I'm thinking about going to Animal Behavior College to become a Professional Dog Trainer. Reviews?

I don't think I can possibly say this enough times... but I'm going to try...

Get a degree, get a degree, get a degree, get a degree, get a degree.

A REAL degree... a bachelors degree... from a real college.

My story:

I graduated from High School thinking I wanted to be a trainer. I decided that no college degree was really going to get me anywhere with what I really wanted. I got a job at a field lab kennel as the kennel master and BO trainer. I loved it. It paid for crap, but I loved it. Then I started being given jobs with outside clients (previously I was training all field labs that were owned by the breeder and all I had to do was work with the dogs). I started getting people with problems who wanted me to "fix" their dog without any effort from them. I hated it. I would pray that one of my b*tches would go into labor on days I had scheduled for meetings with some of the owners so I could cancel because they made me crazy. Working with dogs brings me pure joy - working with some (not all) people makes me insane.

Now what? I didn't go to college and I was beginning to realize there was no way I could stand the people for the rest of my life. Not only that, but reality of paying rent and bills was setting in - this was not going to be enough money for the rest of my life. Training is a hobby for me, not a career.

I wondered through life for about 4 more years until I finally woke up and started going to college. Today, I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, bills, rent, and all the other expenses of living on my own with no help while working part time and going to school full time... practically sleep walking to the dog park some days so my dogs can get the exercise they need. But, I realize now that the world is a very small place without a degree.

I made things SOOOO much harder on my self by failing to realize the value of a degree back then. ANY degree in science will help you with your goals. Animal Science, Animal Behavior, Biology, Zoology, and the list goes on and on. If you go on to be a trainer, the degree will do nothing but give you a great place to start... but if you DON'T train full time for a career, that degree with give you endless other options.

Please don't make the same mistake I did.

If you have a college in mind, I would be more than happy to have a look at their catalog and give you some ideas of programs I think you would really get a lot out of. My e-mail is always open. I can also give you some college suggestions if you're interested.

Animal Behavior College Reviews

NO. If I were going to spend that kind of money, I would get a certification as vet tech or something.

I was invited to work as an assistant at a clicker training facility where I was taking my dog. After working as an assistant to the trainer for some time, I began to teach classes under supervision and then on my own. I read lots of books by respected positive reinforcement authors. I attended Clicker training seminars etc. I can quality to take the CPDT test. I know the theory and reality of training dogs and the people are a far bigger problem. I also have a college degree in education. Now, I volunteer for a respected organization.

I would not take my dog to an ABC trainer. You cannot learn what you need without many hours of experience.

I think what some of these people don't know is that Animal Behavior College isn't just bookwork. There is a mentorship requirement that the school sets up. The program is broad and perfect for general obedience training, but there are some finer points that you will want to study outside of class.

For instance, my mentor has a class about aggressive dogs with information that ABC didn't offer. But he was more than willing to let me sit in and learn.

It's a good program that I would recommend based on my own experiences. They give you some experience in the field and some proof to back it up.

I know this was posted some time ago, but I felt the need to comment. I am a dog trainer - have been for a number of years. After working with dogs for so long, I was looking for some type of certification and actually enrolled in ABC in 2010.

The ABC course is made up of a 10-stage learning program beginning with learning theory, safety when training, basic skills, and even discusses business plans and networking. To graduate from the program, one must work not only work under an experienced mentor trainer, but also volunteer for a required number of hours in a shelter or rescue to get actual hands-on experience.

Animal Behavior College is a great way to learn the basics. They also offer continuing education programs, have a yahoo networking group to field questions or offer advice for individual challenges one may face in a training situation and offer job boards, etc.

Nothing can take the place of hands-on experience, but ABC does a good job of trying to help you get that safely and affectively.

Through ABC you can also become a vet tech, there is a grooming program, training with cats, achieve a higher level certification, etc.

The mentor program is set up to help each student learn and feel comfortable asking questions. If one mentor isn't right for a student, they can find another one through the program.

I run across A LOT of dog trainers - most learned from other trainers who teach antiquated methods, do not keep up to date on research, learning theory, veterinary and behavioral science, nutrition, and often don't understand why the dogs learn or respond to what they do. These trainers are the people who keep me busy - teaching old techniques is often the cause of many bad behaviors and I am happy to help my dog clients and their owners move on and ensure success in training. After having been through it, YES - I would recommend the program...and to always keep learning from proven, scientific sources.

I am a graduate of Animal Behavior College. I thought the program was great for beginner trainers. There are plenty of dog trainers out there who have experience, but no formal training and I feel I am better off for becoming certified. The bookwork was good and you can study and learn at your own pace. After bookwork, you will go through an externship with a mentor trainer in your area. I myself am a mentor trainer and love teaching new dog trainers! As with all careers, you will need to continue learning about dog behavior and psychology, but ABC is a great starting point.

The owner of the dog needs to know how to "operate" the dog, same way you can get into a car that's in perfect running order but if you don't know how to drive you won't have much luck making the car go anywhere. If the owner doesn't know how to maintain the training, the dog will soon become untrained again. Read more here https://tr.im/thedogtrainer

People seem to think that once a dog is trained, that's it. Not true. You must reinforce the dog's training every single day in some way. It's best if the owner and the dog go together to get trained. As a professional trainer once said to me "We can train any dog in 2 days. It takes longer to train the owners

I've been working with dogs since 2004, and graduated from ABC in 2009. I am now a mentor trainer for the program. The program is a great stepping stone to get more knowledge and credentials and offers a great hands on experience that most places do not. I know many people without any formal training who are great, and know many people with tons of training and degrees who are awful. Do you research, observe a class, see what they've done. I think this program is awesome especially in conjunction with other training and certifications.

There are a few real keys to dog training, whether you are trying to train your dog to come when called, sit, stop barking or any other behavior. Understanding their importance is critical to achieving rapid results that are long lasting and help develop the bond between you and your dog.

CLICK HERE: http://tinyurl.com/TheDogTrainerOnline

The first is simple; you must win your dogs mind. If you don’t achieve this first then you will be struggling the all the way. When I talk about winning your dogs mind what I really mean is that your dog looks to you for all the decisions. Before you do anything else watch one of the amazing video sites that show you the 5 Golden rules to establishing yourself as the pack leader. If you aren’t putting these in place then you are setting yourself up to fail. Just at the crucial point where you really want your dog to listen they will go and do their own thing. For sure your dog may play ball occasionally or even most of the time, you may even have a dog that is obedient 99% of the time, however if you want a dog who always listens to you and does as you ask then you need to win your dogs mind.

The second key to success is to motivate your dog. It is really important that you discover what it is that your dog enjoys both in terms of exercise and play but also in terms of a reward. If you can make the experience enjoyable then you will both achieve more and look forward to training.

Some dogs love to fetch, others love agility, and other dogs simply love obedience training, or swimming out into water and retrieve. At least to start with find out what your dogs love is and help them develop this, what I am saying is work with your dog. The other point to recognize is to make training enjoyable reward your dog.

The three main rewards are:

Food- anything from a single dry biscuit to a whole piece of sausage!

Affection- pats, cuddles, lots of high verbal praise

Toys- games, throwing a stick or object, chasing your dog etc

Your dog is always going to work harder if you are fair in your training. Even if you do not want to use food you should make sure that you use affection accordingly when your dog does well

If you want to use food rewards then always follow these simple tips:

Always vary food rewards

Do not give food rewards every time

Never let your dog know what the reward is

If your dog doesn’t come first time then do not give them the reward

The third key to achieving perfection is practice! Learning how to encourage behavior that is closer to what you want than the last is the third key to success. Again this is where rewards come in so handy! Motivate and then show your dog what it is that you want and there is no need for any negative training!

One of the best sites that shows you all of this and more is The Online Dog Trainer, put together by top Dog Trainer, Doggy Dan.

CLICK HERE: http://tinyurl.com/TheDogTrainerOnline

Dog training are excellent and very helpful to build you a stronger relationship with your dog. Read more https://tinyurl.im/HuofZ

After I started training my dog, he became very attached to me and loves to stay by side as long as he can. But just going to them won't help. You have to practice what they teach you outside of the class and you need to keep up with it at least every now and then after the class ends otherwise they'll just go back to previous habits. This course is a really good place to go for dog obedience classes. It get's your dog around other people and dogs to socialize while getting the training you need. As for electric collars, I would say to not get one. In my experience, they're only a negative effect on your dog. I mean of course you're going to need to correct your dog, but being positive and encouraging your dog works a lot faster and easier.

Every dog is different, so unless you have a german shepherd or a really smart dog, it might take a while to train her. You might get frustrated with her, but go easy. She's still a puppy and has a lot of energy. A backyard or somewhere to run will help her get rid of a lot of energy that might cause her to misbehave from boredom.