When you start a new career path in any field, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of working in that industry to ensure you make informed decisions.
If you don’t do the research, you may sink your money, effort, and time into a field that might not be the proper fit or miss opportunities due to misconceptions.
The dog training field is no exception.
Those who enter the field have a love for man’s best friend due to growing up with a pet or working with animals.
Having a genuine interest in and passion for working with dogs is a great start to this new career, but it should not be the only decision-making factor.
Instead, you must consider the other pros and cons of helping dogs and their owners reach obedience.
Keep reading to learn more!
Pros of Being a Dog Trainer
One: Choose Your Role and Environment
Dog trainers aren’t required to work in a single environment.
When you have the necessary skills to train all types of dogs and their behaviors, you can select the type of work environment that best fits your lifestyle.
Some choose to become self-employed and enjoy the flexibility associated with being an entrepreneur, while others may work for an organization, inside a client’s home, at a park, in a pet store, train therapy dogs, or help people with disabilities with service dogs.
Two: Expanding Industry
As the U.S. and global population continues to grow, the number of households adopting pets is also growing.
Therefore, the demand for dog training professionals is simultaneously expanding.
There will always be a requirement for skilled dog trainers, regardless of the advancements in AI and other technological feats.
Having the confidence that this career will still be in demand in 20 or 30 years makes becoming a dog trainer a highly attractive opportunity.
Three: Highly Rewarding Job
One of the main reasons many dog trainers enter the field is that the work is highly rewarding and beneficial to society.
Those managing behavioral issues are helping to keep the dog and those near the dog safe.
Another path is to become a service dog trainer, who helps people with disabilities live a higher quality of life by training the dog to complete different, helpful tasks.
Also, search and rescue dogs and police K9s locate and help missing people in disaster areas, and help the community remain safe from criminals.
Regardless of the route you choose, you are making a difference in people’s lives.
Four: Manage Your Schedule
Most dog trainers are self-employed, with a few working for shelters, kennels, and veterinary groups.
Many start as sole proprietors, working as entrepreneurs.
As they gain experience and clients, most of them bring on contractors and employees to help expand their company.
The flexibility of self-employment creates an excellent work-life balance that suits your goals and lifestyle.
There is no need to request days off or squeeze in a long weekend at the beach.
Instead, you have the chance to create a schedule that works around your needs.
Five: Opportunity to Pursue your Passion
Those who grew up around animals may have developed a passion for dogs.
Becoming a dog trainer allows you to work daily with man’s best friend, helping to improve their lives and the lives of their owner.
Since you are going to have decades of working in front of you, it’s important to have a career that you thoroughly enjoy today and in 30 years.
Six: Potential for Growth
Dog trainers regularly discuss their experiences with dogs and their guardians.
Although the dogs, clients, or both can sometimes be challenging, this presents an amazing growth opportunity.
Since no two dogs or customers are the same, it provides an excellent foundation to advance your career and move into other areas.
Other positions in this field include specializing in training law enforcement patrol dogs, service dogs for those with mobility issues, and search and rescue dogs.
Those who have military experience can train bomb sniffing dogs or can work with the TSA to train dogs to find agricultural products, drugs, or other illegal items.
Seven: You Can Have Fun!
Since you love dogs and are passionate about this type of work, you can have as much fun as you want while training the dog.
If you offer agility training, you will be running obstacle courses with the dog, which helps keep you in shape and is a fun activity.
If you become bored with the same training styles, you can research fun new ways to train the dog with the different skills they must master to be considered fully trained and obedient.
Cons of Being a Dog Trainer
One: Competitive Industry
Although dog training is a growing industry, there is fierce competition from other trainers searching for new clients.
In major metropolitan areas, there are dozens of trainers competing for their slice of the pie.
Therefore, if you’re opting for self-employment, then be prepared to work extensively to establish your company, differentiate from the competition, and continue to grow your business.
Utilizing proven marketing techniques will help build your brand and reach new clients.
Taking business and marketing classes will greatly help you create and grow your company.
Two: Dogs Can Be Aggressive
You may have all the dog training skills in the world, but not every dog wants to be trained or is easily trained.
Some clients will hire you because they are aggressive, which means you could be injured by the dog.
If a dog scratches or bites you, it can hurt and may require medical attention.
Therefore, you must always be prepared for these types of situations, including wearing a padded suit for the more aggressive breeds and larger dogs.
Three: It Takes Time to Build a Reputation
Depending on where you live and the dog community that exists, it can take time to generate a reputation for your work and services.
Word-of-mouth advertising spreads, so if you continuously do a good job, current and previous clients will recommend you.
The challenge is that when you first start, most owners want to work with experienced dog trainers.
The best way to prove your skills is to accept all jobs, work with various clients, have online content, and be easy to find and book.
You may even be required to train a few dogs for free to build a portfolio and prove your skills.
Four: Need Interpersonal Skills
Although you are training the dogs, you must deal with their owners regularly.
The human has hired your service, transporting the canine to different locations, and scheduling the sessions.
You must also communicate why the dog is acting in this manner and how you plan to train them.
After the training is complete, you must provide extensive instructions on how to keep your dog’s behavior in line, using the training tactics you have provided.
Also, not all dog owners are pleasant, so if you lack patience and interpersonal skills, dealing with individuals can be a major challenge.
Five: Physically and Emotionally Demanding
Dog training is hard work, taking a physical toll on your body, especially on those weighing over 100 pounds.
As part of the training, you will be walking the dog, who is likely going to be pulling and tugging on your shoulders constantly.
You may have to lift parts of the dog’s body to get them into place and provide corrective actions.
This career also takes a tremendous emotional toll since most owners care deeply for their pups.
As a result, the owners are expecting fast and long-lasting results, which can place tremendous pressure on you.
Six: Potential for Long Hours
Although self-employment brings extensive flexibility, it also means that when you don’t work, you don’t get paid.
To make up for the money lost during vacations, illness, or other days away from the job, you must put in long hours.
Some days may consist of rushing from one appointment to another or going to a client’s home where a dog is significantly struggling with behavioral issues.
Clients often text at night or on the weekends with the latest problems they are experiencing.
While you can set your schedule, don’t anticipate this being a typical 9-5 job.
Seven: Training Isn’t Quick
Just because you love dogs and have been around them your entire life, doesn’t mean you can immediately jump into the role.
Instead, you must learn to become a dog trainer, as there are a variety of certifications.
These include agility, therapy, tracking, behavioral, and obedience, all of which require different training courses.
The good news is that you can take the required classes for certification while working as an apprentice with other trainers in the area.
The typical time to become a dog trainer is 12 months.
Pros and Cons of Being a Dog Trainer – Summary Table
| Pros of Being a Dog Trainer | Cons of Being a Dog Trainer |
|---|---|
| One: Choose Your Role and Environment | One: Competitive Industry |
| Two: Expanding Industry | Two: Dogs Can Be Aggressive |
| Three: Highly Rewarding Job | Three: It Takes Time to Build a Reputation |
| Four: Manage Your Schedule | Four: Need Interpersonal Skills |
| Five: Opportunity to Pursue your Passion | Five: Physically and Emotionally Demanding |
| Six: Potential for Growth | Six: Potential for Long Hours |
| Seven: You Can Have Fun! | Seven: Training Isn’t Quick |
Should You Become a Dog Trainer?
As with all career paths, some pros and cons must be considered before entering the field.
To only focus on the pros is not realistic to ensure you are a good fit for the position.
Dog trainers enter the field because they love dogs and enjoy helping others.
This is not the type of career you start because of the high rewards or money, but the potential is there in the future.
Also, you can have a lot of fun being a trainer, but you just need to take the negative with the positive.
If this sounds like a career path you are interested in pursuing, then speak with a dog trainer to understand if it’s the right move for you!
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_training
- https://www.veterinaryschoolsu.com/training/pros-and-cons/
