You may have mad dog whisperer skills, but if you are offering your services as a dog trainer and you have no certification to back up your talent, you may have trouble convincing savvy dog owners that you are legit.
While it is true that you do not have to be licensed, certified, or registered with a government agency or be a member of a professional organization to offer your services as a trainer, you should expect that a lot of people won’t take you seriously if you just hang up a sign or go on social media and say, “Hey, I want to train your dog.”
The Perks of a Dog Training Career
Being a dog trainer is a rewarding career choice for a number of reasons.
- By teaching a rowdy dog some manners, you could be saving them from being surrendered to an animal shelter.
- Teaching basic obedience skills can save a dog’s life. Having impeccable recall and knowing “drop it” and “leave it” can keep a dog from serious harm.
- By working with dogs and owners, you help them create a stronger bond.
- As a trainer, you get to be up and moving instead of tied to a desk all day, and you get to spend a lot of time outdoors.
- Dog training is an ideal career for independent business owners. You can be your own boss and set your own schedule.
- If dogs are your jam, what could be better than a career that lets you get paid to spend all your time around them?
Launching a Successful Training Career
To boost your chances of success, bolster your credibility, build skills, and create more career opportunities, think about enrolling in a dog trainer certification program.
Unlike college degrees, which take years to earn, a dog trainer certification takes about 12 months. While most people don’t live within easy distance of a brick and mortar school for dog trainers, that isn’t a problem; there are excellent online dog training programs that allow you to enroll anytime. With online programs available, it doesn’t matter if there’s not a “dog training class near me.”
Among the most respected schools nationwide, Animal Behavior College has been preparing trainers to launch their careers since 1998. The Valencia, California based school was founded by trainer Steven Appelbaum, owner and president of Animal Behavior and Training Associates, Inc., which at the time was the largest independent dog training company in the United States.
ABC Is Invested in Student Success
Trainers who graduate from ABC have a solid foundation for success in their new career. The well-rounded curriculum includes an overview of canines, learning theories, tools of the dog training trade, fundamentals, a breakdown of steps to teach each cue, problem solving, and training safety.
Since working with the public one-on-one and in training classes is a large part of dog training, ABC dedicates a portion of the curriculum to public speaking and conducting effective training sessions.
In order to give their graduates a boost, the final stage of the online curriculum is dedicated to business building. Students learn how to start their own business, market it, create a website, provide good customer service, and other invaluable information.
Once the online portion of the program is complete, students get plenty of real world experience by volunteering 10 hours training dogs in an animal shelter and by completing an externship with a local professional trainer.
Alumni benefits include a listing in the school’s Certified Dog Trainer Directory, access to a private job board exclusive to ABC grads, lifetime access to curriculum, business building tools, and more.
Helping animal lovers follow their passion to a fulfilling career is ABC’s mission. If you are serious about being the best trainer you can be, call 800-795-3294 to speak to an admissions counselor today.
