Dog trainers

Whispered

I feel almost silly posting this but here goes anyway.

I'm seriously considering doing the DTI dog training (people training) course. At a cost of 1000, it's not hugely expensive but at the moment it may as well be ten thou. I've also been looking at a diploma course in dog psychology from an English distance learning place, which is accredited by the SFTR - so may not be worth anything here (although looks hugely interesting).

My plan is to do said course, then volunteer with rescues and community groups. Experience will be worth more than a qualification so I wouldn't expect to make anything from it for a long time. I would hope eventually to be able to cut my current work by half.

So - is it realistic in this day and age to hope to make any money from dog training?

What would you want from a trainer? What would you avoid like the plague?

Any trainers out there who wish to advise how to get started - or to not get started at all?

Thanks

boomerang

Hey Whispered,

While the DTI course is great, it's so expensive, yikes! I did the diploma in canine behaviour and training from Compass Education in the UK. It is half the price, and covers the same material. The Irish tutor for the course is Alison Bush of Happier Hounds dog training in Laois.

Alison is a founding member of the Irish APDT. She is a dog trainer but also a behaviourist. (She did her degree in animal behaviour.) The course takes about ten months, starting in September/October. The first four modules are all done at home between October and May, and you submit them to Alison for assessment. Then in the summer there are two practical modules at Happier Hounds, one in June and one in July. They take place over two long weekends and you bring a dog with you that you can work with at home between the two practical weekends. The standard of the course is very high. I found the written work very challenging but I learned an awful lot. The practical weekends were fun and an opportunity to put theory into practice.

If you enjoy the first year you can go on to study for the diploma in canine training and instructing. Alison is very pro-rescue and in the second year you work with rescue dogs who haven't had any training - they're putty in your paws and you really build a bond with them over the course of the practical long weekends! The standard in the second year is really high - most of those enrolled in the course are about to start offering training classes themselves or have already started!

There are some excellent distance learning courses from the UK via COAPE but the advantage of Alison's course and DTI's course is that they incorporate hands-on learning with dogs, which is so important.

I wouldn't be too hung up on whether the course you choose is FETAC-accredited or not. It's the quality of the course that's most important.

If you can, I would contact a good dog trainer local to you and ask if you can come along as an assistant in their group classes - that's really the best way to learn. Maybe if you let me know where you are, I could recommend a trainer?

Ireland is crying out for more family-friendly, positive-reinforcement trainers; as it is there's only a handful of dog trainers here worth their salt. We badly need more puppy socialisation classes too. It might bring in enough income for you in time for it to be a really enjoyable sideline for you, but you need to build up pots of experience first.

Whispered

Thanks, I've just sent you a PM

EGAR

Dog trainers, like groomers, are springing up like mushrooms all over the place. And regardless of their *credentials* very few are actually worth paying .

boomerang

True EGAR, but the handful of trainers I would trust and recommend all come with good credentials. To me good credentials (as opposed to any aul credentials, a lot of which are bogus) show that the person has a keen interest and knows they don't know it all - working with dogs is a lifelong learning process. Unfortunately all too many trainers - especially the ones that favour punishment and coercion - do think they know it all and are really closed to new ideas.

EGAR

Because of several bad experiences a few of my adopters had I put this up on EGAR:

Please read carefully. In light of recent events, I felt the need to put this up. Too many dogs suffer at the hands of "dog trainers" who use punitive training methods, outdated dominance theory, alpha roll etc pp. A dog is not a wolf. A dog is not that stupid to think that we are hairless dogs walking on two legs. Nor are we dogs. We have moved on from the Dark Ages of training dogs by instilling fear and terror. Anyone can set up dog training classes, absolutely anyone. So don't be fooled and check out what you are getting yourself, and foremost your dog, into. If you they tell you about dominance, if you see a choke chain, if they lay a hand on your dog - WALK AWAY. The damage done by some of these trainers is often very hard to get under control again. And don't be smitten by *club* this, *association* that or *25 years experience* etc. Be aware, use your eyes, ears and your common sense. There are plenty of positive reinforcement/NILIF trainers about, just look for the one to suit you. Your dog will thank you for it!

One of my volunteers was told last year to *mock mount* his dog to show him *who is boss*. I mean.... hello...???? And that is just one example what a bad trainer can teach...

Whispered

EGAR wrote: »

And regardless of their *credentials* very few are actually worth paying .

This is exactly what I need to be told. What, in your opinion would make a trainer worthy of payment, or recommendation?

boomerang wrote: »

True EGAR, but the handful of trainers I would trust and recommend all come with good credentials. To me good credentials (as opposed to any aul credentials, a lot of which are bogus) show that the person has a keen interest and knows they don't know it all - working with dogs is a lifelong learning process. Unfortunately all too many trainers - especially the ones that favour punishment and coercion - do think they know it all and are really closed to new ideas.

Where would you like to see trainers get their experience? I was thinking of volunteering but do rescues have a need for a training volunteer (this would have the added bonus that the person who runs the rescue would be clued in enough to say if they were unhappy with what you were doing - meaning better experience).

I understand what EGAR is saying about trainers popping up, but I'm in a position that if I don't do something I'd love to do now, I never will. I can't think of anything else I'd rather learn about and hopefully do.

Sigma Force

Was just going to say try Happier Hounds as well even just go with your own dog for a few regular training classes to see if you like it, it's a bit cheaper at least last time I looked although DTI are great too.
A lot of year or two year courses be they dog training or otherwise are usually 4 to 5 hundred quid on average a year.

Even if you do the course and find it hard to get a position dog training or aren't getting enough buisness doing it from home it'll still give you more understanding of dog behaviour and from that you could go into other things like opening a small dog boarding kennel from home or even dog walking etc. if you want to work in the doggy field it'll stand to you anyway.

magentas

Well I know from your posts on here that your really are a massive dog lover and genuinely care for animals.

The fact that you're researching and WANT to do it right and give it 110% if you're going to do it at all says a lot.

Yes, there are lots of "dog trainers" in this country but there will ALWAYS be room for GOOD QUALITY trainers IMO

Best of luck if you decide to go ahead with it whispered, follow your heart, you are passionate and genuine and I wish you the best:)

EGAR

Whispered wrote: »

I understand what EGAR is saying about trainers popping up, but I'm in a position that if I don't do something I'd love to do now, I never will. I can't think of anything else I'd rather learn about and hopefully do.

I didn't mean by that comment that you will be *just another trainer* - what I meant that anyone can call him/herself a trainer and open a club etc. Very few have a proper basis to start with and *25 experience* doesn't automatically mean A1.

If you love what you do then you never work a day in your life .

Whispered

EGAR wrote: »

If you love what you do then you never work a day in your life .

Saying this as I begin another 10 hour shift.

My other half did the DTI course . She said its good but much too expensive for what you get out of it. But in Ireland there is not much else you can do. She is currently looking at other courses in the UK.

liquoriceall

I have to second the other posters, I foolishly used a bad trainer when my boy was a pup (choke chains, shouting, etc) and have spent a fortune and shed a lot of tears trying to repair the damage I did to him as a pup, wish there was more good trainers out there!

liquoriceall

liquoriceall wrote: »

I did to him as a pup, wish there was more good trainers out there!

If you start asking around the same names will start popping up to be honest .

slashygoodness

I did a lot of research before choosing to bring our two to DTI for training. It took ages to trawl through all the 'bad' ones online, but usally it was pretty easy to tell the good from the bad. We travel for 45 mins to get to DTI (depending on M50 traffic :eek: ) so believe me when I say that people will pay and travel for good dog trainers... best of luck!

Tracey21

Hi everyone new to this !

I was thinking of getting a dog trainer was looking at Hollybarn Dog Trainers however i cant find any reviews or anything for it !

Has anyone used it and do you think it was good ?