How to Become a Dog Trainer in Seattle

I get contacted a lot by people who have fallen in love with dog training and want to know how to become a professional dog trainer. I decided to write this blog post so that I can quickly give a helpful answer.

Most people don’t become dog trainers as their first career. I started out as a theoretical mathematician and a tenure-track instructor, but became a dog trainer and business owner, instead. I’m so incredibly happy that I made the decision to become a dog trainer, but it’s not for everyone. The business side of dog training has almost made me quit on multiple occasions. Sometimes, it’s better to just have a hobby, instead of turning dog training into a career. But sometimes, as in my case, it works out even better than you could hope!

I started Ahimsa Dog Training in Seattle in 2003 after taking several classes with my own dogs, volunteering at the Humane Society for Seattle/King County, reading up a storm, watching videos, and attending workshops. I did private lessons first, then started teaching my own classes and gradually added more classes, more trainers, and more locations.

Attending seminars is a great way to get started. We host 1-2 seminars on dog training in Seattle each year.  Even after you become a dog trainer, you’ll want to continue your education by attending at least one workshop or  seminar on training per year.

If you want an actual set program to learn how to become a dog trainer and you live in Seattle, I recommend the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior. The school for dog trainers is about three months long – part online with four in-person sessions as well – and the content is created and taught by world-renowned animal trainers. There are locations all over the globe, but two in the Seattle area, at least right now.

One is with Steve White in Woodinville (North of Seattle) and another is with Terry Ryan in Sequim (West of Seattle, on the peninsula). After over 4 years in business as a dog trainer, I did the KPA with Terry Ryan and still found it interesting, especially the part where we trained another species, instead of just studying canines. The KPA is a relatively new program (I was in the first class, in 2007), but it is already well-known and respected.

There are many routes to everything, and becoming a dog trainer is no different. There’s no one certification body, school, or course of studies to be a canine guru. There’s not even a set title! You can be a dog trainer, a canine psychologist, a behaviorist, anything you want to call yourself works in Seattle, as long as you’re not a vet, since “Veterinary Behaviorist” is an official title that requires extra studies for veterinarians. The most recognized certification for professional dog trainers is the from the Certification Council of Pet Dog Trainers, which is the certification body of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. To become a CPDT, you need 300 hours of experience training others, referrals from a client, a colleague, and a veterinarian and you have to pass a written test on dog training. They are currently developing a level two certification for canine behavior consultations (aggression, etc.).

You don’t need to be certified to be a member of the APDT itself. The APDT has a very informative annual convention for dog trainers, a Yahoo group for discussing your troubles, a monthly magazine, and a trainer directory.

I think that that whatever route you take to become a professional dog trainer, you need to know that dog trainers work mostly on nights and weekends, and need to teach humans as well as they teach dogs. Plan on driving all over Seattle for a while. It’s also a best if you know how to run a business, as most dog trainers have their own companies. If you’re getting a college degree, finish your studies before embarking on a dog training career. Add some business classes, while you’re at it!

Do all those nights and weekends as a dog trainer pay off?  Emotionally, yes.  Financially? Maybe. Don’t expect to earn a gigantic salary as a dog trainer, unless you end up on your own TV show! How much money can you expect to make as a dog trainer?  Click to see a wage comparison for animal trainers. Many dog trainers in Seattle work part time, so that data is a little skewed.

And definitely keep in mind that there are different approaches to dog training. One way to classify is to lump dog training into two buckets: training that emphasizes positive reinforcement (setting the dog up for success and building behaviors) and correction-based training (setting the dogs up to make mistakes and correcting them using aversives, like prong collars). I would put myself in the first category. Click for more info on my dog training philosophy.

Some good books on how to become a dog trainer (not just for Seattle):

• So You Want to Be a Dog Trainer, 2nd Edition, by Nicole Wilde
• One-on-One – A Dog Trainer’s Guide to Private Training, by Nicole Wilde
• It’s Not the Dogs, It’s the People! by Nicole Wilde
• Coaching People to Train Their Dogs, by Terry Ryan

Other tips: Respect your fellow dog trainers. There are plenty of dogs in Seattle (and if you’re living elsewhere, there are probably enough dogs to go around there, too). Learn how to say no, whether it’s to something you don’t really want to do or something that you’re not yet able to do. Never stop learning. Set boundaries; make time for yourself and your own dogs. Get a business license.

If you’re already a dog trainer and are reading this, I’d love to have more quick tips here. Humans often think that what works for them is the right way to do things. Please leave a comment if your experience in becoming a dog trainer differed from mine.

Written by Grisha Stewart, Ahimsa Dog Training, Seattle Tweet This Post!

This entry was posted on Monday, July 21st, 2008 at 10:19 pm and is filed under Theory . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.