How to get into dog training for a career

In California, as in most states the only area of dog training that requires any form of credentials is in working with Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Other than that, starting a dog training business is a simple as getting a business license in your city or county. Getting liability insurance. And if you sell merchandise, you'll need a resale permit. If you only sell your dog training service you will not need the resale permit. You would need to advertise your business and set up partnerships with local pet vendors (groomers, boarding kennel, doggie day care, pet stores, pet sitters, vets and anyone else who services dog owners.

Of course the more experience you have with handling dogs the easier it is to prove you can do the job of helping dog owners solve their problems. Experience is the key to showing what you can do. Working for a dog training school can get you good experience, of course. It is much more rewarding being in charge of your training program rather than following someone else. You can get good handling experience working at a boarding kennel or volunteering at a local shelter.

There are allot of great books that can help you prepare lesson plans and run group classes as well as counseling dog owners. As a dog trainer, you are mostly working with the dog owners, helping them solve their dog issues.

In the vocational programs I taught, we have a list of about 40 books that are required reading. If you are serious you can contact me and I can give you the list to get you started.

If you are looking for a great program you might want to check out the Penn Foster school, I looked into it and its cost was reasonable and it is home based.

For the certifications and such you will need to look up the dog training certifying body and check with your state. I know that when I was researching the topic not many states require a certification! Hope this helps out!

get a part-time job working as a dog walker or as a vet tech. get some experience that way while you are going to school to become a trainer. I am sure you need a certificate or some credentials. I am interested in becoming a trainer too down the line. let me know what you find out. thanks and good luck!