How To Be Come A Professional Dog Trainer

Do you feel you should take a dog training course? Well, who
certifies dog trainers? Nobody, officially; this is an
unregulated field. At this time, the only credible organization
certifying trainers is the National Association of Dog Obedience
Instructors (NADOI). NADOI has an extensive evaluation process,
and only certifies experienced trainers. A NADOI certification
is a definite feather in your cap, but that option isn’t
available to new instructors.

At this time, NADOI and the APDT are the only organizations
recognized by professional trainers and veterinarians.

What qualities do you need in order to be a good trainer? First
of all, you should be aware that your primary job will not
involve training dogs; it will involve training people! Most of
your time will be spent teaching the owner how to train his or
her dog. Good communication and people skills are a top
priority. You will need a great deal of flexibility, as well as
the ability to see other people’s point of view.

Accredited colleges do not offer dog training programs. Most
colleges do offer some courses which would be beneficial as
background information, such as Psychology of Learning or
similar classes dealing with applied learning theory.

There are several private dog training academies throughout the
country, most not worth the price of attendance. Remember, NADOI
and the APDT are the only “certification” entities recognized by
trainers and veterinarians in the US, so an individual school’s
“Master Trainer” or “Certified Trainer” title may wow your
future students, but is a rather meaningless accolade.

If you should decide to go to a training school, avoid the ones
boasting that they can teach you everything about all aspects of
dog training in one course. Each field of dog training is its
own separate field of expertise, and it takes years to become
expert in any ONE area. “Learn obedience training, behavior
problem solving, personal protection training, police dog
training, tracking, search and rescue, assistance dog training,
and how to run your own business in just six weeks,” is not a
realistic claim. There are no “secrets of professional dog
trainers.”

Another problem with most training schools is that they tend to
teach only one “method.” There is no one training method you can
learn that will work on all dogs in all situations, or even come
close. In order to be a good trainer, you have to know many,
many training methods, and preferably know enough about canine
behavior and how dogs learn to make up your own methods to fit a
given situation.

And, just as anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, anyone
can run a school for dog trainers. Buyer beware!