42 Following your passion into a profession By Kay Elliot How to Become a Dog Trainer You want to become a dog trainer because you love dogs, right? Makes sense, but before you take the plunge into the career of your dreams, ask yourself this very important question: how do you feel about people? Most of dog training entails teaching people. Sure, you could land a job training service dogs or dogs living in shelters, but the vast majority of dog trainers earn alivingby teaching classes and private lessons for pet-dog guard- ians. And the success of a dog's training Bask | Now/Des 2010, program depends upon the human's compliance with that program. ‘There are many, many wonderful clients who put everything they have into training and rehabilitating their dogs. They do their homework. They are eager to hone their skills. They treat their dogs with kindness. But there are also clients who will chal- lenge you at every level of your being, who will question your expert to do their homework and then com- plain that their dog is not improving, and disappear when they recognize how much work is involved. A word of advice: Asa person who loves dogs, you can, and will, go the distance for the good of the dog, but at a certain point—sooner rather than later, if you want to avoid burnout—you just have to let it go. Still interested? Great! Read on. ‘There are many routes one might take to gain the skills and experience required to train other people’s dogs. Many trainers are self-taught, relying Pht by a a‘on books, videos and personal experi- ence for their education. Others learn by apprenticing with an established trainer. Seminars and workshops pro- vvide an education for a lot of trainers. ‘And still others choose a more formal route by attending an academy for dog trainers, The best trainers explore all paths and recognize that the journey never ends. What follows is a seven-part lesson plan to guide you in your pursuit of training dogs for a living. In no way comprehensive, it's an overview of some of the possibilities that await you. Where you go from here is limited only by your imagination! LESSON ONE: Train thyself When people catch the training bug. often as a result of working with their own difficult dog or taking an inspir- ing group class—their frst step down the path to becoming a professional trainer is to study the many books, articles and DVDs on the subject of animal behavior and training. Sarah Owings, owner of Bridges Dog ‘Training in Los Angeles, Calif, says, “Before KPA [Karen Pryor Academy], I was simply an autodidact—totally self-taught animal person devouring books and videos. Like many dog trainers before me, however, my main teacher was Zoé and before her Annie and before her Rocky and Rufusand...” 44 Bark | Now/Dee 2010, In order to work effectively with dogs, you need to know how to read and understand canine body language. Every training library should beg with Canine Body Language: A Photo- ‘graphic Guide, by Brenda Aloft. Other ‘uist-reads include Don't Shoot the Dog, by Karen Pryor; Culture Clesh, by Jean Donaldson; Excel-Frated Learning, by Pamela Reid; The Other End ofthe Leash, by Patricia McConnell; and Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training, by Pamela Dennison. Of course, self-education can take you only so far. Ata certain point, you need to learn hands-on skills from someone with more experience, LESSON TWO: Get your hands dirty Perhaps the most frequently traveled path to becoming a professional dog trainer, and one that seems to follow naturally after reaching the limits of educating oneself, is the apprentice/ mentor relationship, which can take many different forms. Some dog-trai ing academies include formal appren- ticeships as part of their programs. Some trainers offer internshipsthrough their own businesses. And sometimes, an informal apprenticeship grows out of a trainer/client relationship. Jill Dextrase, co-owner of Sit Hap- pens! in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, met her mentor when she enrolled her own problem dog in a group class at the local humane society. After apprentic- ing for several years with the instruc- tor Jill took over her mentor’ business and now teaches classes and private lessons out of her own facility. Volun- teering at an animal shelter is another excellent way to gain hands-on experi- ence with a wide variety of dogs. Many shelters now have training programs in which volunteers are instructed how to train the shelter dogs so that they become more adoptable. This can be as simple as teaching a dog to wait at doorways or as complex és beh: modification for reactive or fearful dogs. If your local shelter doesn't have a training program, volunteering to establish one, once you're qualified, isa terrific way to gain client referrals from the shelter staff and other volunteers. LESSON THREE: Get schooled There are more dog-trainer schools out there than you can shake a stick at—and many of them deserve to have a stick shaken at them! Be diligent when researching schools; many pro- claim themselves to be “positive” and. “humane” while continuing to pro- ‘mote techniques and equipment that are quite the opposite. Until recently, there were two biggies in the arena of positive-reinforcement training academies: the Karen Pryor Academy and the Academy for Dog ‘Trainers at the San Francisco SPCA. But in 2009, the SF/SPCA Academy closed its doors, Jean Donaldson, founder and for- mer director of the SF/SPCA Acad- emy, recently announced the details of her new Academy for Dog Trainers, which will take the form of lectures and training demonstrations on CD, as well as self-assessment tools and virtual classrooms. Students work at their own pace with their own dogs in their own homes. Graduation require- ments include an online final written exam and submission of a video of the student training with specific criteria, Jean hopes to establish a mentor pro- gram for graduates of her acedemy (academyfordogtrainers.com). The Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) also offers the convenience of distance learning, but combines it with four weekend workshops with the instruc- tor and fellow classmates. KPA instruc- tors are extremely well regarded in the industry and are located across the U.S. and internationally; students may choose the instructor they want to work with. The curriculum is entirely online and includes training exercises and interim tests. One unique feature of the KPA curriculum is the requirement to train an animal of a species other than canine. Graduation requirements include an online final exam and in- person teaching and training assess- ‘ments, Passing all three assessmentsearns graduates the right to put “KPA CTP” (Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner) after their names. Certification can be revoked at any time ifa graduate does not continue to meet the quality standards of the Karen Pryor ‘Academy (karenpryoracademy.com). ‘When you're ready to take yourskills, as well as your understanding of the science behind how animals learn, to the highest point possible, then you're ready to take Bob Bailey's Operant Conditioning and Behavior Analysis Workshops (a.k.a. “Chicken Camps”). Bob teaches four levels of these emi- nent workshops; unfortunately for those of us in the U.S., he now teaches them only in Borlange, Sweden (nouse- ot-learning.se). There is no substitute for learning from Bob, but if Sweden is out of the question for you, you can learn to train chickens (which sharpens mechani- cal skills like nothing else can) with Terry Ryan at Legacy Caninein Sequim, ‘Wash. (legacyeanine.com) It's a beautiful thing when a career and a passion come together. LESSON FOUR: Get out there Conferences, seminars and workshops are fantastic sources of knowledge as ‘well as great networking opportunities. From one- or two-hour evening semni- nars to weeklong conferences, there are enough educational events across the country to keep a trainer learning, meeting and greeting all year long. The biggest get-togethers for dog trainers—and anyone interested. in dog training —are ClickerExpo (clicker expo.com) and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers conference (apelt.com), ClickerExpo is held twice each year at various locations across the country and features three days of speakers as well as hands-on “learning labs” (yes, you can bring your well-behaved dog!). ‘The APDT conference takes place annually in a different city, lasts five days and features many of the top trainers and researchers in the field, There are also numerous smaller ‘workshops and seminars held all over the world every month of the year. Pos- itively Trained and PuppyWorks are ‘two companies that organize and host educational events for professional as well as amateur trainers. The Yahoo! list “DogSeminars” is a great resource for finding seminars in your area. LESSON FIVE: Make your own path ‘And then there are the approximately bazillion other routes one might take to become a professional dog trainer. Laura Monaco Torelli, Director of ‘Training at Animal Behavior Train- ing Concepts in Chicago, Ill, began the strength of COSEQUIN ‘on your side. Stifferjoints make it painful to move, run or play. jTeyCosequin, the #1 Vet recommended joint supplement Cosequin* plays an important role in maintaining optimal jlnt function. Healthy cartilage Is crucial tor proper joint mobility. From daily walks to playing fetch, Cosequinr allows your pet to enloy thelr everyday actos, = Liver HEALTH tower DenctyF could help your bes end ive a longer heather te. ee “dence helps minimize a varety of ver Issues in dogs and cats. It has also been as crown fol meerove ver eal cis > ws function by protecting and repating iver = ~ aS cells, DenosyF Is recommended to Improve hepatic glutathione levels. i FVZel TaennKion Sean com BE UR tT Bh TY YOUR NEXT ORDER Cieieeenis 48 Bark | Nou/Dee 2010her career with marine mammals in Ken Ramirez's trainer program at the Shedd Aquarium and went on to work with 200 animals before becoming a dog trainer. Kristen VanNess, owner of A-Frame of Mind Dog Training in Granville, Ohio, learned to train dogs first as a 4-H club member, which led her to become more involved in dog projects as a 4-H advisor and eventu- ally to co-found a 4-H kid-and-dog camp, Ohio 4-H Teen Dog Experience. Lesson Six: Get credentialed It’sa commonly lamented fact that any- one, at any time, can hang outa shingle declaring him- or herself a dog trainer, with nothing more invested in their services than a business card—and even that isn't essential. But while it's true that there is no government regu- lation of dog trainers in the United States, there are a number of organiza- tions through which you can earn cre- dentials. The most common is the Cer- tification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, which offers the Certified Professional Dog Trainer—Knowl- edge Assessed (CPDT-KA) certifica- tion (ccpdorg). Earning a CPDT-KA isn’t a cakewalk, but you'll learn a lot along the way and your clients will understand that you are committed to a high level of learning. LESSON SEVEN: Get in business So, you've chosen your path, you've learned all there isto learn about train- ing dogs (yeah, right!), and now you're wondering, “How do I start, let alone run, a business?” Fortunately, Veron- ica Boutell, former director of the SE/ SPCA Behavior and Training Depart- ment and author of How to Run a Dog Business, recognized a need among dog trainers, and founded dogTEC, pro- viding business consulting services to dog professionals (dogtec.org). It’s a beautiful thing when a career and a passion come together. If train- ing dogs professionally interests you but you're not sure about making the Whatever the Adventure Zuke’s Treats Are Essential! BO ruxe'snavertue SI Vcore dos Ue" from Nor roto Contest Winnet: Pte orth Carolin CAVEAT EMPTOR Using force, fear, pain or intimida- tion to train animals is unnecessary and often backfires, so be sure that whatever academy, mentor ‘or seminar speaker you chonse promotes the use of only the most Up-to-date, reward-based training methods grounded in the science of hhow dogs learn. transition from whatever you're doing now, take just one simple step toward your goal, and then take another: Read a book. Watch a DVD. Complete a class, If the bug catches you, you'll know it, and you won't be able to stop the momentum. ‘And whatever you do, even after you've been training dogs for 30 years, don't stop learning and improving your training skills. You can never know too much about dogs, and the world and its dogs need as many great trainers as they can get. © ‘NowDee 2010 | Bark 47