Any professional dog trainers in here?

AmazingMutts

Just curious! If so - how did you get into the biz? What inspired you? How long have you been training?

Criosphynx

Lol, I would if there wasn't the human element involved


I have learned to keep my hobbies out of my paycheck...I don't want this to get old on me, or feel like work

Cali

I am. :]
I started out training horses which I got into through working as an apprentice trainer for two years, got lots of experience with that and continued to work with them when I moved. Dogs just sorta fell into my life; I had always had them and they were all well trained so people started asking me to work with their dogs, and it went from there.
As for what inspired me... My bond with my animals. :] they are my loves.

Mikey

Crio-needs to be in the pro dog training business. Period. If you have questions ask her. I won't go into it unless you want to hear why I am so confident in her knowledge and methods-but I am

If you are looking to get into the business yourself-as with any profession-contact someone who does what you want to do. At the very least do lunch with them and interview them. Try to work with them or volunteer with them. Almost any professional wants to and likes to mentor those interested in their career choice My biggest bestest advice

fawkese1

i've trained all sorts of animals at work before ( i used to be a zoo keeper for a bit ) but otherwise not a pro, tho it is in serious consideration for the future

AmazingMutts

I agree with you. Based on what I'ver read, I also believe Crio needs to be in the pro-dog business!

I've tried to contact a couple of different trainers and they've both treated me as though I was wasting their time. One lady said that they couldn't allow me to observe and help in their group obedience classes because I wasn't insured with their company, and another lady wanted to interview me via email, refused to call me, and pretty much told me I was out of my league in dog training because I haven't been to any schools approved by the APDT.

Hopefully I'll find somebody who will take me under their wing, even if it's an online buddy! (hint hint! hehe!)

AmazingMutts

A zoo keeper huh? That sounds adventurous! I bet you have some interesting stories!

fawkese1

yeah... it was a really fun job, i miss it...

some interesting stories, some funny bloopers too...

Criosphynx

you guys are too kind




Yup. Unfortunately alot of trainers want to train dogs, not people, and there tends to be quite a few of them without any people skills... OR they are frantically busy and just don't want to deal with stuff....I mean I totally get it. I mentor kids that volunteer at the store, to teach them the ropes with the reptiles, som'times tho, its kinda a burden and you can't help but be a little short. I have to constantly ground myself and reminds myself how desparately these kids want to do what Iam doin' or know what Iam knowin' (lol) sorry, rambling

the agility trainer i hired/fired LOL, first I didn't click with her, but most importantly is she blew me off, multiple times and that is just BS IMO. Iam paying YOU. Please return my emails and don't waste my time (theres a long thread floating around about it)

the behaviorist was very proffessional, but she basically ignored my "oh god please mentor me" hints I kept dropping, and basically told me I didn't need her to train Chili and shot me down when I asked about classes.

Iam totally willing and totally love when people pick my brain, heck go back in the threads, lol, theres alot of brain picking in mutliple directions. Don't hesitate to ask stuff lots of people here have great knowledge


IRL I don't really do anything spectacular. Chili and i go to petco som'times LOL

what sucks about all these credential thingamabobers is you need YEARS of experience to qualify, and I believe 3 years of that has to be teaching your own classes as head trainer...how the heck does one do that when no one will take you on? The best/easiest answer I can think of is petco/petsmart. But I don't know if I can do that to myself again.


as far as the idea that you MUST go to a school.....

lincoln was a self taught lawyer...and thats what I think about that

wvasko

As a dog trainer in business before credentials were the vogue(50 yrs ago)
Crio is absolutely correct. The one thing that is absolutely necessary, start training a dog. Before I had any inkling that I wanted to be a dog trainer. I dabbled in dogs for fun. I put a CD on a dog. I trained a protection dog from reading Koehler's Guard Dog book. I started hunting with a bird dog (Weimie) brushed up on some dog work with Richard Wolter's Gun Dog Book. One day somebody took me to a field trial and I then said I was gonna be a dog trainer. You just might want to see if you have any natural talent. I have no school credentials as I let the dogs teach me.