From time to time I
receive letters and emails from people who want advice on the best
way to become a dog trainer. In the UK at the moment there is
no single recognised qualification in dog training. And no
single straightforward path for aspiring dog trainers to tread.
Many if not most successful professional dog trainers have built up a
clientele over a long period of time and as a result of their own
prowess in one of several dog training disciplines.
It is probably fair
to say, that few people are able to make a reasonable living
out of dog training full time unless they are extremely successful in
some kind of dog related sport. Many dog trainers only
supplement their income with dog training clients. And the
recession has hit dog training quite hard presumably because many
people see dog training classes as a luxury
On the positive
side, dog training is huge fun, very rewarding, and it is
something you can do alongside a normal job because most people want
to attend dog training classes in the evenings or at weekends.
Four steps to
success
There are four
essential steps to becoming a dog trainer, or more specifically a dog
training instructor. And they are as follows
Train your own
dog to a high standard
Get involved in a dog training sport or
activity
Get some instructing experience
Get some
credentials
Train your own dog to a high standard
Some of the people
who ask me how to get into dog training do not even own a dog.
This might seem obvious, but just as you would expect someone
training as a riding instructor to be able to ride a horse, a
trainee dog training instructor needs to be a competent dog handler.
Your first step on
the dog training ladder is to train your own dog to a high
standard. Does your dog walk tidily to heel with and
without a lead on? Does he sit and stay whenever and wherever
you want him to. Have you taught him not to jump up at
strangers, and to come back immediately whenever you call him?
Do friends and strangers compliment you on how well behaved he is?
If the answer to
any of these questions is no, you have a little more work to do,
before you begin the next step.
You can get help
with training your dog from books, from websites like this one, and
from local dog training classes. Check out the Kennel Club’s
Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme. When you have established a
foundation of basic obedience with your dog, you then need to
think about which dog training discipline you would like to become
involved with.
Get involved in a
dog training sport or activity
Almost all
successful dog training instructors are or were successful
competitors in one of the four main dog sports or disciplines:
obedience competitions, agility, working trials or field
trials. Participating in a competitive sport raises your
standards and challenges you in a way that little else does.
You do not need to be a ‘superstar’ but you do need to
demonstrate competence, and some modest success in competions
is a good way of doing so.
To get involved in
one of these sports you need to join a club, and to attend some
of their regular training sessions. Have a look at the
articles on agility, working trials, competitive obedience, and
gundog work for more information, and to find out which of
these disciplines appeals to you. If you try one and don’t
like it, you can always try another.
You may be
restricted to a certain extent by the type of dog you own, you
will for example need a gundog breed or crossbreed in order to get
involved in gundog work. And some very little dogs will struggle with
more demanding physical sports. Regular involvement with
a Club will give you access to other like minded people. You
will be able to observe good (and in some cases bad) instructing
techniques and with commitment and progress you will eventually be
able to participate in helping to train others.
Get some
instructing experience
There are a number
of organisations which offer training qualifications or accreditation
for dog trainers and we will look at these below. But all of
these organisations require that you first gain instructing
experience. This can be a bit of a catch 22 situation, as
you may not feel confident in taking on clients without any
credentials. However, gaining some instructing experience
is a vital next step in your journey
The best way to
gain such experience is through your club, or by volunteering
to help an experienced and reputable trainer with his or her
classes. Building up your own coaching portfolio takes
time, but it is essential if you wish to progress to the next level
Get some
credentials
There are basically
two kind of credentials you can acquire which will support your claim
to be a competent dog training instructor.
Membership of a
reputable professional organisation
Paper qualifications and
course attendance certificates
It is important that you set
about gaining membership of a recognised professional organisation
which sets, and maintains standards for, the dog trainers on
its registers. Your membership of such an organisation
demonstrates your professionalism and commitment to maintaining high
standards of conduct and performance. It gives confidence to
clients because they know that they have some recourse against you if
you let them down.
Certificates saying
that you have attended a course on canine behaviour do not have much
value in themselves. By all means attend a course if the
subject matter is of interest to you, but unless there is an
examination at the end which you could potentially fail, the
certificate is not very meaningful to your future clients.
Some of these courses are very expensive, and it is difficult
to evaluate or compare them with one another. They are not an
essential part of a dog trainer’s portfolio but can be a
useful addition and some may provide a genuinely valuable learning
experience.
Professional
membership is the most important step and there are a number of
organisations that you could register with. Including the
following
Association of Pet
Dog Trainers
For general
obedience and pet dog training, the APDT is an important
registering body. To become a member you will need to
demonstrate that you meet their standards. This is their
membership test: http://www.apdt.co.uk/dog_trainer_membership.asp
British Institute
of Professional Dog Trainers
Another reputable
organisation is the BIPDT. Popular with service dog trainers
(ex-police,military etc), the BIPDT also runs training courses
for dog trainers in a number of disciplines including gundog
training.
The Gundog Club
Specifically for
working gundog instructors, the Gundog Club maintains a
register of trainers whose performance and conduct is monitored and
whose instructors undertake not to use harsh methods on dogs under
their instruction. The Gundog Club does not shy away from
striking trainers that fail to meet standards from their register.
Applicants have to demonstrate gundog handling ability and coaching
experience, and to supply references
Kennel Club
The kennel club
have an accredited instructor scheme that you can work through and
you can find more information on their website. It
is worth joining this scheme at quite an early stage in your coaching
career so that you can build up your portfolio over time and as you
gain experience.
Learning about dogs
This a privately
owned organisation that provides training and qualifications for
clicker trainers. You can find out more on their website using
the link above
Completing the four
steps
Your journey as a
dog trainer is just beginning as you complete these four steps.
You will learn rapidly as you continue to train more people to
train their dogs but there will always be new situations to
challenge you.
Maintaining a
network of contacts, especially with more experienced trainers that
you can turn to for advice is essential. Knowledge and
experience is the key to your continued professional development
together with a committment to never stop learning. Read
everything you can lay your hands on about dogs and how they learn.
There is a whole world of information available to you online and in
your local library.
How about you?
Where have you got to in your journey? Did you find any
of the above helpful, and is there anything you would like to add?
