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Dog Obedience Trainer
Hi All,
I am thinking about taking classes to become a dog trainer. I have a lot of hands on experience already, but I have the feeling that a certification will be important. Eventually I'd like to start my own business. There is obviously a shortage of qualified trainers and many people own dogs. So I see a need for this.
So what do you think, would you rather attend classes given by a certified instructor or a self taught person?
I can buy many books on the subject and it will be cheaper than the tuition for a coorespondence course.
How about personal consultations in the home? If you could afford it wouldn't that be better than a class with 20 people and their dogs?
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Want to answer more questions in the Domesticity category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Pets?
I personally think that dangerwenches thinking is very flawed when it comes to this topic. Simply because there are so many so called dog behavior "experts" out there who don't really know what they're talking about. There are also many different books on dog training that teach many potentially dangerous methods on dog training.
It also depends on what type of training you are interested in. There are many different kinds ranging from positive punishment (add a shock when the dog does something bad) and negative reinforcement (subtract the shock when the dog does something good) to negative punishment (take away attention when the dog does something bad) and positive reinforcement (add treats when the dog does something good)
Different people will find differenty types of training easier and will look for someone who is certified in that particular field. While someone who is self taught might know most of these, there are many things that you will learn in a classroom that you can't find out on your own.
In your case, having experience with obedience training, along with a certificate will help greatly. If you plan on owning a business, the masses will look for someone who is certified (while that doesn't necessarily make you better, the masses will always go for someone with a title rather than the every day person)
I am just getting done with a class for my bassett hound puppy. While I didn't actually learn anything in the class, considereing that I'm already experienced enough with training and animals to teach my dog to sit, lay, come, leave it and go putty outside. The class did help me, because I went to a class with 6 other dogs (not 20, 20 is way too much) My dog was able to get socialization with other puppies and other people on a regular basis that she might have not gotten otherwise. In that instance, and classroom setting with other dogs is what matters most. While the one on one training technique is good for individual behaviors such as aggression, housetraining, etc, I think for an over-all class, it is best to have a small group of people and animals. That way, you can still get individual attention, but you can also get the distractions and socializations that many dogs need.
So, no, I don't think that a personal consultation would be better. One of the huge problems in this country, along with lack of training, is lack of socializing dogs. Good dogs can get very aggressive to new things if they aren't socialized with them properly.
I agree with the other columnist that said that obedience training should definately be a requirement to owning a dog.
So, my advice is to get certified.
Also, I'm curious, what kind of training do you use? and if you have a column here, can I see it?
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personally, my mom has always taken our dogs to a dog obiendence class(we got shelties from a nice breeder..always..) called 'total recall'..i would consider applying there and/or ask how they get to those teaching positions. I think self teaching yourself is good, but just as in most careers nowadays you almost have to have a degree/certificate to get a good job/good pay or even be hired today. And for me i like having the classes with other dogs..it provides the distractions to overcome and such..and its nice to talk to others who are in the same situation and can help or just talk to them.
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Got to PetSmart.
Kathryn
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To be honest, certification doesn't particularly impress me. A classroom cannot compare to real-life experience. I know so many people who are very good (and the best I've ever met) at what they do, but they don't have a "degree" in it, and yet they have to bail-out people who DO have a degree in it. I see this over and over again. It's come to the point that I'm automatically suspicious of people who DO have certification, rather than those who don't. ;-)
But, as already mentioned in another answer, if someone is after a piece of paper, and you have to be certified in order for them to get their piece of paper, then those people won't be coming to you if you don't have certification.
Your best clients would probably be people who just want help with their dogs, and aren't looking for any kind of certification.
That would be someone like me, and as you can probably already tell, I would have no problem taking classes from a person who wasn't certified.
However, certified or not, unless I had personal experience with you, I would do my homework. If you had references, that would help. Also, letting me sit in on a class (without my dog present) to get an idea of how you work would also go a long way in helping me to feel assured that your classes are up my alley. As would sitting down with you and getting an overview of your personal methods.
The private classes are a good idea for some people. But it's not quite the same. Some people want to be in a distracting environment with other dogs, as this not only helps their dogs to socialize, it helps them to learn to be obedient even with distractions. If people plan on taking their dog out a lot, they will probably want the communal class. If it's someone who is housebound, doesn't plan on taking their dog out much, or doesn't particularly care about socializing their dog, they should be fine with home consultations, and might quite possibly prefer them.
I would think that home consultations would also be well-suited for particular behavior problems that happen in the home. Obviously it's important to correct behavior when they are actually "doing" the behavior.
At any rate, I think it's great that you want to be an obedience trainer. I agree that we need more of that. I kind of wish obedience training was a requirement of owning a dog! ;-)
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In my experience, most certification classes are taught by certified instructors. While a self-taught person can teach you the same thing, they may not be able to give you your certification. If certification is your goal, then it'd probably be best to go for a class taught by a certified instructor.
I can see the advantages of both personal consultations and large classes. A personal consultation means one-on-one attention. A class offers less individualized attention, but there's more chance to questions and discussion because of the higher number of people. What is more important to you-individual attention or more chance for discussion and the possibility of learning a different view?
I would suggest finding someone who has their certification and asking them how they did it. They may be able to give you more detail pros and cons. Just remember that what worked for them may not necessarily work for you. Listen to what everyone says and then decide the option that's best for you. Good luck.
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I would rather attend classes given by a certified instructor.
It would be better for someone who knows what they are doing, rather than me trying to read books and do it myself.
Ya that way the dog gets special attention. If i could afford it lol
-Jake
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