1. Employment Profile: What exactly does a n Owner/Dog Trainer do? |
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 What field is your job in?
Personal Services
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What is your job title?
Owner/Dog Trainer
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Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for
(size and general description of what type of organization it is)
I have run my own dog training business since 2002. My husband and myself are the only employees. We do private dog training lessons with clients at their residence.
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How long have you been employed in this position?
Since 2002
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How many hours do you work a week on average?
I average about 30 hours a week, but it varies widely. It slows down a LOT in November and December, and is really busy during the summer.
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Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
As the owner and head dog trainer, I do just about everything: the actual training classes, ordering supplies, bookkeeping and billing, networking, scheduling appointments with clients, and maintaining all of our advertising (both online and print).
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What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
$40000
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What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
60000
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Please
list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation,
sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
No benefits, as I am self-employed
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Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
I feel that I am well-compensated. The amount of money I earn is directly tied to how hard I work. I can see the rewards for my work very quickly.
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2. Work environment! |
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Does
your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this
something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
My job does entail working with other people on a daily basis. I am continually getting new clients, as the average training class lasts six weeks. After the class is over, I may have contact with them in the future (for a referral, or if they get another dog), but usually I am constantly meeting new people. I like this part of my job -- I enjoy meeting new people, and if I don't particularly like someone, never fear! They will be out of my life shortly.
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Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
No
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Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
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Describe
your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what
you like/dislike about working in it
My husband (and business partner) is my only co-worker. However, we do have to collaborate and keep each other up-to-date and informed about what is going on with our different clients.
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Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
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3 Income
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5 Work Environment - co-workers
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6 Work Environment - supervisors
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7 Benefits
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1 Hours
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2 Level of responsibility
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4 The actual "work" you do at your job
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8 Job Title
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3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours? |
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If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
I would recommend that you find a job working for a dog trainer. A lot of dog training schools are scams, unfortunately. Nothing will get you more experience faster than on-the-job training.
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What
skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a
position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social
skills, organization skills, technical skills)
In order to be a good dog trainer, you have to work well with both people and animals. The biggest part of dog training is training the owner, so good communication skills and a love of people is imperitive. You also need to be comfortable working with a variety of dogs. A good dog trainer is patient, flexible, and confident. On the business side, organization skills and basic financial intelligence are very helpful.
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Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
I have a B.A. in Psychology, and I feel that has really helped me in learning how to communicate with other people. You also need a certain level of hands-on training to be a good dog trainer. That being said, a college degree is not necessary, nor is a specific dog training credential.
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What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Find a job working for a dog trainer. I would also recommend working in other areas of the animal field (pet sitting, dog grooming, vet tech, etc.). Work with any and every dog that you can so you gain experience. Learn lots of different methods for training dogs -- think outside the box, and don't become too rigid.
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