Training Service Dogs

As a dog trainer, I’m often asked how to become a service dog trainer by up-and-coming dog trainers.

Becoming a Service Dog Trainer

To become a certified service dog trainer, first you will need a dog training certification as your foundation. Understanding dog behavior and training is key to training a service dog for any need. As a professional dog trainer with over 22 years of dog training experience in the field, I strongly believe in becoming a certified dog trainer before moving on to service dog training.

Continuing your education as a dog trainer is a lot like adding new additions to your home. After the foundation has been laid, it requires walls and a roof before you can build the garage and the bathrooms. A person never stops updating a house. A home will eventually need landscaping, painting, windows and doors. Think of this home building analogy in terms of your growth in the expertise of dog training.

Like a home, your dog training career and the level of behavior training and analysis that you gain each day is what will help your dog training career blossom into certified service dog training.

RELATED: Service Dogs

Many students of Animal Behavior College go on to pursue service dog training, working with organizations like Train A Dog Save A Warrior (TADSAW), Canine Companions for Independence, Big Paws Canine Foundation, and Forever Paws.

Service dog training is an extension of your current skill level as a certified dog trainer. Always, always, always keep continuing your education. As a dog trainer and behavior specialist, you should never stop learning!

5 Ways to Become a Certified Service Dog Trainer

1. Volunteer (Foundation): This is vital! Volunteering exposes you to so many different parts of dog training from puppy raisers to meeting new people in the service dog industry. If someone asks me the first step to becoming a pet dog trainer, I always tell that person to volunteer at a shelter, as he will learn so much while positively impacting these dogs’ lives. I recommend Guide Dogs of the Blind.

2. Learn Dog Training Basics (Walls of House): This includes learning the nuts and bolts of training, such as how to teach basic polite behaviors. Also, you will learn how to positively socialize a dog, troubleshoot when a dog becomes confused, set a dog up for success and link behavior together (behavior chains), such as teaching a dog to turn off lights by pawing the light switch. There are many dog training schools out there. I recommend Animal Behavior College and then take Karen Pryor Academy Professional Course (I strongly advise taking a basic course before taking the KPA course, as you must have dog training experience before enrolling in KPA).

3. Service Dog Schools (Roof): There are many service dog schools scattered across the U.S. and I would recommend contacting them, looking at their syllabi and requirements and speaking to former graduates. For a quick peek at service dog schools, view Service Dogs Inc. Again, there are many others out there and your volunteering and chosen dog training courses will guide you in the right direction.

4. Certifications (House Inspections): I am a firm believer in dog training certifications, as anyone can hang a shingle outside and call himself a dog trainer. I recommend Animal Behavior College Dog Trainer – Level 2 Certification, Council of Certified Pet Dog Trainer and International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.

5. Continuing Education (Home Improvements): As a dog trainer, you should never stop learning. There will always be new, updated and easier ways to train a dog. I recommend attending Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, APDT Dog Training Conference, Clicker Expo Dog Training Conferences and at least one or two dog training seminars per year. Read everything. You can start by reading this list at IAABC Required Reading List and Basic Dog Training DVDs.

I’ve been very lucky to mentor some great dog trainers and this has been the path I’ve always recommended, depending on which category my student has chosen. Please, never stop learning.

Tell us how you have become a service dog trainer. Leave us a comment in the section below.

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