Dog Health Questions: How do I get a career in advanced animal training?

I'm looking to get a career in animal training. I've been working as a trainer at pet stores for a while now, but I really want to advance my career into doing specialized dog training, I.E. Search and Rescue, Service dogs, or I'd like to move into doing more exotics for parks like Sea-world and Busch Gardens. This is the career of my dreams, but I'm having a hard finding a good path into the field. Can anyone point me in the right direction as far as schools, training, and entry-points into the industry? Thank you!

Dog Training - How to Train Your Dog to Come to You & Prevent Dangerous Situations

Recommended Answer:
The different types of careers in animal training have different requirements.
Working with things like guide or rescue dogs probably requires working up through an apprenticeship training program with people who already do that kind of work.

This site has some info on training seeing eye dogs:
http://www.thepuppyplace.org/page16.html

Working with marine mammals at a park like Sea World will probably require a related degree, probably marine biology or psychology (because you will be working with intelligent animals and people in close proximity, in addition to experience with animal training. If you want to go this path, I'd suggest choosing a school in an area with parks like these- probably in Florida or California- and try to get a job at the parks while in school. You will start out as something small, like a helper or tour guide, but can work your way up to the position you want.

Easy Steps to Boxer Dog Training

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Dog Health Questions: Teach your dog to come?

Yup. Me again. Me the dog trainer asking a dog training question.... I went to a Sally Palmer class for my dog and he learned everything (at the CLASSROOM or one day later, cuz he learns so fast!) except Come and Heel. Heel Isn't a biggy for me. When I start walking he stays by my side and (awesomeness!) never goes after rabbits or deer or anything else for that matter, when he's on the lead. He onlly perks up his ears, but he stays by my side. He's SO awesome at that. So I have two complaints.
1. How do I teach him to Come whenever I call? I tried the on the line, let him wander, call, reel him in. Or throw a ball, then say come, reel him in. But our two Border Collie mixes are SO smart that they only get jerked back ONCE and they won't go after the ball. They'll just stay there. So then I tried throwing treats. Not working well either.
2. I failed to metion he goes nuts on the line and WON'T stay by my side if there is another dog. I think that is because whenever we see another dog, his BROTHER who is a (sadly) TERRIBLE walker will lunge ahead towards it and I think Snapshot is copying him. Snapshot is the best walker. But his bro Diggity IS Smarter..... So I wanna know if come willl cut it on that.
3. he is NUTS about balls! If he sees a Tennis Ball....oh boy... How do I stop this...almost...obsession?? I worked on it a while ago till I could roll it, bounce it and throw it on him and he would ignore it. But he won't take his eyes off it when I throw it accrose the yard.
Thanks you so much! You don't have to answer all, but at least one.

Hunting Dog Supplies Can Help Ensure Proper Dog Training and a Successful Hunt

Recommended Answer:
I have some of the same problems with my dog (except he's not so nice when he sees a rabbit) and what i did was teach him to sit and stay and once he was good at that i got a treat and made him sit and stay. I wouldn't give him the treat but I let him know that i had it. Then i walked away making sure he stayed and then i called for him to come. He came and sat. i fed him the treat and i repeated those steps until i felt like i didn't need the treat anymore and he still comes. try using the same hand motions because my dog responds well to the hand motions i always made when teaching him come. I hope this helps!

Shock Collar Dog Training the Quick and Easy Way

• Start with the come command and give him a treat every time you say it. Than throw the tennis ball and say come if he comes he gets a treat. than use treats less and less often. and only reward him by petting him saying good boy. But be sure to throw treats in there once in a while. Worked with mine hope this helps.


• Show your dog some porn, that should make it come.


• take him to a dog school to train him

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Dog Health Questions: Dog training question?

Hey,

I'm going to buy a dog soon, it's going to be a pit bull, although I want him to be kind of a guard dog too, I don't want him to suddenly bark at my neighbours or relatives or something, I'd rather have that I just teach him normal things not guard related, but get him to bark or defend when i am asking him too and necessary?
Is that possible? :P

Thanks

Dog Training Schools - Who is Being Trained, You Or the Dog

Recommended Answer:
Probably not on the barking. A dog's hearing is infinitely better than our own. When they bark at a noise outside, they are not misbehaving. They are alerting you, the pack leader, someone is encroaching on your/his territory. Time and again I see people yell at their dog to be quiet. What you end up with is a barking dog and a screaming human.

When my dog hears something and barks, I get up and look out the window, and then praise him for a job well done. He alerts, I check it out, he stops barking.

A pit bull may not be the best choice for your first dog. That is a lot of power control and maintain leadership over.

Just FYI unless you're talking police-dog level defend dogs naturally protect their master. If you are serious about an "attack on command" dog you will need formal training and use certain command words in a different language. That is to make sure your dog doesnt go for blood when just any person says the word attack.

good luck

Need Help With Dog Training? Help is at Hand

• Any dog can bark and with some training you can certainly teach a dog to bark on command or in certain situations. But the "defend" thing is way beyond the skills of a typical dog owner. This is the kind of thing that gets a dog euthanized, because NO dog owner is skilled enough to train defensive behavior properly - all the typical dog owner will get is an aggressive animal. Period.
  
  Guarding and defensive behaviors are taught BY professionals, and only to certain types of dogs (IE dogs with the right temperament) with certain types of handlers.
  
  Please be a responsible pet owner and make sure to train and socialize your dog properly. Don't get involved with teaching "guarding" behaviors or jump on the "i wanna teach my dog to defend me" bandwagon. It won't end well for you OR the dog.


• It's completely possible. You can have a respectful, nice, loving dog that can tell friend from foe and guard you fiercely. It may require classes, or a professional dog trainer, and can be quite pricey, but I've seen many dogs with those qualities and a few were simply born like that. Google it and you'll come up with many articles for you to try yourself.


• A puppy who is not house trained cannot sleep in your bedroom, who wants puppies peeing on their carpets? Regardless of the breed, after a puppy is house trained/toilet trained if it sleeps in your bedroom he will will alert you if any strangers approach your house.
  Any would be intruders come prepared to kill a dog which lives outside and you won't stand a chance of defending yourself.
  
  Love your new dog, take it for long walks and play with it and he will love you back. But if you want to be protected if must live in your house. Your dog will warn you if anyone is near to your house and you can phone for help.

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Dog Health Questions: Dog Training for unusual personality?

I'm having trouble dealing with my new dogs personality. I choose min pins cuz they're upbeat, i've trained two before. But this dog almost seems like if she were a human she'd be on antidepressants or something. How do I deal with such a humble, sensitive & easy to upset dog when teaching commands & discipline? she's about 2-3yrs old, maybe she was spanked or disciplined in a counter productive manner before, cuz she's really a smart dog, she's catching on quickly but i'm just having the hardest time keeping her from being upset

The Evolution of Dog Training

Recommended Answer:
Training a sensitive dog is a challenge. You will need to tone down your voice and often your cues or signals to your dog. Keep training sessions short, they will pick up if you are starting to get inpatient or upset with them. I use very different methods when training my weimaraners and pointer than I use with our terriers. Don't be in a hurry take the time to build up and strong bond with her and soon you both be able to read each other's body language.

Some Helpful Tips To Help You With Your Dog Training Abilities

• she probably doesn't like being "controlled" by you when you are training her. she may have been like the leader of the litter or something when she was a puppy so she probably doesn't like having you in control now because you are the alfa. you should still train her but not as often and reward her a lot when she accomplishes something so she realizes that it isn't so bad not being the alfa anymore! hope i helped!

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Dog Health Questions: Could someone recommend a book or video on drug detection dog training?

Havn't found any useful websites or anything so was wondering if someone could recommend a book or video or website on drug detection dog training.

Dog Training - How To Train Your Dog In One Evening

Recommended Answer:
There are several, but, you will not be able to do it out of a book or video, I promise you. Look at leerburg.com see if he has any. Again, what you are trying to do has legal implications and you need actual drugs. I have been doing it for 27 years, I know. If you try to short circuit it, you will get in trouble. This is not a game.

7 Important Dog Training Tips For You

• Yeah, I assumed that you would need DRUGS for the dog to learn to detect. That can present a real problem....for most people anyway.


• Here's some backwards advice for you.
  
  I've taught tracking for 20+ years. I've also been involved in a lot of scent work. Another poster on this site, Greekman has also been involved in scent work, perhaps he'll jump in also.
  
  There are a LOT of issues with drug dogs. Primary one is getting authorized by various governmental organizations to even get started. Need drugs to teach drug detection.
  
  Most of the people I've seen involved in this are people who have been involved in other scent work such as tracking, Schutzhund, search and rescue or other such things. They then get involved with training dogs for various law enforcement groups for search and rescue, or protection/search work. After all of that, they get involved in what you're looking for.
  
  www.dogwise.com and then search for books on tracking or schutzhund. That will give you some books in that area. You can then take it from there.
  
  By the way, a knowledgeable scent person is going to need a year, or more to get a dog up to the level of where they need to be. If you're talking advanced work, you're talking a couple of years.

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Dog Health Questions: What should I look for in a dog training/behavior school?

I love cesar millans techniques and I dont want to do anything that he calls using human psychology on a dog. So with that in mind what should I look for in a dog training school? Is there a difference between dog psychology and dog training or is that all one in the same?

Positive Dog Training Tips That Actually Work

Recommended Answer:
You are better off apprenticing under a successful trainer who uses the methods that you are interested in. The best trainers are not those who have gone to school but those who have trained 100's of dogs with different temperaments, problems, and owners. Remember every dog you train comes attached to a person so you need good people skills. Likewise don't discount different training techniques as not every technique works for every dog no matter what you see on TV. There are many different ways to train dogs.

Dog Training: It's Not Just For Adults Anymore

• its different but good luck finding a training school that teaches "dog psycholgy" just because Ceasar does it one way doesn't mean the others don't work. They do. And have been used for thousands of years to train dogs.


• Your best bet is to try to find a trainer reference from someone you know. I found mine on a dog rescue site and it was the best money I ever spent. Remember, there are many different ways to train dogs just as their are many different dog trainers.

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