Do you have a special connection to dogs? If you ever thought of becoming a dog trainer, now is the best time to do it. The demand for dog care professionals is at an all-time high. The Animal Attendants and Trainers industry is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.
So, how do you become a dog trainer? The animal care industry in Australia indeed remains unregulated. However, getting certified from a reliable source will be helpful. With many online courses in animal care available, this is not that difficult.
Let’s understand the process in detail.
What are the Duties of a Dog Trainer?
Ever encountered a badly-behaved dog that will not listen to its master? Some dogs even don’t listen to basic commands and will chew and jump on furniture. As a trainer, you need to teach dogs to better listen to the commands of their owners.
That is why understanding the psychology of dogs is vital for this job. Often, they behave erratically because of anxiety or fear.
As a dog trainer, you will need to:
- Create specific training programs for the dogs and their owners
- Teach commands to both the canine and its owner
- Help the owners understand more about their pet’s behaviour and the reason behind it
- Educate the owners about potential health risks and signs of pain in their furry friend
What Qualifications Do You Need?
There is a science behind training an animal. It requires a solid foundation of understanding and knowledge of the dog breeds as each one has different characteristics. As a professional trainer, you need to understand them well to provide customized training.
Therefore, passion apart, getting certifications on the subject can better qualify you as a professional. There are two most common accredited courses in Australia for this:
- Certificate III in dog behaviour and training
- Certificate III in companion animal services
As per the Australian Qualifications Framework, a level 3 certificate ensures that you possess the necessary knowledge and skills to be a professional. That is the minimum requirement for being a certified dog trainer.
What are the Basic Skill Requirements?
Apart from the certifications, you will need to possess a few personal qualities to become a successful dog trainer. They include:
- Patience with slow-learning dogs and people
- Stamina to keep up with the training and the dogs
- Compassion for animals in general, especially dogs
- A calm, determined and confident attitude
- Ability to listen well to the people and their four-legged friends
- Excellent communication skills with dogs and humans both
- Ability to think critically
How Can Online Courses Help?
With just a quick search, you can find various online courses in animal care that offer certifications, fast courses, and even diplomas. There are many benefits of studying animal care online.
- If you do not have the resources for traditional classroom courses, online courses offer greater flexibility.
- You can learn at your convenience, irrespective of your location. All you need is a mobile device or laptop and internet connectivity.
- These courses tend to be cheaper than most conventional courses.
- The online learning community, or eLearning, also provides you with excellent student support similar to on-campus training.
If you are passionate about dogs, getting certified by some online courses in animal care can land you your dream job. The best part about this is you can learn at your own pace and acquire skills that will help you become a professional in this field. For a lot of students eager to learn about dog training, this will be immensely beneficial.
