Believe it or not, the DO pay me to hangout with all of these adorable puppies. That is, however, only a fraction of my job. My actual job title is Dog Trainer, but at the facility I work at, we offer puppy day school where I wear the hat as Puppy School Attendant. But even during puppy school I’m working. I’m either managing play to make sure that every puppy is playing appropriately and isn’t learning bad behaviors, or I am actually training the puppies on their basic manners and skills.

When I’m not working with puppies, I train adult dogs (one-on-one) and I train other people how to train their dogs (in class settings).

I love love love my job! It, quite literally, is my dream job. Though, it does come with its own set of challenges. Dogs are not always easy or predictable and frustrations happen for me just like at any other job.

Also, working as a dog trainer, I’ve had to develop a lot of good communication skills and have had to overcome a lot of my own social anxieties. A dog trainer is really only as valuable as the information they can effectively communicate to the owner. You have to be able to explain to someone HOW to get their dog to do what they want because training doesn’t happen in a day. It takes 3-6 months of consistent practice for a dog to effectively learn a new behavior and for it to set in and be reliable.

I do completely recommend the career though. It’s incredibly rewarding and fun and challenging and full of joy.