The other day I received an email from a woman who said she was interested in becoming a dog trainer but lacked the money that a lot of the places she had checked out would require. Did I have any ideas?

Well, learning to be a dog trainer takes quite a lot of actual experience with dogs, and much of that experience would ideally be working with a really good trainer who was good at teaching also.

Do think a bit about what your approach to dog training will be. Many dog trainers still think they have to dominate the dogs in terms of being like a wolf pack, but more effective methods are known now, based on rewards for what the dog does. I write a lot about this on my blog and website.

Even without the cost of tuition in hand, there are a variety of things that you can do to begin to explore dog training as a career. You can volunteer at shelters or with local dog training clubs or trainers if you like their approach.  Or simply start trying things from dog training websites or books, on dogs you know, with the agreement of their owners, of course…friends, family, and neighbors may all have dogs you can practice on. If you don’t already know the dogs well, be sure to ask the owners if there is anything you should know.

Getting a thorough training and certification is a very good idea down the road, but you can learn a lot about the career without spending much, I’m sure.

Being a dog trainer is not for everyone. I have a good friend who is a dog walker, and I once asked him if he was interested in becoming a trainer. No, he said, with the walking, his interactions are mainly with the dogs, where if he began doing dog training professionally, he would have to be working a lot more with humans. He likes it best with just the dogs!

If you think you might be interested in becoming a dog training, here’s a page on my website where I review an inexpensive and useful book, Take the Class, by Silvia Kent, that will give you an idea what is involved. It’s available as an ebook, immediately downloadable, or as a physical book, with links to both from that page. Here is Silvia’s own description of what topics are covered. (She’s British which explains some of the spelling and terms.)

Section 1 – All About Dog Obedience Instructing

Difficult Owners, Difficult Dogs, Venues, Equipment, Class Patterns, How To Teach, How To Practise, Safety, Fun & Games, Enjoyment, Basic To Competition Classes, Articles, Dog Behaviour & A Whole Lot More!

Section 2 – The A-Z Of Dog Obedience Instructing

From Advanced Heelwork to ASSD, From KPT To Flat & Kill, From Box Training To Sendaways, From Companion Heelwork Corrections to Four Different Methods To Teach Three Different Finishes, From Footwork to a full Scent Progression & A Whole Lot More!

Section 3 – Trouble Shooting Foundation Exercises

From what to do when a dog won’t go Down to what to do about paddling on the Stand Stay; From Slow Returns To Overshooting Retrieve Presents; From Shaking Articles To Lagging On Heelwork – And A Whole Lot More!

I read the book a few years ago, and I remember enjoying it very much.

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