While a lot of people
will become dog training careers because it's something that a lot of people
do, there are others who actually do it because they love dogs and feel that
this is a career that they want to pursue.
Are you one of those people that go for a dog training career because they
heard someone saying that it's a good career, or are you someone that actually
loves dogs and wants to be around them more?
Basic principles to follow
Loving dogs isn't the only motivation you should have to pursue dog training;
you will also need the skills and knowledge to discipline dogs, to handle them
and to understand what motivates their behavior. In most cases, people that
become dog trainers have previous experience with dogs, and an understanding on
how they usually handle pets.
What is your "dog division"?
If you want a career that revolves around dogs, there are two options at your
disposal: dog training or pet service training. They're both highly looked
after jobs, but a pet dog training career can bring you more opportunities.
Pet dog training is usually done on pet dogs, just like the name suggests. Its
purpose is to help dogs become better companions for humans, both at house and
in outdoor activities. Basic training includes agility training, obedience
training, potty training and even training to prevent the dog from biting or
barking.
If we're talking about service training, you should know that it's made
specifically to prepare a dog for helping someone that has a disability or is
going through some form of therapy. Other service dogs are trained to sniff
bombs, drugs or to chase criminals, hunt or rescue people.
This type of training is very intensive, and the trainer needs to be well prepared
in teaching the dog how to do his functions.
Canine psychology understanding
What do you want to know about a dog? How they behave, think or how they react
to outside stimulus? What training actually does is making a dog modify his
behavior, so they respond in certain ways. Associative conditioning is one of
the fundamentals of dog training, so you should know this as well.
What about dog training education?
Like any other career, dog training needs you to have some basic skills, in
this case in the area of handling and dog training. But, this isn't a career
that you can learn at a university or college, so a degree is out of the
question. There are schools however, and some academies, which you can go to in
order to learn dog training. In most cases though, dog trainers have a natural
inclination for their job.
While some have a natural feeling on how to train dogs, other have been
apprentices with great dog trainers. And if you want some extra information,
you should contact a dog training organization, which can offer it to you.
Comparison of working attitude with people and dogs
When you train dogs you also have to teach the dog handlers how to use them.
Besides training dogs, if you plan to make a career out of it, you will also
need to have some people skills, to teach the handlers.
Some dog owners don't have the patience to wait for their dogs to learn,
expecting for it to be a fast and simple process. You need to be able to deal
with this type of dog owners, and to let them know how the process works.
That's why you need people skills as well, not just experience with dogs.
Miscellaneous
Besides the normal aspects of training, other things you need to know are
nutrition, dog hygiene and grooming.
Other fields of interest include accessories, dog competitions and training
ads. You should also learn about the differences between dog breeds, as each
one behaves differently.
You can be a great trainer without being a guru. You only need a number of
skills that will teach you how to handle dogs.
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Training Career