Realities of being a dog trainer?

[GinnyBee]

Hey, I posted in the work sub first but thought this sub might be better. I’m considering training as a dog trainer and maybe behaviourist eventually. I’m coming up to a stage in life where we will hopefully soon have some more time and money to pursue interests, and career change is on the cards. I’ve struggled to find a field I care about, I’m a bookkeeper in my current life and so bored of it! Being self employed would also help with flexibility of work hours as my toddler starts school next year.

How I’ve come to consider this is because of my own dog who has been more challenging to deal with than I imagined when we got him as a puppy 5 years ago. Due to series of unfortunate events and my own inexperience he has struggled with reactivity and anxiety, that I’ve worked hard to help him with. I’ve read books and listened to podcasts about dog training and behaviour, I’ve worked with trainers and behaviourists 1:1 and attended classes, we’ve dabbled in agility, mantrailing and scentwork. Recently in a class the trainer misinterpreted his signals (commenting how an appeasement lick was him enjoying the exercise) which got me thinking that I could definitely do this, it kind of gave me confidence to start considering it. I know I need training and experience, so far I’ve only had one dog but have had to solve issues many pet owners never have to think about.

I'd like to hear some real life experiences of being a dog trainer with a behaviour interest. I can imagine it can be really rewarding, but I’m sure there are many downsides too.

Dealing with people is the downside.
I teach agility but I imagine that the same issues would occur. Example.... I sell classes in monthly blocks. Clients pay for the whole month in order to keep their space. If they cannot attend a session they don't get a refund. For most clients this is understood and accepted, they are paying to keep their space. Others try it on.

I'd recommend volunteering at a good rescue to get lots of hands on experience with different breed/ages. No theory can replace handling skills but theory is very important too. The more you look into it the more dreadful dog trainers you'll notice are out there.

Lots of evening and weekend work if you are wanting to do classes, which most people need to get enough money. Monotony of needing to do puppy classes to keep fresh clients coming in but after a while there's only so much enthusiasm you can gather for teaching sit and basic recall.

People want magic wands and quick fixes unfortunately unless you get a gem of an owner that truly understands and wants to put the work in. So it can be very frustrating.

And then being self-employed. The pros and cons that come with that.

Look up some practical and theory courses, PACT would probably be my first port of call due to the mix of practical and theory. I haven't done it but have heard good things. You need accreditation somehow through the ABTC as at least an Animal Training Instructor, the ABTC has lots of useful information to guide you where to look for courses.

Having experience of one dog is way off what you need to be a good trainer or behaviourist.

Qualified behaviourists need a Msc or equivalent qualification so many years of studying.

If you have competed in dog sport getting to a high level will help you with your training.

Dealing with people is a big issue. Especially as a behaviourist.

Training is way more than teaching one dog to do behaviours.

You will need much more experience.

Thanks @Abc1weabc1 and @FoamRoller super helpful!

PACT is one I’ve looked at for the training, another one that comes up is APDT. I know you don’t necessarily need a qualification to become a trainer but part of the interest for me is learning the theory too. Two trainers I’ve worked with this past year don’t actually have any formal qualifications, just practical experience, and after a while it has become obvious. It’s probably enough for training most pet dogs and puppy classes, but when dealing with a more complicated dog it’s easy to see who does or doesn’t have the academic knowledge.

I have APDT accreditation but I didn't do their course only their assessment so I can't vouch for it. A good organisation to be part of that most people recognise once they do a tiny bit of digging.

If you can get to crufts next week then I'd recommend it. PACT, APDT and I'm sure IMDT will be there so you could easily talk to some real life people.

Behaviourist (done properly) is much more complex. Ideally you be looking to do become a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) for top level, most people end up as a CAB though unless they've done the right university course or the evidence process for CCAB is long and complex!

I'd do training for a bit, pick up low level behaviour issues but have a support network for referring when you are unsure and go from there. If you can find some good training classes to assist in then that's worth a try.

My friend moved from engineering into dog training - she did a COAPE qualification over several years, APDT accreditation then worked with an established trainer for several years before branching out in her own. She’s running a positive gundog training conference in May - might be a good opportunity to go and chat to lots of trainers? https://www.dogsrdogs.co.uk/positive-gundog-training-conference/
I think she’d say a lot of owners expect magic fixes without putting the work in - she picks clients carefully now!

While anyone can call themselves a trainer, if you want to become accredited then you'll need to get qualifications and plenty of experience working with all kinds of breeds in all kinds of scenarios.

I would also think about the practicalities - you'll have to work weekends and evenings for the most part, as most owners will be at work during the week.

I agree.

Have you approached your local hobby club to maybe shadow then take on a class? I teach agility for a KC club and we’re always looking for trainers! We’re volunteers so don’t get paid.

I have a degree in CBM but really experience is key. I’ve been teaching for 15 years and still see things I’ve not before.

You also have to like and understand people. I find that more challenging than the dogs tbh. I love teaching and do some ad hoc help on the side (unpaid) but I’d never want to do it as a job. I do work in education though 😉

Just to add I’m currently setting up my new agility class for April and it’s take me hours so far of dialogue with some people to establish details. Then I’ll bet that at least one won’t show, or pay, or come with the right stuff. At least one won’t train in the way we do (reward based) because the man on the telly doesn’t. One dog will not be what the owner says and one will want their three year old child to train their high arousal border collie.

Can you see I’ve done this for a while?

I echo what others already have said. Having trained one pet dog to a high level isn't enough experience.

And often in dog training, you are not training the dog, you are training the owner (giving them the tools) to entice the desired behaviour from the dog.
In order to do this you need to understand dog behaviour, different breed traits and an individual dogs personality. You need to be confident and knowledgeable in order to work out quickly which training path to take with the individual dog & owner pair if you want to be successful.

However if you are serious, start at the bottom and help out in rescue centres. Maybe your local dog training club can do with an extra pair of hands for puppy class... listen and learn from the professionals. After you have gained some experience do all your courses and paperwork. You'll get more out of it that way as you already have experienced different dogs and behaviours.

And never forget: Every dog you have or train will teach you something new.

Thanks everyone! I fully know I don’t have enough experience yet, which is why I’m asking about it. I don’t yet have the capacity to be shadowing other trainers or observing classes, so I’m trying to do some research beforehand. It won’t be until this autumn at the earliest that I can start thinking about it more seriously and find trainers to work with for experience.