Dog Obedience Training

7 Responses to “I want to become a professional dog trainer…anyone know of schools, classes, etc in MI?”

1. M. Says:
   July 18th, 2010 at 9:35 am

   Check out this book: http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTO208&AffiliateID=45612&Method=3

   Also check this out: http://www.apdt.com/

   and this: http://www.ccpdt.org/
   References :

2. ∞CHAO§∞ JC Double Bred-By Winner Says:
   July 18th, 2010 at 10:06 am

   The best trainers are the ones that didn’t go to school. You don’t need to go to school to become a good trainer, you just need experience and results. Read this
   http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ap2IGBrexK.maCNA73jwbKuaDH1G;_ylv=3?qid=20100503042720AAfB1sh

   All you would be learning in school is behavior, that does not make you a trainer.

   My mentor never went to school for dog training, and she produces great results in her students. I don’t believe any of my friends who are trainers went to school for it. Yet most of the students they get go on and win in competitions. They themselves compete and do quite well. Majority of them are judges as well. I know one trainer/judge that went to school but that was for math, she teaches college level statistics.

   I am sure my other friends went to school, I just don’t know what they went for.
   References :

3. Very General Says:
   July 18th, 2010 at 10:49 am

   You come up through the ranks. Enroll your dog in an obedience class and make your intentions known to the instructor. Get involved with the club while training the dog to different titles. Offer to be an assistant, Clubs usually hold seminars at least once a year, Find out when, where and sign up for it. Also, if you have a favorite behaviorist, for example, Ian Dunbar, check out their website and see if they are lecturing in your area.
   References :

4. Mary Says:
   July 18th, 2010 at 11:09 am

   Read as many books as you can, both learning about the topic and about the experiences of other dog trainers. Talk to trainers in your area, and ask them what their philosophies are about dog behavior. Pick something that works and go with it. Then read up and get really educated. After that, you can do the certification program.
   References :

5. T J Says:
   July 18th, 2010 at 11:50 am

   Most of us started out working for dog trainers. I cleaned kennels and threw birds for any trainer that would let me. From some of them I learned how to train a dog, from others I learned how not to train a dog.
   There is no text book on the planet that can teach you how to read a dog and understand what it needs, that comes only through experience. So the best way to learn how to train a dog is to start training dogs. Find a mentor to show you, join a training group/club. Start competing with your dog. As you progress people will start coming to you for mentoring, then, and only then, will you be on your way to becoming a successful pro.
   References :
   You attract clients through your successes, all the promotion in the world will not lead to success

   BTW Swanny, my walls are not lined with certificates that I have earned, they are lined with awards (titles) that the dogs that I have trained have earned
   There are 122 of these in this notebook, covering several disciplines. (pic edited to protect dogs)
   http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp43/blunderpic/dogs/P1000303.jpg

6. CanineTruth Says:
   July 18th, 2010 at 12:09 pm

   There is NO school and NO degree for dog training. You can take dog behavior courses along with others while you’re in school for a BUSINESS degree (since being a dog trainer is running a business) but there is no actual schooling FOR dog training.

   There are some 6-8 week courses that claim to "certify" you at the end but these are NOT usually legit. Many require YOUR dog, and don’t teach more than one way of training (which won’t help you in the real world.) I would consider the GOOD ones (the ones that put you out in the real world with the person training you on dozens of different dogs, dozens of different breeds) a starter course that gives you a glimpse of dog training life.

   Real trainers start by finding mentors. By learning under actual successful trainers. They attend seminars. They work in shelters, vet offices, kennels, etc for a while. They gain real life experience, as this is NOT something you learn in a classroom.

   http://www.inch.com/~dogs/protrainer.html
   References :
   Owned by Mutt

7. Swanny Says:
   July 18th, 2010 at 12:55 pm

   Damn, there is a lot of BS floating around this thread. Please read all the answers, including mine, with a healthy dose of salt.

   Because dog training is not regulated by the government any idiot with a well behaved labrador or golden retriever can refer to himself (or herself) as a dog trainer – heck, even an illegal immigrant with no educational background in canine behavior or psychology at all can do so, and even be featured on an International television program. Because most trainers are self-educated (both the great ones and the poor ones), it’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff.

   Check out Karen Pryor’s Training Academy (http://www.karenpryoracademy.com/about)

   Most truly PROFESSIONAL and reliable trainers are self educated, through a range of seminars and symposiums and have a wall full of certificates to document their background. In recent years some professional organizations have established certification criteria, among the best of these is APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers). There are other similar organizations around.

   Because poor training methods result in bad behavioral disorders, one should not rule out the animal behavior programs in Universities with either a strong veterinary science or psychology department. Certification programs in canine behavior are for sure offered by Purdue and Tufts, and I’m sure there are others. The vast majority of canine behaviorists are also trainers and in fact, are among the most effective trainers in the world.
   References :

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