Hunting Dog Training

Question by doglover: Do you have to go to a dog training school to become a service dog trainer?
I mean the schools that are like Bergin. Can you be a service dog trainer (for other people not just your dog) if you know what to teach them? Is it if you go through that certain school do they give you a certificate of some sort that tells you that you are allowed to train them a give them to other people?

Best answer:

Answer by Kirsten
No, you don’t have to go to a school to become a service dog trainer. In fact, most service dog trainers don’t. Most apprentice with an experienced trainer or program.

You can train any dog you like and give it to whomever you like. You don’t need a certificate for that. However, if you don’t have contacts within the service dog provider industry you must ask yourself just how you plan to ply this trade. Also, trying to sell or advertise a dog as a service dog may be problematic since some states do require you to be licensed in order to do that (give away for free, yeah, but sell or advertise and you can get into trouble).

Firstly, most states that give trainers public access rights require that that trainer be in some way accredited, either certified by a recognized organization or working for a recognized program. So people working on their own would not have public access rights for training in those states. That’s not to say a service dog couldn’t be trained anyway, because it can (just not in public). Not all states have training rights in the first place, for anyone certified or not, yet trainers in these states are still able to produce service dogs.

Second, who in their right mind is going to want a service dog from Joe Smith who has no credentials whatever to train a service dog, has no liability insurance, no veterinary coverage for their animals, etc., when there are legitimate programs that do have all of that? And perhaps more importantly, who is going to donate to Joe Smith so that he can run his operation? The average service dog recipient is not going to be able to pay the costs for the dog, even given the trainer’s labor is completely donated. It’s still going to cost a few thousand dollars for all the health clearances, veterinary care, food, and housing during the 18-24 months of training for each dog. A typical dog costs me ,000 to produce, not counting anything for the time I put in as trainer. So without some sort of credentials, where does one get any funding?

Your best bet is to apprentice with a good program. If you can’t do that, then go to Bergin. If you decide to try it on your own, consult an attorney to find out your legal obligations and liabilities in doing so. You really do need the insurance and the credibility.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Question by Single Worker 1230: What do you look for in a dog trainer or dog training class?
I haven’t really seen this question asked here before.

I’m interested in a trainer/class training for:
Pet/manners/CGC training:
Competition training for obedience/rally/agility: and
Working dog training for field/ service/ protection dogs.

I know that there’s a lot of good and bad infornation posted here. I’m just curious as to what people’s thoughts and experiences are in training.

Best answer:

Answer by CanineTruth
I actually asked this at one point and got tons of great answers (i hope whoever answered mine answers this one as well):

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aj.48WhgoxuxtBVsM_T9B_jsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100224141029AAObz1a

Comes down to the basics:
- How many personal dogs are titled/trained
- How many did you HELP train/title
- How many mentors, how many years under said mentor(s)
- Number of dogs worked with, variety of breeds
- Knowledge of NUMEROUS methods (not just one)

I do NOT look for degrees form any colleges or schools because i have yet to find a school/class that does a good job in training multiple methods on multiple breeds/dogs. They can be good STARTER courses but you learn best from a mentor or several in real life situations.

Give your answer to this question below!

Question by ACtimes3: I want to become a dog trainer, can I specialize in training puppies and therapy dogs?
I am looking into ABC (Animal Behavior College) to study dog training. I was wondering if I can specialize in training puppies and therapy dogs? Is there a demand for this?

Best answer:

Answer by Borders Rock
I would suggest that you first become a “regular” dog trainer. You need years of experiance in order to specialize, just like in any other profession. There are MANY MANY methods of training out there and you first have to choose the one that you feel is best for the dogs and yourself. There is the “correction method”, the “clicker method” the “purely positive method” and that is just to name a few. You first have to understand all the various methods and decide which you feel is most appropriate. Once you do that, teach dogs of all ages for a few years successfully and then specialize.
Puppies ALWAYS need training so there will be a never ending supply of students if you are good at what you do.
Therapy Dogs – that rather depends upon what you consider a “therapy dog”. Are you talking about the ones that visit hospitals and nursing homes and participate in the “read to children” programs? If so, there is no specialized training involved. Either the dog has the right personality and training through the regular channels or he/she doesn’t. My older Border Collie is a certified St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog up here in Canada. All that was required was “testing” – for temperament and obedience and reaction to “strange” circumstances and loud noises. Temperament cannot be taught. It’s there or not…behavior can be modified but not temperament….Also, most Therapy Dog programs do not want “young” puppies and dogs. I believe that here the dog must be a minimum of 2 years old before it can be tested. This does NOT fit in well with your “puppy” scheme – unless you continue on with older dogs once they are out of your puppy class.
If, by Therapy Dog, you mean “service dogs” to the blind, deaf, physically impaired…that is a different story. All the various agencies for these dogs will have quite strict requirements (I imagine – I have never needed to check) and will more than likely require years of proven experience before they will train you to train these special working dogs.
Good luck….I love to hear that someone is interested in making the dog’s life (and owner’s life) a most enjoyable experience!

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Is there a cost for my training to become a dog trainer

im going to be 18 in two months and im looking into wat i want to do career wise, and working with dogs is something im good at and i love. does anyone know any schools to look into for this? i was thinking on the lines of search and rescue or for the disabled. any help will be appreciated
i live in fl us. as for the person who said ok? im askin this question to know if anyone knows good programs or schools i can look into for this.