How To Become A Dog Trainer

For a while, dog training was just a hobby of mine.

I’d go to work at my office job, then come home and teach my dog a new trick or read whatever dog training book I was on at the time.

It wasn’t until I started giving unsolicited advice to friends with new puppies and random internet strangers that I realized dog training was more than just a hobby for me.

How It All Began

Well.. it all started with me Google searching “how to become a dog trainer.”

Something you likely did too that ended you up here.

There’s not one specific path like other career options, but here’s what I did and recommend you do too.

1. Figure out if you like dog training

Sounds silly, but you need to spend time with dogs and do some hands-on work to determine if you even like dog training.

You can volunteer to walk dogs at your local animal shelter, take classes with your own dog at a positive reinforcement dog training school, or even reach out to trainers in your area to see if they’d be willing to let you shadow them.

Once I got a taste of training with my own dog and had a working knowledge of dog behavior, I found a part time job assisting classes at a local dog training facility as my very first professional experience.

This helped affirm my interest and opened the door to lots of other dog training opportunities afterwards!

2. Education & Experience

To be a dog trainer, you have to be educated on dog body language, operant and classical conditioning, solutions to common behavioral problems, dog development, and much more.

I got most of my education through online courses, books, and working hands on with dogs through the guidance of my amazing mentors.

There are also whole schools dedicated to training dog trainers including the Karen Pryor Academy, CATCH Academy, or Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, if you’d like a more traditional, school-like approach to your education. 

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Take action right away! Educate yourself on how to train puppies the right way to give yourself a strong foundation.

Our certified dog trainer, Meaghan Summerbell, highly recommends the Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for the Companion Dog written by Kenneth M. Martin, DVM, and Debbie Martin, RVT, VTS (Behavior), CPDT-KA, KPA CTP

This book has extensive information, corresponding photos, and step-by-step instructions to help you foster and enhance a “parenting relationship” with your puppy!

Whether you’re looking to become a dog trainer, class instructor, or work in a dog shelter or adoption agency ~ this book can help you learn how to raise a new puppy correctly.

See the Book on Amazon

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3. Take Your Certifications

Dog training is an unregulated industry, meaning ANYONE can claim to be a dog trainer or dog behaviorist. Certifications help regulate the field by requiring trainers to pass a test or skill set in order to claim their certified status.

The most common certification is the CPDT-KA, but some more immersive school-like options are KPA (Karen Pryor Academy), Animal Behavior College, or CATCH Academy.

4. Other Considerations to Not Overlook

Dog training is a dream job for sure, but there are some considerations for people seriously thinking about become a professional dog trainer. 

• Lots of dirty work! Dogs pee, poop,throw up, jump on you with muddy paws, slobber, shed and make all kinds of messes. Personally I don’t mind most of these things, but for some people these things might be a deterrent. 

• Dog training requires lots of physical labor and movement. You’ll be working with giant dogs who pull on leash and little dogs who need you to get on the ground to teach them basics like sit. I average about 10,000 steps a day at work and that’s probably on the lower end!

• You DO have to work with people. This might be a shock, but a dog trainer’s job is to train the dog guardian how to train their dog. That means more often than not you will be working directly with people and not just the dogs. 

• It’s tough finding full time work, especially one with decent pay and benefits, in the dog training field. You’ll likely have to work weekends and/or evenings especially at the start of your career. 

Is Dog Training Right For You?

All that being said, being a dog trainer is incredibly rewarding and 100% worth the considerations mentioned above. There’s nothing quite like seeing a dog have a lightbulb moment, where they start to “get” the behavior you’re training. If you even have the slightest interest in becoming a dog trainer, I say take that class, read that book, and go for it!

by Samantha Hoaglin, CPDT-KA