Published: 26th August 2021.
Written by Jodie Magrath
If you enjoy working with animals, a career in Dog Training could be the perfect choice for you. You might choose to train service dogs for roles such as therapy dogs, security dogs or dogs who are trained to work in specialty areas such as biosecurity. You might plan to work with domestic pets to get them to follow simple commands or eliminate problem behaviours such as aggression, destructive activity or excessive barking. Dog Trainers often work closely with owners or handlers to come up with training strategies and programs.
Working in the Dog Training industry requires patience and strong problem solving abilities. You’ll need to have good dog handling skills and an excellent understanding of dog behaviour. It’s important that you can communicate well with dogs and owners and keep up with the physical demands of the job. Dog Trainers should have good observational skills and must be willing to work with a range of behavioural issues.
If you’re interested in a career in Dog Training, the following course can help you get started:
Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services
A Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services will give you the practical skills you need to work with a range of domestic pets. You’ll develop your animal handling abilities and increase your knowledge of companion animal behaviours. You’ll learn about various aspects of pet care, including developing and following training strategies. This course will also allow you to work in other companion animal industries such as animal shelters and pet shops.
A qualification in Dog Training could lead to a range of careers including the following job roles:
Assistant Dog Trainer
An Assistant Dog Trainer helps with the training of domestic pets and service dogs. You’ll work with owners and handlers to implement training strategies that target particular behaviours. You might be employed to train working dogs to carry out their duties or you might focus on eliminating problem behaviours in domestic pets. Assistant Dog Trainers might work with individual animals or train animals in a group setting such as an animal training centre or a puppy preschool.
Animal Trainer
An Animal Trainer provides training services for animals in a range of circumstances. You might work with family pets to address issues such as aggression, anxiety or destructive activities. Animal Trainers also work with services animals to prepare them for roles in therapy, security or biosecurity. You might also train performance animals for work in the entertainment industry. Animal Trainers work closely with owners and handlers to develop training programs to meet individual animal needs.
Animal Behaviourist
An Animal Behaviourist works with animals and their owners to address problem behaviours. You might observe animals to assess issues of concern and come up with solutions to target particular behaviours. Animal Behaviourists might develop training strategies or programs and educate owners on the best way to eliminate problematic issues.
Getting started
If you’d like to start a career in Dog Training, it’s important that you collect course information from a range of providers before you decide to enrol. There are often some variations in the way training providers deliver their programs so it’s important you find the right course to meet your needs. Gather information about course duration, costs, any prerequisites and the content the course will cover. Once you have all the details you can compare information and work out which course best meets your needs.