So you want to be a dog trainer - what skills do you need?

How does spending all day playing with puppies sound?  Getting out and about instead of being stuck behind a desk?

Would you rather see an enthusiastic spaniel wiggle than the glum expression on your manager’s face?

Right now it’s never been easier to become a dog trainer, but it’s pretty confusing if you want to become a GOOD trainer.

As our most recent recruit told me “There’s courses everywhere, you can literally pay £60 for a correspondence course and claim to be a dog trainer!” 

Thankfully Fi recognises that this isn’t a good thing, so she is observing and assisting in our classes while she decides if dog training is what she really wants to do.

To be an excellent dog trainer, I’m going to say you need these things:

• Good timing, and reasonable fine motor skills (to deliver rewards)
• The ability to observe closely and accurately (see what’s really going on)
• See the bigger goals and know how to slice them down into achievable steps (make a clear plan on how to move towards the big goal, with measurable tasks along the way)
• Understand canine and human body language, and when to adjust your posture or voice (being aware of communication at all times)
• Enthusiasm, passion and “grit” (check out Susan Duckworth for more on Grit)

And if you want to teach classes, or work with owners then you also need to like people! Effective communication and motivation skills with humans are essential.

The good news is that you can learn and improve on every thing on that list! You’ll need grit because it takes time, practice, hard work and patience to develop these skills.

Just like Sian, one of our amazing trainers, who passed her Association of Pet Dog Trainers (UK) assessment last week with flying colours.

Sian has all those skills I listed above in bucket loads. 

I consider myself lucky to have been able to mentor Sian for the past two years and passing her APDT is a well earned formal acknowledgement of her achievements, on top of being a trainer on a super TV series earlier this year. I couldn’t be more proud of Sian!

If you have ever considered wanting to be a dog trainer, or even just want to be better at training your own dog, why not start with our one-day Dog Training Fundamentals course. 

Saturday 8th July, Wigginton, York

We’ll work through the key skills and build your confidence in teaching core exercises and more.

Find out more here: http://www.wellconnectedcanine.co.uk/events/dog-training-fundamentals/

Have a great week

Morag and the collie girls

Are you getting unreasonably grumpy on your daily walks?

Have you ever had that sudden flash of irritation when someone else finds that secret walking spot? 

It’s taken you ages to find the best, safest, calmest places to have ‘normal’ walks and some unreasonable person is using your path!

Sometimes we end up using management a lot just because it’s easier. So when someone else interferes with it we get grumpy.

Don’t get me wrong, management is vital in helping your dog to stay calm while you work on their challenges. But the point of management is that you’re also training for the real world and eventually you combine the training + real situations.

If you feel like your training has gone off the boil, or that you’re a management/avoidance expert but would like to tackle more realistic situations then try one of our Rehab Club sessions.

We’ll give you a safe controlled environment with expert supervision, plus coffee, cake and a supportive listening ear. 

Getting involved

If you’ve completed a behavioural assessment or training package with Well Connected Canine then you are eligible for Rehab Club.

The next sessions are running in the morning of Sunday 4th June at our usual venue in South Cave.

There are a maximum of FOUR places per session, so email Laura at the office ASAP to book your place http://www.wellconnectedcanine.co.uk/classes/