A Year Already?

My First Year as a Dog Trainer

One year ago yesterday I graduated from Animal Behavior College with a certification in Basic Obedience Dog Training.  I had also completed an ABC course in Shelter Dog Training.  Dog training was something I really wanted to do in retirement, although my ideas for exactly how I would go about that were somewhat vague. I'm fortunate enough to have a pension (and a husband with a pension), so making money at this new venture was not my primary motivator.  I knew I wanted to help dogs and people, and I was initially attracted to programs that use therapy dogs for things like helping kids to read, or nervous flyers wait for airplanes, or stressed college kids prepare for exams.  I'm perpetually amazed at all the ways dogs can help people, but I have not pursued those ideas any further.  For one thing, training therapy dogs or service dogs is different than training basic obedience, and I haven't yet studied any of that. My mind has wandered in different directions (more on that later in this post).

I also knew that I wanted to donate time to shelters and/or rescues, and I wanted to work one-on-one with new adopters on basic obedience and behavioral issues to increase the likelihood of the new homes being forever homes. Of all of the above, donating my time to shelters is all I've done so far.  This is the story of how that came to be and why I'm OK with it for now (despite something to the contrary that I once wrote on Facebook - but that's another post for another day).  I'll also let you in on the new direction I want to take.

Here's the Cart, Where's the Horse?

The ABC program is a 9-month online curriculum, the first half of which consists of a series of exams on the reading and study materials provided. The second half of the program is an 18-week externship, and then there is an online final exam.  It wasn't until my externship that I met other ABC students, and I was surprised to learn that some of them were already dog trainers!  My mentor said she took the ABC course after she had already been a trainer for 20 years!  Did I put the cart before the horse by going to school first?

In retrospect, it isn't all that surprising that a number of ABC students are already working in the field. State governments in the United States do not require dog trainers to be certified or have licenses. It seems that people get into the field however they do, and then they add the certification to enhance their credentials, as a pathway for continuing education and to gain access to various resources.  For most people not already working in the field, the course is probably too expensive if obedience training is just going to be a hobby.  Someone already in business presumably is generating an income and can treat the course as a worthwhile business expense.  Otherwise, it would be a good idea to have a business plan and the resources to implement it immediately upon graduation before incurring the cost.

The Shelter Connection

Coursework provided a great foundation in the concepts of how dogs learn, and how to effectively teach desired behaviors.  There were also business-related components to the curriculum.  That's a good start and a worthwhile investment, but all dogs are different and experience is crucial!  With over a year of shelter volunteering under my belt, I can't think of a better way for an inexperienced trainer without a business to meet and work with all different kinds of dogs -- different breeds, different ages, different sizes, different temperaments, different drives and motivations. Shelter dogs have it all, except -- of course -- a forever home. Staff at the shelters where I've volunteered work hard to make that forever home happen. Training and enrichment are definitely part of that, which I hope to tell you more about in future posts.

ABC's externship involves being assigned to a mentor who graduated from the program.  My mentor is affiliated with a local shelter, which was extra convenient because volunteer time was also required for graduation.  The requirement was 10 hours; so far I have over 100 (at two different shelters in different parts of the country) and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon!

Where's the Beef Business?

I have no regrets about putting the certification cart ahead of the business horse.  Everything I've learned in the past year, the opportunities I've had to work with dogs and the great people I've met have all flowed from my decision to get the certification. None of it would have happened otherwise. But a year later, I still don't have a dog training business!  What's up with that?

The ABC curriculum prepares its students to teach group classes in dog obedience.  The externship consisted of observing a six-week session, taking a six-week session as a student with one of my dogs (Tristan), and teaching a six-week session under my mentor's supervision.  I actually co-taught, as there was another student doing his internship at the same time.

It's logical to think that the next step after going through a program like this would be to start teaching group classes.  That requires two things I didn't immediately have - a facility and 6- to 8-week long blocks of time for teaching once a week classes (the typical format).

I retired from my 34-year long career as a geologist about a month after receiving my certification. There is a perception that retirees have all the time in the world, but that didn't turn out to be my case. Five days after I graduated from ABC, my husband and I closed on our "snowbird" home down south. It was always part of the long-term plan, but when I signed up for the course it wasn't on our radar that we would do it so soon. So, presto-chango, instead of setting up a dog training business and keeping up with my blog, I was co-managing all the paperwork associated with buying a house and setting it up as a summer rental (because for now we will only be there in late winter and early spring). We also had a couple of other post-retirement trips last fall. Then before we knew it, it was Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then packing and organizing for our first season as snowbirds.

When we got down south, there was more work to do on the house than we originally realized and additional shopping and "business" work to do associated with it being a rental.  That all took enough of my time and energy that I did not, as I had envisioned, spend time making a business plan and initial contacts regarding a facility for dog obedience classes.  Didn't do any blogging, either! I did volunteer at the local shelter, which accepted my application despite the usual requirement for a 6-month commitment that I would not be able to fulfill.  It helped that I included a resume with my application that listed my certification and the experience I had so far at the shelter up north.

The dog training business I don't have does have a name, though! If I ever actually have clients, they will be hiring Anam Cara Good Dog U.  "Anam Cara" means "soul friend" in Irish, and "Good Dog U" could either be "Good Dog University," or -- when spoken instead of read -- could be what you might say to your dog to mark success with an obedience cue ("Yes!!! Good dog you!").  And the "U" makes it look like a text, for a modern touch.

What's Up With the Blog?

Concurrently with starting my externship, I also started the Anam Cara Good Dog U blog that you are reading now.  I was the weird kid in school who liked essay tests and term papers, and all through my 30 years as a regulator I looked forward to writing for fun rather than for work.  My plan for this blog was to document my externship, my experiences with Tristan and the beginning of my business.  I thought I'd also write some educational posts about basic obedience and other topics.  I still plan to do all of that, but it's been a very slow start. I think I'm still recovering from the forced writing on deadline that I kept having to do my last few years at work. In addition, after completing Parts 1 and 2 of Tristan's story, I suffered writers' block on Part 3 which has been in "draft" for more than a year. Nevertheless, the more I learn and observe in the realm of dog training and behavior, the more I want to share so that others may learn, too.  I have dozens of blog posts floating around in my head that will eventually be written.  Until then, I'll keep sharing information written by others on my Anam Cara Good Dog U Facebook page.  (Please "like" it if you haven't already, and feel free to share your thoughts or questions on anything I post there.  Civil comments are welcome; I'd like the page to be a place of constructive interaction.)

Back to the Shelter: Who's Teaching Whom?

For now I'll call the two shelters where I've volunteered "Shelter North" and "Shelter South."  Both are humane shelters that treat dogs well and don't put time limits on their stays.  Both view dogs as individuals and tailor their care to their specific needs.

My tenure at Shelter North began with meeting the Animal Welfare Manager.  She invited me to help with the Staff Training and Enrichment (STEP) program on Saturday mornings. This program consists of trainers teaching shelter staff and volunteers various aspects of dog handling, using the dogs currently residing at the shelter. The format and content of the class vary depending on what dogs are available, who is there to be trained, and the shelter's needs that week. Sometimes the format is similar to a group basic obedience class, and I have helped to teach that on occasion. Other times, instruction is provided in dog body language. Demonstrations are conducted using the shelter dogs, and controlled "meet-and-greets" take place between the dogs with trainers providing commentary on the dogs' reactions to each other.  In addition to training for handlers, this also provides the shelter with information about the dogs that is helpful for potential adopters and in developing enrichment or behavior modification plans while they are in the shelter. The instructor sometimes takes narrated videos during these sessions that are posted in a private Facebook group for continued reference and discussion. I help more as a dog handler than a trainer in this setting, and this is where I have learned the most. It is fascinating to see how dogs communicate with each other and with us, and I will write more about this in future posts.

In addition to Saturday morning STEP class, I go two mornings per week to work one-on-one with dogs. I try to work with dogs that have been identified as needing help with particular behaviors that I have learned something about. I'm trusted to work with moderately difficult dogs, and I've occasionally been asked to visit with a specific dog and give my opinion. Most often, I take dogs one at a time out into the play yard for 20 to 30 minutes of exercise and basic obedience or behavior modification work. Each dog is different, and I learn something from every single one.  In this setting, I rely on both my coursework and my increasing experience for problem-solving. Sometimes I encounter a new-to-me problem and discuss it with other trainers or research it online before my next visit.  When I say "problem," I am talking about typical dog behaviors such as leash climbing, jumping, mouthiness, fear, resource guarding, etc. These issues are not in any way unique to shelter dogs, but by addressing them while they are in residence, shelters make the dogs more adoptable and increase the odds of the next home being the forever home.

My work at Shelter South was different. The best fit for me there ended up being as an early morning dog walker. Once or twice a week for 3 months I took 10-15 dogs from their kennels one at a time for their first morning outings. One morning I walked 18 dogs! This was challenging at first because although I usually had access to a fenced area to walk the dogs, the kennels are partially outdoors and the property isn't completely fenced in. So I had to safely get each dog back and forth between its kennel and the fenced area. It wasn't a problem once I had them leashed, but -- just like dogs at home -- dogs in shelters get pretty excited when they realize they are going for a walk. I got lots of practice in how to block the kennel door with my body while getting a leash onto a dog that might be jumping or ready to run. Little dogs were harder than big dogs in a way, because by opening the kennel door enough to get my arm through I was also opening it wide enough for them to sneak through. I was worried every time, but am happy to say that not one dog got away from me! This really boosted my confidence, and I noticed when I got back to Shelter North that I was much more comfortable taking dogs in and out of kennels than I had been before. Shelter South's trainer and volunteer coordinator taught me their safety protocols, and the dogs taught me to be calm and patient when they weren't! Because there were so many dogs to walk in such a short time, I didn't get to spend as much time with each one. Nevertheless, I did try to work on walking manners and a basic cue or two whenever I could. I look forward to early mornings at Shelter South when we migrate again in January.

I also learned more about the day-to-day operations of a shelter at Shelter South. Part of the required volunteer orientation there consisted of a job-shadowing session, where I observed and participated in all of the tasks related to canine care including dishes, laundry, cleaning, feeding and preparing enrichment. This taught me a much greater appreciation of the work being done all day, every day, at both shelters. It's demanding work both physically and emotionally, not highly paid, and I have nothing but admiration and respect for the people doing it.

Do you have to be a certified dog trainer to volunteer to work with dogs at a shelter? Absolutely NOT! Can someone who isn't a trainer do what I do there? Absolutely YES, provided that you pay attention during orientation, avail yourself of any training opportunities that are offered, follow the shelter's protocols and safety procedures, and remain receptive to continuous "on-the-job" learning.  Even so, I find it fulfilling to know that I am using my new skills to help the dogs feel better and become more adoptable, and as I said, it was the certification process that led me to be there. I'm acknowledged as a trainer and provided some opportunities that I might not otherwise have to work with a variety of dogs, and each of these encounters is a learning experience for me that will make me a better trainer when I finally do business beyond the shelter. It might not be a conventional approach to gaining experience as a dog trainer, and it's certainly not a profitable one financially, but it works for me!

Life With a Trainer for Grania and Tristan

Contrary to what might be popular belief held by friends and relatives who have observed (1) that I don't have a business and (2) that I keep trying to train my dogs, I did not become a trainer solely because of my own dogs' issues!

So many people who are eligible and can afford it delay retirement because they don't know what they will do with themselves, and many newly retired people find themselves challenged at how to fill their days. For personal reasons, I knew that I would retire as soon as I could but I also knew I would not be happy if all I did after that was housework, yardwork and an occasional lunch out. Somewhere I read advice to look back to what you enjoyed as a kid, and that advice came back to me the first time I saw an advertisement for ABC's basic dog obedience certification program. As a kid, when I couldn't have a dog, I used to knock on the neighbors' door after school and offer to walk theirs. And one of my favorite things was to practice "tricks" the dog had been taught, like "sit" and "give me a paw."  It just always amazed me that dogs could learn things. Even as an adult, I was delighted and fascinated the first time I saw someone tell a dog to "go play" and she did.  

After I got married, my enjoyment of telling dogs what to do expanded into an interest in dog psychology because of the dogs my husband and I have had.  By the time I was nearing retirement, we had devoted 19 years (so far) to two fearful female hounds that we adopted as adults, the last 8 of those which also included a very happy, fun-loving, exuberant, energetic male. With the first female, Guinevere, I spent countless lunch hours reading every dog behavior book in the bookstore across the street from my office. The more I learned, the more interested I was in learning more. After Guinevere crossed the bridge, we adopted the second fearful female (Grania) along with a 4-month-old male from her litter (the infamous Mister Tristan). Both of them are still with us. Grania manifested her fearfulness in completely different ways than Guinevere had, and hers was more extreme and lasted longer. I'll write more about that another time, but what it taught me was that that everything I learned with Guinevere was far from everything there was to learn!  The adoption contract required obedience training, so I took both dogs.  We all learned some things, and I probably thought it was more fun than the dogs did!  Even though I didn't become a trainer just to "fix" my own dogs, my experiences with these three hounds only reinforced the interest I had as a kid.  And here I am.

So what has it meant for Grania and Tristan?  Have I turned them into perfect medium-sized robot dogs?  NO, and I don't want to!  This post is already too long for me to go into a lot of details, but yes, I have learned how to teach them some new things and they both have some new skills that weren't taught at the first obedience classes I attended 8-9 years ago.  

Tristan is a continuous work in progress, especially with respect to walking, and the trainers I know now have been giving me some great advice (although he knows who they are and is always on his best behavior when in their presence, so they think I'm the crazy one when I describe how crazy he can be sometimes). 

After 9 years with us, Grania is finally out of her shell and acting like a dog in ways both good and bad! She's found what my husband calls the "hound eating gene" and isn't impressed with the compliments we get from the vet for keeping our dogs at a healthy weight.  So the dog who used to hide from "strangers" (i.e., our friends and visitors) now is front and center begging for treats.  We don't want to scare her back into her shell, so what I have learned about fear-free training should be beneficial if I can apply it consistently.  For her, that means rewards for "backing off" instead of the squirt bottle and yelling when she begs or tries to steal food off the coffee table.  Or sometimes it just means managing her environment and not having tasty temptations within her reach.

In the course of becoming a trainer, I learned something that every dog owner should know. EVERY interaction is a training session for your dog, whether you are intentionally training or not. Your dog is always learning even if you don't think you are always teaching. This is something else I will eventually write more about. For Grania and Tristan, it means I always bring high-value treats on walks, and I stay engaged with them throughout the walk, trying to keep their focus on me when confronted with distractions.  Walks are more fun for them with treats! We haven't achieved perfection (nor do I want to, just a little more relaxation with Tristan). They seem to like the interaction, and are slowly learning to look to me for guidance and control of whatever situation we encounter.

There is quite a bit more to say about walking and training Tristan.  I'll just conclude this section by saying that even though I didn't become a trainer just to "fix" him, he has been one of my teachers and I know a lot now that I wish I'd known several years ago.  Again, you absolutely DO NOT have to be a trainer to know how to walk your dog - lol - but that is the path that led to improving my understanding with a challenging dog.  I could have reached the same understanding without becoming a trainer myself if we'd consulted different trainers than the ones we originally did.  Now that I have all this "understanding," I just have to get Tristan to understand!

What Does the Future Hold?

If I ever actually start this business venture, it won't be my first.  Eons ago I owned a Jazzercise franchise for six years. In addition to teaching classes, I did marketing, bookkeeping and planning, carried liability insurance, and rented space in facilities.  So, I'm not unfamiliar with any of that nor am I intimidated by it. But I do realize that I don't want to get so deep into this being a "job" that it detracts from the freedom of retirement.  Finding and dealing with a facility was my least favorite part of Jazzercise.  The other thing that was sometimes difficult was finding a substitute so the schedule wouldn't be affected when I wanted to go away on vacation or had to travel for my full-time work. Those two factors make it unlikely that my business plan will ever include weeks-long group class sessions, especially now that my husband and I divide our time among three different locations in different states. By the time I left Jazzercise, a number of instructors were placing themselves on permanent "substitute staus," meaning they didn't have to commit to session schedules or have facilities, but were available to hire as substitutes for others who did. Perhaps if I get enough experience, stay active and make enough contacts within the training community, I'll eventually be able to carve out a niche for myself as a group-class substitute.

Meanwhile, I have developed a keen interest in dog safety, especially related to children, and dog bite prevention. There are opportunities available that range from getting licensed to give various presentations to full-blown training and certification in helping to create safe spaces to be shared by dogs and infants, toddlers or children.  By the way, the more informed I become, and the more I watch how people interact with dogs,  the more I see it's not just kids that need this instruction.  I'd like to be involved in teaching kids and adults about dog body language, and how to recognize when a dog isn't comfortable with being approached, or isn't ready be let loose in a dog park to play with other loose dogs.  This is all fascinating to me, and important for people to know.  When I am ready, I envision contacting churches, schools, community groups, veterinary practices and maybe even pediatricians' offices to offer presentations on dog safety and bite prevention. Perhaps that will lead to opportunities for one-on-one obedience training with individual clients that I can work into my schedule without having to commit uninterrupted weeks-long chunks of time.

Here is the objective currently stated on my resume:

My passionate and primary objective is to provide people with essential knowledge to safely interact with and train dogs, ultimately reducing the number of dogs that are surrendered, abandoned or euthanized because of preventable behavioral issues.   As I continue to pursue further educational opportunities in this area, I seek to apply and increase my skills in positive reinforcement dog obedience training through involvement in animal and staff enrichment activities at humane shelters.

It could probably use some tweaking to better reflect my interest in safety and bite prevention, but it all comes back to preventing abandonment or euthanization because of something that could have been prevented through more or better education. This topic will be incorporated into my blog. Perhaps writing this post will reinvigorate the writing bug within me!

Thank for reading; now you know where I stand a year after getting my certification. Like my dogs, I'm still a work in progress but I'm having fun! I've learned a lot in a subject matter that I love, I've met wonderful people and fantastic dogs, and enjoyed every minute of it.