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.
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?
Back to Basic Principles
Dog training is more than a love for dogs, it also requires a good deal of knowledge, skills in handling, proper ways to discipline them and also knowing the basics of their behaviors. Experienced dog trainers have a good working relationship with many dog owners, dog handlers and of course 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.
Dog Service Training is geared towards helping people with certain disabilities or working with people undergoing therapy. Another division of service dogs may include the following: chasing criminals, drug and bomb sniffing, search and rescue dogs and 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?
A good dog trainer will need to understand a dogs behavior, the way they think and why they react to certain things. Trainers will need to constantly work with a dog to teach them to react in a desired way to any given command. You should also know well the fundamentals of associative conditioning.
Where Can You Learn 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. 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. There are also a number of dog training organizations that could provide the latest information on dog training.
A good dog trainer works with both the attitudes of people and dogs
Dog training involves training the handlers of the dog as well Therefore if you are pursuing a career in this field, it is very important that you have good people skills and that you can tolerate all types of people.
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 trainers also must possess the skills to properly groom dogs and then know how to provide each breed of dog the proper nutrition and good hygiene techniques needed.
You should also have good knowledge on dog competitions, accessories and training aids. 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.
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