Should it be easy to become a professional dog trainer and charge lots of money to clients?
These days, it is very easy to call yourself a dog trainer. A short course, an online certificate, or even just confidence can be enough for someone to start working with dogs and their owners. But should it actually be that easy?
Dog training is not just about teaching a dog to sit or stop pulling on the lead. It’s about understanding the dog in front of you and helping the owner build a better relationship with them. Every dog is different. Every home is different. That takes real skill, not just good intentions.
Hands-on experience is a huge part of this.
You need time with real dogs, different breeds, different behaviours, different challenges. You need to see what works, what doesn’t, and how to adjust. This kind of learning can not come from a screen alone.
But practical work on its own isn’t enough either. Trainers also need to understand why dogs behave the way they do. Basic learning theory, body language, and how dogs develop all matter. Without this, it’s easy to follow trends or copy what others are doing without really knowing if it’s right. This is the downside of social media learning.
Proper qualifications should include real hands-on experience and a level of study. It’s not about making things difficult for the sake of it. It’s about making sure trainers are ready.
Dogs deserve better, trainers should not be saying – I have always done that it works, they should be challenging themselves, particularly if they have just hurt the dog with a jerk of the neck or a kick in the ribs!
Some people say 500 practical handling hours is too much is “too hard” or takes too long.
But when you are working with dogs and their owners, there is a responsibility that comes with that. Poor training advice can lead to bigger problems, confusion, and stress for both dog and owner and in the worse case scenario severe behaviour can go wrong and dogs will bite and then this leads them to be euthanised – the dog and human has been failed.
We are seeing more and more extremes in dog training. Some trainers rely on quick fixes or tools without thinking things through or even thinking how it might feel for the dog.
Others stay in theory and don’t get enough real experience. Neither helps in the long run. Good training sits in the middle, clear, fair, and consistent. It lays with educating owners and working holistically within the household to make a real difference.
Good trainers also need people skills. You are not just training the dog. You are helping owners. That means listening, explaining things clearly, and giving support when it’s needed. That’s a big part of doing the job well.
At the end of the day, this is not about making it harder for people to enter the industry. It’s about doing right by the dogs. They rely on us to guide them properly. That should mean something.
If becoming a dog trainer takes time, effort, and commitment, that’s not a bad thing. It’s exactly how it should be.
If you would like to be part of our dog training qualification and make a real difference, please complete the form. https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/Wa8GNgEki6
Author
Emma Jane
Managing Director
Essential Canine Life Skills
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