How to Become a Dog Trainer in the UK
Dog trainers in the United Kingdom provide a variety of services for owners and their pets. They teach puppies how to mix with other dogs, work with owners on pet handling and grooming and teach dog obedience. There are only about 5,000 dog trainers in the UK, and most have their own business. It's a competitive business, so you'll need to develop a good plan to make your business a success.
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Instructions
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Volunteer to work with dogs. Find an experienced dog trainer or vet, and learn everything you can about dogs and the dog training business. Offer your free services at an animal shelter.
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Take college courses. United Kingdom colleges have courses in Animal Care and Animal Management. There are degrees available in Canine Behavior and Training and Animal Management and Behavior. Different colleges have specific entrance requirements, and some courses of study can be done part-time while you work. Some colleges also have distance learning for these courses.
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Train through an Apprenticeship in Animal Care. You can learn about apprenticeships available in England at the Apprenticeships website. Residents in Scotland should check Careers Scotland. If you live in Wales, look at Careers Wales. In Northern Ireland, visit the Department of Employment and Learning website. See Resources below.
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Find a mentor. He can give you plenty of instruction and tips on working with dogs and running a dog training business. He'll also send you his overflow business.
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Market yourself. Start helping out at your closest dog training club. Get to know the local vets, and offer to run puppy socialization classes for them. Clients usually turn to their vets for information on dog training. Establish yourself with several vets as the go-to person in dog training.
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Join a professional association for dog trainers to gain more credibility.The Association of Pet Dog Trainers is one group. You'll have to take a written, oral and practical assessment. The British Institute of Professional Dog Trainers offers several membership levels, according to your education and experience. The Kennel Club has membership levels ranging from student to specialist. All these organization require members to participate in continuing education.
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Tips & Warnings
You'll need to get along with people as well as dogs. Working with dogs and their owners will require patience and diplomacy when you need to say something negative about a pet. If you don't want to have your own business, look into training dogs for the police, the Royal Air Force police, the Royal Arm Veterinary Corps and Customs.
