There is a very accurate saying that says Choose a job that you like and you will not have to work a day of your life. This means that when you choose a job in which you feel comfortable and enjoy doing it, it will not be a job but a hobby.
Being a dog trainer is the dream of all of us who love the canine world, being able to work doing what we like is simply fantastic. That is why we are going to explain everything you need to know about dog training techniques.
What is a Canine Trainer?
A dog trainer is the person in charge of educating and training dogs that need help. Many people educate and train their dogs privately, but they don’t always do it well and this leads to behavior problems.
A dog trainer must be able to identify such behavior problems and solve them, so that both the dog and its owner can enjoy a quiet life without accidents or stress due to misbehavior problems.
Dog educators are not only dedicated to helping dogs that are aggressive or need to learn tracking or defense techniques, but they also help dogs with their most simple and common problems, such as:
- Teach a dog to walk without pulling on the leash.
- Teach a dog to relieve himself outside the home.
- Teach a dog not to be anxious or nervous, to be a calm dog.
- Teach a dog to respect other dogs, humans and animals.
- And a long list of non-serious behavior problems that need a solution.
Imagine for a moment that you are a home dog trainer or that you have your own training center, you would be surrounded by dogs all day helping them improve, and you would also charge for it. Isn’t it the ideal job?
How to be a professional dog trainer
There are dozens of dog training books in addition to hundreds of television programs where we can learn the best training techniques from the hands of great professionals.
However, it is necessary to take a dog trainer course in an approved center to have a certificate that accredits us as a professional dog trainer. Otherwise we would simply be amateurs who cannot practice professionally.
The price that a dog trainer charges for his work is proportional to his knowledge and fame, the best trainers charge much more than the average, so it is important to acquire knowledge and experience in the canine sector.
By doing our job well in dog training, we will quickly gain fame thanks to word of mouth, this will guarantee us permanent work and a good source of income, to be able to live doing the work we like.
Dog trainers courses are taught in centers approved by professional trainers, so we will not only acquire theoretical classes where we can learn the best canine education techniques, but we will also practice with dogs, learning directly how we should act to correct their behaviors or teach them new functions.
What kinds of dogs go to dog trainers?
There are many kinds of dogs that go to hire the services of a dog trainer, from very small breed dogs that usually have a bad temper and that causes problems for large dogs that need to be obedient out of sheer logic.
Generally a dog trainer will work with hunting dogs, puppies in need of education , large dogs, dogs classified as potentially dangerous and dogs with specific behavior problems.
The price of each training session varies depending on the work the dog needs, it is not the same to teach a dog to relieve itself outside the home than to teach a dog to defend its owner on command.
If you want to know how to be the best dog trainer in your area, we recommend that in addition to giving a canine education course and obtaining your license, you study a little about canine ethology, which is the field that studies behavior problems in dogs.
The best canine trainer is only the one who teaches a dog to do what the owner has requested, but is also capable of solving behavior problems based on the experiences of the dog himself.
This means that we can teach a dog not to pull on the leash, but it would be much better to know the reason why the dog has anxiety and pulls on the leash, since by solving the initial anxiety problem we will also solve an endless derived problems.
Tips to be a good dog trainer
Obviously, training is totally necessary to know how to perform the job of dog trainer, so the more courses and practices you take, the greater your experience and with it your skills as a trainer.
Remember that you must be passionate about the canine world to be a good trainer, otherwise it will not be more than another job in which you only want to finish your day to go to rest.
Always use positive reinforcement in your classes and sessions as a dog educator, remember that you should never punish or mistreat a dog, use the best canine training techniques for this. With positive reinforcement, all behavior problems in dogs can be solved.
Socialize the dogs you treat well, socialization problems are the ones that generate the greatest number of behavior problems. Because the owners have not known how to socialize their dogs well.
Patience and perseverance are your best allies, remember never to lose your temper because dogs can detect your state of nervousness or frustration and then they will never learn.
Watch and meditate, as many behavior problems are due to rudeness on the part of owners. By observing how the owners act, many times we will learn where the problem is.