Now I realize Petco isn't the gold standard of dog training, but I figured its a good place to get my feet wet and get some experience on a professional level. I'd taken my pup there for puppy classes because it was cheap and I just wanted to practice w/ distractions ... I've taught dogs agility and dealt with behavioral problems...I didn't need someone to show me 'sit', but it was good socialization in a learning setting I thought. Anywho, I befriended the girl teaching & am all but guaranteed the job if I want it.
Does anyone know what they make? Is it based on commission in anyway for selling training lessons? Someone said you might have to work on the floor or register too, is that true? The girl I know also works in the grooming department washing dogs (she's not trained to cut dogs hair), & that seems the ultimate to me, but is that normal? Does anyone know a better way to break into the dog training world? People who I've helped for free tell me I should have charged (...though they weren't offering $$) & some have suggested I just make a web page or hang fliers...but I don't know if I'd feel right acting like I knew it all...I figured a year or two at Petco and at least I'd have someone to fall back on (the other trainers there) for the beginning of this...its easy to tell someone you can't help when they aren't paying you anyways.
Anyone worked there....taken classes there from a new trainer...quit a good job because you thought you'd be happier at another one??
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My advice would be to stay where you are..........giving up a pension in this day and economic climate is really senseless!( think you have had a knock on the head, a mad moment or too much sun)
I am not a US citizen and we don't have Petco here in the UK..................but even I know that the people are not qualified to do the jobs they do at Petco.
One friend of mine in the US who shows her dogs and has poodles (so she can groom), applied for a job in Petco as a groomer and was offered a job as a dog trainer, she has no experience of training dogs apart from ring craft with her own dogs.........she took the job and e-mailed me for lesson plans and schemes of work for basic obedience ( basic obedience, I am told is what they do) she ended up on the cash register, wasn't given terms and conditions of employment and had a hell of a job getting out of her 'contract' with them without having to pay them. As she found out, the training is cheap and you get what you pay for and Petco just want people through the door and to sell their products!
I'm a qualified teacher, an Animal /Human behaviourist, a TTouch Practitioner, a member of the Institute of Leadership and Management and I could go on for several pages, have blah blah years experience and knowledge, have written research papers on numerous behavioural aspects in the animal and human world and do CPD.
I own and run a centre with full facilities for training, behaviour,shows etc etc having referrals from vets, rescue centres and people travel from far and wide to come here, including from other countries regularly. Yes people pay for what I know, I am not cheap, however I am also known for taking on dogs that no one else can deal with, even the 'TV trainers' and the big heads who think they are such wonderful trainers, I have staff, I have placement students from University who are doing their degrees in Behaviour, Psychology, Zoology to enable them to complete their degrees. My methods are kind, gentle, motivational and based on behaviour and have been for many years even when it was soooooo unfashionable ............because I KNOW about animal and human behaviour, know how to get the best from each dog and their handlers, yes I use some dog training but dog training is a human invention and not easily understood by dogs.
I think what I am trying to say is stay where you are, don't cheapen yourself with a company like Petco or take a drop in salary, terms and conditions, look at what you are already doing with dog training and make it pay, go and do some CPD around training or behaviour, read up on things like calming signals: 'On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas' is a good place to start.
Start a new class, one that the people pay for...........remember things that people get for free are often not valued, start small and become a good trainer............and yes in time you can earn a very good living if you know what you are doing, in the last 6 years I have bought two houses, a small holding with 7 acres, built the training facilities, have two cars ( a real one and a sports car) outright and have money in the bank.....and thankfully I can do what I love and don't need my pension
Good Luck
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- I can't imagine a dog trainer job is even going to pay half of what you are making and probably no benefits like you get in the union job either - can you afford such a drastic cut in income??
- Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy some comfort and help avoid certain misery. Reality is that dog training isn't going to pay you what you are making at the RR. Chances are it might start to come close in 5-10 years if you get really good at what you do and have moved from PetCo to setting yourself up nicely.
But there is the happiness of doing a job you enjoy and love vs. a job you hate. You have to ask yourself can you live of $10/hr (guessing that's what petco will pay) no OT and still afford the things you want to be comfortable.
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