

Check with local dog trainers in your area to see if anybody is willing to take you on as an apprentice or assistant. That will not only give you access to more dogs, but you will also have somebody monitoring your technique and guiding your development. An even better idea is to apprentice with a successful dog trainer. Or, you can talk to local shelters or rescue organizations about working with their dogs.

You can ask friends and family if you can teach their dogs. The best way to polish your skills and practice other approaches is by working with dogs who aren’t your own. For example, the lure-and-reward method might have easily helped your dog learn to sit, but another dog could need a completely different approach. Plus, a good dog trainer knows more than one method to train a behavior. However, your clients might not be so patient. Fumbling with treats or accidentally rewarding the wrong behavior won’t bother your canine companion. Training your own dog is valuable but remember, your dog loves you and will forgive your mistakes. Training is a mechanical skill, so before you can demonstrate it to students, you need to develop a high level of proficiency by practicing on your own dog. All that experience will help to hone your abilities. But your potential future clients will need help with all kinds of behaviors, so you need hands-on experience with whatever you might be required to teach. In the end, your dog doesn’t have to be perfect. Finally, modify any problem behaviors as you encounter them. Also consider taking up a dog sport with your dog so you can really dig into the technical aspects of training like timing, rate of reinforcement, and reward placement. The AKC Canine Good Citizen test is an excellent goal to work towards. Don’t just teach the basics like “sit” or “down.” Teach advanced skills too, such as staying put with the added challenge of distance and distractions. If you don’t currently own a dog, find one you can spend a lot of time with so you can build a regular training routine. The first step in your journey should be training your own dog. So, if you desire to be a dog trainer but your only credentials are owning or training your own dog, be aware that you have work to do. It can be stressful and challenging trying to help owners work through such issues, and happy endings are never guaranteed. This might mean working with reactive dogs or those with separation anxiety or other issues. However, people often call a dog trainer only when they have a problem on their hands.
CERTIFIED DOG TRAINER NEAR ME PLUS
You spend your days surrounded by dogs, plus you get to help people and their pets live together happily and harmoniously. Being a dog trainer can be an incredibly rewarding job. So you want to be a dog trainer? It’s common for dog lovers looking for a career change to consider dog training as an option.
