If you are an individual with no dog training experience, or you train your own dog or compete in dog sports, and would like to pursue a career as a certified dog trainer, consider a complete program. For clarification, a “professional” dog trainer gets paid for their dog training services. These are: a person with no dog training experience, a person who trains their own dog or competes in dog sports with their dog, and a “professional” dog trainer. We are grouping these levels into three basic categories. The certification choice that you make will depend upon the level of experience you have in dog training. Different Certification Choices for Different Levels of Experience The choice, therefore, is up to the individual trainer and should be based on their specific circumstances and needs. To date, no consistent data indicates whether the public prefers one type of certification over another. Secondly, the general public increasingly considers a dog training certification a prerequisite to hiring a dog trainer. The first is it generally makes you a more well-rounded dog trainer.
Obtaining a dog trainer certification should be considered for two main reasons. While the choice to become certified and the type of certification chosen are up to each individual, the following can help you decide. The different options available can be confusing to those looking to become a certified dog trainer and even to those who already work as dog trainers. From an educational standpoint, certifications offered by schools for dog trainers are more substantive than those from trainer organizations. Individual dog training schools and dog trainer organizations may set their own educational requirements for certification as this profession is not federally regulated. A dog trainer organization offers certification to individuals who meet their criteria, including a specific amount of professional experience, and pass their examination. A dog training school provides a formalized education in dog training with required testing throughout the process. Most dog trainer certifications are awarded through either a dog training school or a dog trainer organization. What are the Different Types of Dog Trainer Certifications? Are some certifications better or more valuable than others? It depends on what you are looking for, and the level of experience you have training dogs. Currently, dog trainers look to dog training schools and trainer organizations that offer various types of dog trainer certifications. There is no state, provincial or federally accepted certification for dog trainers. Dog Training Certification: What is it?Ĭertification simply means the person certified has mastered a specific course of study or body of knowledge and passed examinations, proving their understanding of the material. Unfortunately, some of it is confusing, leaving people unclear about what to look for and what exactly a certification for dog trainers means. There is a wide range of information about dog trainer certifications available on the Internet. Today, a dog training certification is relevant to dog trainers of all levels everywhere, particularly since it is now desired by the general public. However, doing so requires a great deal of time and quite a bit of trial and error. There was nothing inherently wrong with entering the dog training profession this way. There were (and still are) many fantastic self-educated dog trainers.
While a certification for dog trainers didn’t yet exist, many dog trainers used their experience in American Kennel Club-sanctioned obedience trials as a marketing tool. Some came from 4-H or similar youth organizations while others got involved in obedience trials and branched out from there. Without formal avenues for dog training certification, many read what limited books were available, went to group dog obedience training classes, eventually assisted in those classes and, after a period of time, started teaching on their own. For many years, dog trainers entered the industry through self-education. In the past, dog training courses and dog training certifications were not readily available. Traditional Classroom Environment in Los Angeles California.