Not Just Your Dog Trainer

When you look for a new job, there are clear guidelines of what your tasks will be. That’s why you get given a ‘job description’, when applying for things. There are also the ideas of what OTHERS think your tasks are, which can sometimes miss the mark…

Many people think that the following is what is in the job description, when you say to them that you’re a dog trainer: 

• Cuddle puppies
• Pat dogs
• Teach dogs cool tricks
• Cuddle some more puppies
• Maybe teach a sit or a down on a busy day

But that is only a small part of the job, certainly a highlight, but not the only thing we do. The thought that ‘we have the best job ever’, is not incorrect, but it’s not all puppy kisses and running through the fields with all smiles and treats. 

Most people don’t realise that while a lot of trainers work part time, there are a few out there (Allsorts included) that actually are in this profession full time. It is not just a ‘job-hobby’, where we go out and train when we feel like it. Our calendar is filled with courses, consultations, and when we’re not on the ground teaching, assessing, or supporting clients, there are often follow up emails, texts to reply to, and social media to manage.

People look incredulous when we say that consultation notes may take a few working days to come through, almost as if they believe they are the only ones we are working with on the go. But we have multiple consultations in a week! That’s a lot of individual training to keep track of.

Think of your dog trainer a bit like a swiss-army knife - we are capable of doing and being many things!

If we get any downtime between the courses, we are planning and developing them. We want to offer the best quality learning and activities for those who train with us, and keep it fresh and fun. To keep track of that, we have to have communication about how full each class is, when appointments are on, and what we have to prepare for. We are extremely lucky to have a versatile team where that admin load can be shared and managed (individual shout out to Letisha for being one of the best, behind the scenes but always making sure things run smoothly!)

We also want to ensure that every person feels supported in their dog training journeys. From puppy classes to the more complicated behaviour cases, we work alongside owners in learning new concepts and skills they may have never been introduced to before. Some puppies and families are with us from the week their puppies come home, and we grow and learn together all the way into the dog’s adulthood.

For aggression cases, the emotionality and the stakes run higher, and we have to stand strong and give the most solid recommendations for their situations. Sometimes, the outcomes of cases don’t end up in smiles - and we are there for the families every step of the way. 

Education is a major part of what we do, for the people we see face to face, but we can help people learn in so many different ways. Thanks to the digital age, we are lucky enough to be able to connect with people across the globe, but there is a market to keep up with regarding what information gets released into the world. You have to make sure to remain eye-catching, concise, not too complicated, not too controversial… what gets you seen and listened to is endless and always changing, so you have to adapt too. It’s very different to standing in front of a class of humans and dogs and demonstrating the concepts you want to get across. 

So really, the task of a dog trainer is more than just hanging out with dogs all day. We’ve got many roles:

• Teachers
• Content Creators
• Administration
• Someone to confide in
• Course Developers
• Your biggest cheerleader

We love it, because we see the positive effect we can have on the families and dogs we support. From showing people the full potential of their dogs and how smart they are, to changing the outcome of a case of rehoming to keeping a family together, we see that we are changing lives of those we are lucky enough to work with. 

We’ll be with you through thick and thin, which means that sometimes it takes just that little bit longer to reply to your email over the weekend.

Every single dog we work with gets a part of us, and we will show up in every form that we need to for them.

Authored by Sarah Endres
Dog Trainer and Behaviour Advisor