So You Want to be a Dog Trainer

I found an article that was from a book called So You Want to be a Dog Trainer by Nicole Wilde, online at https://apdt.com/trainers/career/. The article uses information from the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, to answer frequently asked questions about the steps that are necessary in order to become a dog trainer. The article starts out describing what the APDT is and how they promote the trainers and wish to increase public awareness of dog-friendly training techniques. The article then continues to answer the questions. Certification is required to be a trainer, either through a business or a national certification. There are few schools that are specifically dog training schools, therefore many trainers take it upon themselves to educate themselves on how to train dogs. However, if one is looking for a good training program, research it and make sure that it includes the following: History of Dog Training, Animal Learning, Dog Behavior, and Designing Classes. There are no major colleges that offer a degree in dog training, but any sort of degree in veterinary science or related topic, volunteer work, or apprenticeship can only increase the odds of getting hired somewhere. Although many dog trainers are self employed, having a higher level of education/ higher certification or more experience, makes it easier to start a business and makes you seem more trustworthy to potential customers. The article then provides information about how to learn more about the training through email, newsletter, or conference.  Some questions to ask are, are these requirements/ steps relatively the same for training a service dog? If not, what extra steps are required? Are dog trainers in high demand? About how long does it take to receive certification? I think using some of the information from this article would greatly benefit our documentary about service dogs because it provides an introduction on how to get started for anyone who might be interested in making a career out of dog training.