Dog Trainer

A professional dog trainer performs an important service for both dog and human. From helping you teach your pooch basic manners and addressing problem behaviours to advanced training for K9 units, this job requires a lot of skill. There are specialized courses for service dog or K9 unit training, so you’ll need to adapt your skills accordingly.

David Shade, age 32, At Attention Dog Training

I have a long background with the military and suffered from PTSD but turns out this was my path to becoming a dog trainer. I always wanted a dog but never had the opportunity until I got Lulu, my Boxer. Within just a few months she taught me to love and feel again rather than be emotionally numb. She gave my life a purpose.

Next up I spent 18 months at Catch Trainers Academy in New Jersey. I simultaneously worked with Otis, a dog I adopted from the SPCA, read about 30 books about training dogs, and started my own business—At Attention Dog Training—about four years ago. My website was my calling card and I used social media, mainly Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, to try and engage people. And I used Thumbtack, an online site where you can hire specialists to do a job. I bid on jobs, work slowly trickled in, and referrals were like a snowball affect. I started networking: I took business cards to pet stores, vet clinics, dog walkers, and sitters.

I have now trained close to 1,500 dogs and have four employees, including my wife. About 30 - 40 dogs come through our door weekly for training. We also offer in-home training and classes, including one-on-one with your puppy.