Asking People who work at dog kennels or are dog trainers?
Question by : Asking People who work at dog kennels or are dog trainers?
So im 17 (18 in two months) and I want to work at a dog kennel. I was wondering if they actually hire someone who hasn’t gone to school for working with dogs, if they would hire someone at my age. Im great with dogs and love dogs. There hasn’t been not one day since i was 2 years old that me or my family hasn’t had a dog. Ive trained many puppies and older rescue dogs and i know how to act and react with dogs. The kennels in my town to some training as well, the dogs go for walks a couple times a day and they do grooming. So id be doing stuff like that, so is there any chance they’d actually hire me? I am going tomorrow to talk to them, but i just want your opinions now. And if they would what kind of work would i be doing? I live in Canada if that helps. Id love to have a job working with dogs rather then just some crappy mcdonalds job like most people my age. Also was wondering if a dog trainer would hire me, ever since i was 9 years old ive been training dogs and pups (they were my dogs so thats why i was doing the training instead of my parents) and they all turned out to be perfect dogs that listen to every command i gave them. And i train the right way with positive reinforcement. (not with negativity and without any physical harm) And also im not like the other teenagers my age, I dont party and drink, or skip school. Im pretty much a 20 something living in a 17 year old’s body if that makes any sense. This is what i want to do for a living and working at the kennel or working with a dog trainer would be great for my college application for this.
Best answer:
Answer by Katie
Why not give it a go? Look through the pages or on the net for dog kennels. Apply to the vet for receptionist jobs. There is a course available at tafe that relates to animals also. Do some research about dog groomers and trainers and write up application forms. Another good start is to volunteer at the animal shelter or the RSPCA. The animal shelter would be a good bet. That gives you experience you can add to your resume and extra experience makes a lot of difference as to whether or not you get a job; and get your driver’s lisence. It sounds stupid and sometimes it is, but we’re a society that is obsessed with cars. Having a lisence makes a huge difference in finding a job. You will also need two people who can say positive things about you. Another job finding thing you have to conform to to get a job. I don’t know what kind of work you’d be doing. They would probably tell you and if you wanted to stay there, you’d have to do it without complaint. People almost always start at the bottom and work their way up. So, they’d probably give you gradually more opportunities over time. That’s something in life everyone has to accept, except for a few lucky people who are born rich or got famous really young from a rare talent.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
JVZoo Product Feed
There is a lot of competition out there right now,, for jobs. The pay would not be great. You would also be hired from the ground level. You have a lot to give, and if you are diligent with your job…no matter if it is cleaning out the kennels, and you do an excellent job, you have the potential to rise in the ranks, Also make plans now to get a certification in dog training. Paperwork in these days DOES count. Apply what you have learned at the kennels on up thru the ranks/tasks you will be given. A dog trainer could even mentor you. You will be able to be around a lot of new experiences,,,and some will tear your heart out,,,because this is part of working with ANY living creature, You will need to be open to opportunities that will lead into other opportunities, You will not be hired as a trainer. You will need a mentor, or a certification.If you are willing to learn from the ground up..I hope they will give you a chance.What you want to do is GOOD, It will take years of experience, and you will grow into a far different person than you now are. Dogs are good teachers of mankind.I have tried to give you a realistic base…because you are worth it.! Good Luck to you in Your journey!
Getting hired at a kennel is no big trick – they generally need help.
Working as a dog handler or training takes more. See if you can find a kennel owned by a show handler and see if you can work there and learn. You’d be surprised how hard it is to find good people motivated to learn, go to shows, groom and handle.
In fact, pet grooming school does nothing but teach pet groooming (which isn’t hard). Its the show grooming where the $ $ and skill is involved, and you can’t learn that at school, you learn from show handlers. Also, I’d suggest going to a Greg Strong or George Alston handling seminar after you get a little experience around show dogs. Very valuable…worth every penny in travel and seminar costs.
Kennels will often hire staff as young as 14 for all but the most “dangerous” jobs – this is legal in most states because animal care is considered agricultural in nature. As the “newbie” the majority of your job will be menial labor… aka, you will be the pooper scooper and dog wrangler. There is nothing wrong with that as it is the reality of dog ownership and care and you will learn a lot by supervising dog play, etc, in addition to the diligence and grit you get from the hard manual labor part.
Becoming a trainer or assisting with training can be a bit trickier, particularly if you do not have a dog or two of your own that you have trained for at least on relevant canine sport. If you show you are dedicated, however, and express an interest, most trainers (or groomers!) will let you watch and teach/apprentice you into their craft.
Be willing to be flexible as most good trainers do not use “positive only” in the sense that many pet owners use the term – some of the most positive trainers I have ever worked with (based on how much the dogs enjoyed training) have used *gasp* pinch collars right along with a clicker, a hot dog, and a few funny tricks. The point is: you will be there to learn, not to teach or lecture. Either find a trainer whose philosophy you agree with 100% or learn what you can from whatever trainer you work with, and add it to your training toolbox.
Kennel help does not look especially impressive on a college application unless you are applying for a vet school or similar animal-focused program. None of the best dog trainers I have ever known or met have “gone to college for dog training”, that is simply not how the dog world operates. If you want to be a trainer when you become an adult, you start networking and learning NOW. You learn hands-on everything you can from anyone who will teach you or let you watch them, you join a training club in your dog sport of choice, get your dog(s) to competition level and show a weekend or two every month, you offer to teach community ed or 4-H dog classes for free or dirt cheap, and then you either build your own training facility or you join up with an established trainer that already has one. You will never be rich (except in friends and dog kisses) and you will work harder than virtually anyone else for less pay (possible exception: stay-at-home-mom), but it is a vastly rewarding, changing, and exciting job.