Several schools in Sydney offer dog trainer or instructor courses.
Becoming a dog trainer or instructor involves not just teaching a dog obey commands, but also teaching dog owners to train their pets. This occupation requires good communicators who enjoy hands-on work, understand the demands of difficult or problematic animals, and are patient with both dogs and their owners. Sydney is a very dog-friendly city, and the need is increasing for professional, highly experienced and properly accredited dog trainers. If you would like the challenge and joy of training an animal to become a prized companion, consider enrolling at a dog trainer school or academy.
Instructions
Become a Dog Trainer in Sydney
1. Decide the training methods you want to master. Common training methods are the Eclectic, Classical Conditioning, Koelher and Operant Methods. Most training courses include all or some of these methods, as well as traditional crate and toilet-training courses.
Other courses may teach the use of training implements such as the Gentle Leader, also known as Halti or Halter, or Correction Chains, also known as Choke Collars. You may not be comfortable with some methods, so it is essential that you establish your restrictions before signing up for a course. Also decide if you wish to practice routine dog obedience training, or more sophisticated methods such as Delta Society or service dog training.
2. Sign up with a training school. Sydney has several schools, including Hanrob and instructor courses by Delta Society Australia. The Delta Canine Good Citizen Pet Trainers Course runs for 18 months and results in a Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services. The certificate is recognized as a vocational education qualification under the Australian Quality Training Framework.
Hanrob runs a Dog Behavior and Training Certificate course that equals 76 hours and 100 hours of fieldwork, in sets of two-week sessions. This equips the future trainer with all necessary practical skills, experience and tutorial support to ensure that she is confident and can work with any dog in any situation or environment. At least 50 dogs are used in the Hanrob course, and the student is constantly supervised by qualified trainers.
3. Sign up with your chosen school and pay the program costs. For example, Hanrob charges $2,400 for the whole course. Course subjects include Canine Handling and Communications, Animal Care and First Aid, and Canine Behavior and Psychology.
4. Establish your business by first registering with a dog trainers association. Register with organizations such as the Australian Association of Professional Dog Trainers Inc., or the Association of Pet Dog Trainers Australia. Also speak to your local veterinarian, pet store, dog rescue and rehoming center, dog grooming salons or exercise grounds to see if you may publicize your services to dog owners.
Tags: also known, Become Trainer, Become Trainer Sydney, Delta Society, instructor courses