22 AprEpisode 145 | Bonus: Become a dog trainer with School For The Dogs! Annie answers questions from a listener considering a career in dog training
School For The Dogs is currently taking applicants for its six month Professional Course, which begins June 1! In this episode, Annie responds to a listener who is interested in becoming a dog trainer, but is worried that she may end up in a program that is a scam... She describes the evolution of School For The Dogs' Professional Course, discusses some others, and talks about the many different paths people take towards becoming a professional dog trainer. She also answers a listener's question about a young dog who is resource guarding her food.
Apply to the School For The Dogs Professional Course before May 1 at schoolforthedogs.com/professionalcourse
Subscribe: iTunes
Mentioned in this episode:
Jean Donaldson's Academy For Dog Trainers
Tawzer.com – like Netflix for dog trainers
Transcript:
Annie:
Hi, this is a bonus Q and A episode. I try to go live every Thursday on the School for the Dogs's Instagram account. If you would like to be alerted when I'm going to go live, or if you'd like to answer a question in advance, go to SchoolfortheDogs.com/qanda. Thanks for being here.
So today's question comes from Melissa, who lives in St. Louis. She has a corgi, Pembroke Welsh corgi named Patchy. And Melissa wrote:
Actually, I have a question that isn't about my pop, your cast and tips have been extremely helpful so far. I was actually wondering, where would you suggest someone who wants to get into the field of dog training go? I've looked into the Karen Pryor Academy, but there aren't any nearby locations to St. Louis, Missouri. There is the Academy of pet careers, which costs $20,000 for a 180 day class. There is the Kennelwood Academy for $14,000.
I really want to get into this field, and I enjoy using a lot of your techniques on my puppy with the clicker. But I'm trying to find something more affordable and something that isn't a scam to just get my money. I also looked into Animal Behavior College, which is almost all online and that's roughly $5,000. I look forward to hearing from you.
Well, great question, particularly for today, because we have just opened up our dog training professional program which I think might be a great fit for you, Melissa. It is a six month program. We have been running professional programs at School for the Dogs since 2017. And I believe about half of our trainers came through our professional program. Most of them knowing little or nothing about training before that. And now they are honestly some of the finest trainers I know. So for that reason, I'm pretty proud of this program.
For the first time we're doing the whole thing virtually, but we're keeping it really small, only four students. So there's going to be a lot of time for personal attention. And our hope is that after these six months are over, we can invite some of these students to come work with us hands-on for like a one month apprenticeship at School for the Dogs in New York City.
But yeah, Melissa, I know some of these programs that you mentioned, I don't know all of them. Karen Pryor Academy, you mentioned, I did it. And I actually, I think Karen Pryor Academy is a great program. It really, it changed my life. I went into KPA kind of on a whim sort of thinking, Maybe I'll become a dog trainer, which is not how a lot of people enter KPA. A lot of people enter KPA with long careers behind them, but they want to get better at doing what they're doing. So they go to KPA as kind of a graduate school. I just sort of stumbled into it and I would absolutely recommend it.
However, we designed our program with the KPA curriculum in mind, but also with some of the things that we wished it had had. For instance, I wanted a little bit more of the science-y side of things. I wanted more in depth readings than I felt like KPA was able to offer. I wanted a little bit more mentorship.
I liked my instructor very much, and I learned so much from him, but there wasn't a whole lot of focus on how to actually approach clients, how to work with clients, how to teach a class. I didn't get really an opportunity to watch classes being taught or people holding lessons. And I feel like I had to learn all of that on my own.
So part of the reason we developed this program the way we have even doing it virtually where we're going to be giving people the opportunity to really see how we work with dogs hands-on to see how we talk with clients. I left KPA knowing how to train a dog, but not being super confident in knowing how to train people to train their dogs. And, you know, dog trainers always say we're special in that we're training two species at the same time.
What else can I tell you? Oh, the other places you mentioned were the Academy of Pet Careers, which cost $20,000 for 180 day class, I've never heard of them. And that seems it seems like a lot of money to me. Our program is about $4,000 and given the personalized attention we're giving, I think it's a pretty good deal. And then there, you said, there's the Kennelwood Academy for 14,000. Also haven't heard of them.
I would trust your gut. If you think they sound like scams that are just trying to get your money, I would listen to that little voice inside of your head because you want to go somewhere where it feels like it's right. And it feels like it makes sense. And, you know, I encountered a lot of places where I felt like — when I first started looking into becoming a dog trainer and I was Googling around, and I was a journalist, so I was actually pretty good, I think, at researching things. And yeah, I felt like a lot of these places just wanted my money too badly.
And just like I think dog training should make sense, I think these sorts of programs should feel like they make sense to you on a very visceral level. The reason I eventually chose KPA was, through a series of events I ended up meeting this trainer near Philadelphia. I went to visit him. He showed me his dog training library. He showed me some of the things he was able to do with his dogs. He had his own business.
And I think he had formerly been like a judge or an assistant DA or something like that. He had had some sort of like, no nonsense no bullshit job. And I thought this guy doesn't seem like someone who would have ended up just having money sucked out of his pockets. So he was kind of the main reason why I did end up going to KPA.
You also mentioned Animal Behavior College. I do know some people who've done that program. And I think they found that it's like maybe a good kind of beginning education. I've never heard anybody rave about it. I did look at joining American, I'm sorry, animal behavior, college, ABC, I think actually before I ever heard about KPA. And they sent me tons of information and they called me a million times and I just felt like they were a little bit too desperate to have me. So that was one that in my gut felt like a No.
I would say what we offer as far as professional training at School for the Dogs is very far from something like Animal Behavior College, where that's what they do, right. They mint dog trainers, or they try to. This is something that we do because we feel like there should be more good dog trainers out there. And we really believe in the business we've created in the way we've done things. And we want to share that with the next generation of dog trainers.
And while we do not guarantee a job with us at the end of it, it certainly has proven a really great way for us to continue growing as a business ourselves, since so many of our awesome trainers have come through this program themselves, and also have helped us shape the program. And now some of them even teach the program.
Got a couple other questions here. Oh, Buck the catahoula says: Are there any other schools you recommend?
I mean, other than our program, Kate, my partner does teach at Catch Academy. I think they have a very good program. She teaches for them a couple of times a year at St. Hubert's in New Jersey. I don't know if what they're offering is comparable to what we offer, to be honest, but certainly something you could look into.
Jean Donaldson for many years had a very well-respected program in San Francisco at the SPCA. And I think she is now teaching a different program. And I think anything Jean Donaldson does, she does very, very well. So I'm not quite sure what that program is, but it is one that I would suggest looking into.
I know Victoria Stilwell had a program. Also I can't speak to its quality, but I think Victoria Stillwell is great.
But you know, what's interesting about dog training is that every dog trainer I know has really taken a different path to get there. Some dog trainers I know have had just fabulous mentors that have taught them everything. Some have studied animal behavior at an undergraduate level, or at a graduate level, and sort of learned how to train dogs from that path.
Some people are fully self-taught from going to so many of the amazing conferences that are out there or using resources like tawzer.com, T a w Z E R. They offer a fabulous service. That's like Netflix for dog training lectures. So I mean, there are a million, not a million, but there are some really excellent books.
And, you know, we're all learning all the time. So I feel like I went to Karen Pryor Academy. But a lot of my education has been self-directed since then. And I know other trainers who have had solely self-directed educational programs that they've built for themselves through the years.
I think our program is special in that it's small. It's something that has developed as we've seen how people go through the program. It's taught by some people who have done it and therefore really believe in it. And there's just a lot of one-on-one mentorship and a lot of opportunity to ask questions, to get feedback. So yeah.
And Charlie is asking for some advice, yes. Hold on. Let me just see if there are any other questions on the apprenticeship. Or we call it the professional program, but we used to call it the apprenticeship.
Someone is asking: I'm not in New York. Would I still be able to do the professional program? Yes, we're doing the whole thing virtually this year. There's a live session once a week, but the rest of it can also be done at your own pace.
And someone else is asking how long the program takes. I believe we've designed it to be a 26 week program at this point.
And Buck also says: Do you have any certifications and what ones do you think are important? Also, thank you for answering my questions.
Of course. Yeah. I'm a Karen Pryor Academy Academy certified training partner, and I am also a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers, and pretty much everyone on our staff has one or the other of those certifications. We also have fear-free certified trainers and a couple of trainers who have master's degrees in animal behavior.
I think the CPDT is a good certification to look for as is the KPA certified training partner, CKPA CTP certification. And we offer our own certification as part of our professional program as well. And if you have any other questions, Buck the Catahoula, just feel free to go ahead and DM us. Charlie and Molly the Pup, if you're still here and you have a dog training question, I would be happy to answer that.
And if anyone has any more questions or wants to go ahead and apply to the professional program, we are accepting applications through May 1st, and you can get more information and the application at schoolforthedogs.com/professionalcourse.
All right, Charlie the Pup, ready for your question if you're still here. Otherwise, maybe I'll see you guys next Thursday. I do try and go live to answer questions most Thursdays at 3:00 PM Eastern. All right. I think —
Oh, Oh, here's Charlie. Molly. Or here's Molly. I don't know which one of you is a human and which one's a dog!
Molly has really bad resource guarding issues. She has been fed around people for all of her life. She is one. And I will just sometimes even just walk back past her and she will growl and snap.
Ooh, that sounds not good. Have you ever had an experience where she's made contact? Has she ever actually bitten? That's one question I have. But it sounds like something that you should find a good trainer to work with right away, because biting is something that, you know, one bite can land a dog in hot water. Even if it's small. Not meant to.
But I think, you know, a lot of dogs end up euthanized because of just that one bite. And so we want to make sure that Molly is getting better and not worse. And for that reason, I would definitely suggest seeking some professional help. I'm not sure where you're located. Charlie, but I would be happy to help you either find a trainer near you, or we could work with you virtually if you're not in New York City.
I mean, it sounds like you've already tried a lot, you said you've tried everything, just running out of options. So I'm guessing that you've probably worked on trying to help her make good associations with you approaching the food bowl, which is certainly the first thing you want to do. You know, stand five feet from her while she's eating and toss salami, toss treats, toss, whatever in that food bowl.
Also feeding her in a crate or in some other enclosed environment where she can feel safe and you can feel safe. If you're feeding her atpredictable times, I think that would be one good sort of management option for the moment. But again — you say you're a New Zealand. Okay. Well, let me, let me see if I can help you find someone good in New Zealand, if you want to DM us, or you can email me directly at annie@schoolforthedogs.com.
But yeah, I say find a trainer, a good trainer right away. In the meantime, either start feeding her in a crate or give her a lots of room while she is eating and toss that yummy stuff into her bowl from a distance where you're safe while she's eating in order to try to start working to forge that association. You know, the humans around me when I'm eating is only ever a good thing.
And until you're able to meet with a professional, I would definitely suggest not grabbing anything from her, not grabbing the food bowl away, not grabbing her toys away. And if you do use a crate with her, try and up the use of the crate, trying to make the crate as safe and happy a spot as possible for her. Because I think that is what is going to help keep everyone safe.
Alright, thank you. Thank you. Thanks for being here. And I will hope to see you guys next week. Bye.
