How to Be an Accredited Pet Trainer
When it comes to pet training, most pet trainers concentrate on training one type of animal, most commonly dogs. For someone who loves animals, understanding them, training them and getting to work with them and their owners are very rewarding. Patience, experience and a love of animals are required when becoming a trainer, as well as a desire to work with people, since it is the owners you will have to deal with a lot of the time.
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Instructions
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Spend a lot of time around dogs or the other types of pets you want to train. It is important to understand the nature of the pets and become familiar with their personalities.
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Read about both the anatomy and the psychology of the animal in which you are interested. It is important to know how a dog thinks, for example, before trying to apply training behaviors to it. Familiarize yourself with different training methods and try them on your own dogs to gain experience with training.
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Select a method or methods that you prefer to use and become an expert in them. Most training methods that offer accreditation have specific guidelines you can follow.
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Attend classes and workshops either in your specifically selected training methods or in general dog training. Many community colleges offer classes, as do associations for dog training and behavior. You can also attend a school devoted to animal training, such as the Animal Behavior College (see Resources), where you will receive a certificate in animal training upon completion of your studies.
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Work as a dog trainer, either through a store or on your own. Your years of experience in dog training will help you gain certification in a dog training association. The National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors, for example, provides a provisional membership to otherwise qualified trainers who do not meet the five years of experience necessary to become a full member.
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Study for and pass any tests required for certification or accreditation.
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Apply for the certification or accreditation offered by the association you've selected to belong to.
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References
Resources
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