Become a Service Dog Trainer Within 8 Months
If you already train dogs and are ready for a new challenge you might want to learn how to train mobility and psychiatric service dogs. Mobility and psychiatric service dog training certification can be completed in about 8 months. Service dog training is a great career that allows you to help both dogs and give people with a wide range of disabilities and service needs a chance to live more independently and safely.
How does service dog training help dogs? As an experienced dog trainer, you know that a well-trained canine is more likely to have a forever home. Lots of service dogs start out as shelter animals or rescue dogs. By becoming a service dog trainer, learning suitable matches with the rescue dogs and a particular human in need, you can use your experience to give a qualified dog a home for life and improve – or even save- a person’s life. From hearing dogs to mobility task dogs to PTSD dogs, you can train canines to perform specific-disability tasks and help those who need it most.
FAQs About a Service Dog Trainer Career
- Is being a service dog trainer a good career?
“Demand for service dogs has exploded in recent years as dogs have proved adept at helping children and adults with an increasing range of disabilities,” according to Kaiser Health News.1 - Can I make a living as a service dog trainer?
Service dog training is a viable career. Depending on where you live, service dog trainers make anywhere from $30k to $50k+ a year. The average yearly salary is around $40,348 according to ZipRecruiter. - What degree do you need to become a service dog trainer?
You do not need a degree, but you must be experienced as a dog trainer before taking this program. Click here for requirements for enrollment. - How many hours do service dog trainers work?
Depending on how many dogs you are training at one time, you can work as few as 4 hours up to 8+ hours a day. - How long does it take to get certified as a service dog trainer?
The average student completes ABC’s 10 stage service dog course in 8 months. - How do I begin training service dogs?Upon certification, you could find employment at an assistance/service dog organization or you could add service dog training to your existing offerings. Note that it can take up to 18 months to train a service dog. They require extensive training on handling specific medical/disability conditions.2
1 Hawryluk, M. (2022, February 16). Demand for service dogs unleashes a ‘wild west’ market. Kaiser Health News. Retrieved May 23, 2022, from https://khn.org/news/article/demand-for-service-dogs-unleashes-a-wild-west-market/
2 Parenti, L., Wilson, M., Foreman, A. M., Wirth, O., & Meade, B. J. (2015). Selecting Quality Service Dogs: Part 1: Morphological and Health Considerations. The APDT chronicle of the dog, 2015 (summer), 71–77.
Why You Should Become a Service Dog Trainer Today
While approximately 61 million Americans live with disabilities, fewer than 1 percent (about 500,000) have service dogs. In Canada, the fewer than 1 percent holds true as well; there are about 55,000 service dogs compared to 6.2 million disabled persons. This is due to various reasons, including lack of availability and high costs. In addition, because people are living longer, the need for service dogs and their trainers will continue to grow. By becoming a service dog trainer, you can help boost the number of service dogs available (thus lessening the average 3-year wait time) while ensuring you have a viable career.
Get Paid Doing What You Love
Professional service dog trainers earn money while helping those who need assistance the most. For many, this represents the best of all possible worlds.
Own Your Own Business
Many people dream of being their own boss. This can become your reality because there are relatively low start-up costs necessary to create a service dog training business of your own. With ABC, you will not only learn how to become a service dog trainer, but you will also be given in-depth information on how to start a service dog training business.
Where Service Dog Trainers Can Work
Upon completion of this program, graduates will be credentialed as Animal Behavior College, Service Dog Trainers (ABCSDT). They will be equipped to offer their service dog training skills and knowledge to established assistance dog organizations, as well as primed to start their own business. ABCSDTs can also continue their education in advanced service dog training methods to teach dogs to help their handlers with a wide variety of physical and psychiatric disorders.
For example, service dog trainers can work for organizations that train: hearing dogs, mobility service dogs, PTSD Veteran service dogs, psychiatric service dogs, autism service dogs, diabetic-alert service dogs, medical-alert service dogs and seizure-alert service dogs.
Other possible employment occupations include:
- Puppy Advisor
- Foster Care Coordinator
- Puppy Program Manager
- Puppy Socializing Program Supervisor
- Assistant Service Dog Trainer
- Training Director
Please note that no school can offer any type of guarantee as to whether a graduate will find employment. Animal Behavior College makes no promises or guarantees about employment.
