Career in Dog Training
Important questions you must ask yourself
A dog training career is very appealing to many dog owners but is it a good choice? You need to ask yourself a number of questions. There are two areas to consider those are how will you deal with the dogs and secondly how you will deal with the handlers. Click here to go to working with the handlers.
First you need to look at your own experiences with dogs. What are you basing your thoughts on, is it your current dog? If yes, is the breed typical, has it been easy to train or has it had any behavioural problems you have had to sort out. If it has been relatively problem free, will you be capable of dealing with dogs that have problems?
Have you had other dogs yourself? Other dogs which would have given you a broader experience of problems and of different breed. Many breeds offer specific challenges and characteristic behaviours, some easy to channel in the right way others not. How many puppies and older dogs have you come into contact with, again each require different approaches and skills.
If you have had a number of dogs through your life, ask yourself the question – did the training get easier and more successful as time went on? If it did not, you may not have been learning some valuable lessons which would help you in any dog training career.
Have you got experience with other animals? If you learnt to ride a horse, taught a cat to do a simple trick or a taught a parrot to talk, these could all be useful indications that you have the patience and skill to become a dog trainer. You need to assess your own experiences and decide where you need extra experience or input and get out and try to get it. How you may ask?
Basically, go out and find and help in as many different ways you can, working with dogs or any animal for that matter. Is there a local doggie day care centre near you, if yes go along and offer to help out for a couple of hours each week. You may be able to help at a local rescue centre by offering to foster dogs on a short term basis or help at the kennels doing anything that is needed. Go to as many dog clubs and schools as you can find. There are clubs for agility, obedience, gun dogs, working trials and ring craft. These all require slightly different skills any one, or more of which, might suit you. Speak to trainers, read books, attend courses make sure you take your dog to local training schools.
This part is working with dogs and getting as much experience as possible. There should be another area to be considered when you are making your decision as to whether you will follow a dog training career and that is, how will you cope with working with the handlers? Click here to go to working with the handlers.
With the full information you will be ready to make your decision – are you ready for a career in dog training? If not in training there are a number of other area to consider: dog walking, dog grooming or dog daycare. A career in any one of these areas is open to you.
