general. To become a good dog trainer you need plenty of experience with many kinds of dogs. One of the best places to get this experience is working for a rescue group or animal shelter. In fact I recommend you volunteer your services while going through our program to get the needed experience to become a professional trainer. It is probably best to start off volunteering as a caregiver and helping with socialization. I would recommend you hold off doing any training until you have attended the first workshop. This way even if the care facility your volunteering for doesn't use a whole training system you won't learn hard to break habits.

Becoming a dog trainer means knowing about more than just dogs.
The next area of importance to your success is your ability to work with people. The biggest job a professional dog trainer has is to teach the dog's owner about the dog. You need good people skills to be good at training dogs. I want to work with people who are as interested in helping people as in helping dogs. Any job or experience you have working with the public will help you in your dog training career.

Another area I will classify with people skills is the ability to lead or direct others. An ability to perform in front of others is helpful in this respect.