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Is it hard to become an animal trainer?

I am an animal lover, and I have always enjoyed teaching my farm animals different tricks. I want my future career to be something along this line of work but I don't know what would suit me best. #animals #veterinarian #career-choice #zooloy #animaltraining

veterinarian animals animaltraining zooloy
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Rodney’s Answer

I share your love for animals, and volunteered for animal shelters in Boston for many years. My brother was a animal shelter manager. To break into a career as a animal trainer depends on so many factors, but the number #1 is showing your love for animals by volunteering for a shelter, zoo, or animal farm. From there, I think you need to tell everyone what you are seeking to do, and ask if they can help. Put together a list of people that you know who work with animals now, and write down how you think they can help you to get a job as a animal trainer. Everyone has at least 10 people that they know. Also, I recommend giving a few calls to dog walking companies, and ask if you can be a dog walker, and as you grow into a great dog walker, offer your services as a dog trainer free of charge, and see where that leads you. Also, do you have a linkedin profile, I suggest creating a profile, and connect with as many animal trainers and dog trainers in your area (I know Pittsfield, so maybe expand to Springfield or West Springfield), too). Once you connect with some trainers on LinkedIn, ask them some questions through LinkedIn messages, and maybe schedule a few phone conversations to ask for their career advice. I think if you try these approaches, you will quicken your path to a career as a Animal Trainer.
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Ashley’s Answer

Hi Harley,

I think Rodney gives some great advice above about staying active by volunteering somewhere local. There are a lot of things you can do such as start your own dog walking/pet sitting/pet care business or sign up to work for Wag or Rover. Apply to work part-time at a local pet store. I think all of these experiences will help you to grow your own knowledge of animal training/behavior but also to expand your networking basis. Reach out to local trainers and see what they did to get where they are now. The trainer I use with my dog now is older than me, but runs her own small business full-time. I think being a self-starter and intrinsically motivated to succeed in this role will be helpful as it isn't necessarily an area where you go to school, get a 4 year degree, graduate and apply for a job. Other advice I would suggest is look into animal psychology and see if there are any books/classes you can aread about it.

best of luck!
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Ron’s Answer

If you love working with animals you can build on that by volunteering or simply going by places that involve animals and build relationship while learning more things about your interest. You would be surprised how many careers are catered to you passion. Develop relationships with people and do research on companies that work with animals. That's a way to create and build opportunities in the future and volunteer, volunteer, volunteer!! What's cooler than being g able to say you have hundreds of hours of documented experience when shaking someone's hand that's already in the field you want to be in? Makes for some excellent referrals on your resume as well.

Ron recommends the following next steps:

Visit local shelters
Search schools that have the correct fields of study
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