Training Guide Dogs??/?

[Skribble]

Does anyone here do this job???

I'm watching this thread skribble as it is something I have considered doing... I'll give it a bump for you.

We couldn't do the Puppy Walking as kids would never give them back!!

See lots of people around where my mum lives (Wokingham) doing this as the training centre is nearby. They al go into local schools for talks etc.

I saw a job that is for the dog training, not puppies, its a 3 year course but has a good wage too. I couldn't hand a puppy back but like the idea of the older dogs and helping the new owner and dog train together.

I used to be a puppywalker for guide dogs till I got pg with ds. Went to the training centre quite a bit and watched the dogs being trained - I think it's a wonderful job if you are good with dogs and don't mind being out and about in all weathers. There are different levels of trainers - the ones that deal with dogs just arrived in the centre about a year old, and the ones that do the advanced training and matching the dog to the owner. I would imagine you have to do the first before being experienced enough to do the second, but not sure. Go for it!

Thanks, I might go for it.

it's a three year training course and involves all levels of training, i.e. as part of your training you will have to do the initial training before you start learning to do advanced training.

As a guide dog instructor your job would involve not only training dogs, but you would also then be responsible for matching the dogs to new owners, and then doing the training with the new owner. You would also then be responsible for aftercare, that is going to see owners with their dogs once a year or so, to ensure that the dog is still working safely, and also visits to owners who are having problems with their dogs.

It is a job that will involve a lot of travelling, as most training now is domicilliary, i.e. training the owners from home, as guide dogs have now closed all their residential training centres, and obviously you can't be sure where in the region you will be training because that will depend on where the client that you have matched your dog to lives.

Where abouts are you?

I am in Scotland and the vacancy is at the centre near me. I do a lot of traveling about in the job I do already but I can do the shifts away that suit me and turn down the ones that don't. I have had a good look at the web site and I think I can't reallly fully commit to a job like this just now.

It sounds like a great job for somebody that can commit to a 3 year training course and time away from home.