What does a Dog Trainer do?

Dog Trainers play an essential role in helping puppies learn how to be safe and thrive as they grow to maturity. Basic training typically focuses on obedience, including working with dogs who need help understanding how to walk on a leash, sit and heel on command and use a doggy door.

Dog Trainers can also help owners mitigate problematic behaviors that may emerge as a dog ages or as a result of trauma or neglect. A skilled Dog Trainer can meet and evaluate a dog and create a custom training plan that reflects the owner’s concerns and works on underlying issues that are likely feeding into the dog’s undesirable behavior. An example of this might be finding ways to alleviate a dog’s boredom to prevent digging in the yard or chewing carpet.

Dog Trainer skills and qualifications

A successful Dog Trainer candidate must be passionate about animals and have an even temperament and patience to work with dogs and their individual challenges. It’s crucial that Dog Trainers have relevant training as well as hands-on experience before taking charge of a dog’s instruction on their own.

Key skills and qualifications in a Dog Trainer’s job description include:

• Patience, consistency and the ability to reign in emotions
• Attention to detail, particularly concerning subtle dog behaviors and common examples of canine communication
• Knowledge of different dog breeds and inherent behavioral variances
• Strong people-to-people communication skills
• Past experience and education in dog training, behavior modification and related skills
• Familiarity with and/or mastery of job-specific terms and concepts like behavior chains and leash training

Dog Trainer experience requirements

Many employers look for Dog Trainer candidates who have previous experience as a Dog Trainer as well as experience owning a dog and working with dogs in other professional capacities (e.g., as a Veterinary Assistant or Animal Caretaker).

Dog Trainer education and training requirements

There are no regulatory requirements on what type of education or professional training a Dog Trainer should have before taking clients. Many Dog Trainers opt for on-the-job training and learn the ins and outs of animal behavior and correction techniques by assisting a more experienced trainer. Others choose to obtain formal education and pay for dog training courses taught in person and online.

There are also Dog Trainer certifications available. Organizations such as the Association of Professional Dog Trainers teach interested students how to work with animals safely and effectively. Training modules include a minimum of 300 hours of hands-on experience, and participants must pass an exam to receive their certification.

Job description samples for similar positions

If a Dog Trainer or Animal Trainer job description doesn’t sound like the perfect career goal, there are other related positions that may be closer to what you’re looking for.

• Veterinary Assistant
• Veterinary Technician

Dog Trainer job descriptions FAQS

What do Dog Trainers do on a daily basis?

Some days may involve obedience classes, in-home training sessions and meet-ups in public places to work on leashing and socialization skills. Other days may be filled with administrative tasks, like writing evaluations or creating training plans for new clients.

Do Dog Trainers require ongoing education or professional development?

It’s beneficial but not mandated that Dog Trainers regularly attend ongoing education classes that help keep them up to date on new training techniques. Employers sometimes offer reimbursement for or on-site access to seminars that help Dog Trainers learn specialty skills, how to better interact with certain breeds, or new breakthroughs in behavioral science.

How do Dog Trainers work?

To obtain optimal results, Dog Trainers may rely on a variety of techniques, including positive reinforcement, consistent instruction, one-on-one training sessions, group training sessions and even intense training that requires boarding. The goal is to teach the dog basic obedience skills and/or mitigate concerning behaviors, such as excessive barking or biting.