My Journey To Becoming a Dog Trainer and Behaviorist – Now You Can Do It Too…

Doggy-Dan-Become-A-Dog-Trainer-HEADLINE

I was rapidly heading towards my 40’s… and knew it was time to make the jump to becoming a professional dog trainer and behaviorist.

Until then, I’d been sitting behind a desk with a career in middle management… a lifetime of helping my team sell as many cases of wine into supermarkets as possible.

I’m sure to some people that was the best job in the world. After all there were plenty of bottles of wine handed out as bonuses!

But I was so scared.

I was stuck in this job… it had become who I was. I was still so unsure of what I really wanted to do. But I was desperate for a change.

My life felt like sand falling through an egg timer…and it was running out!

You see…from an early age I’d dreamt of making a difference to people’s lives, and this simply didn’t feel like the life-changing impact I’d dreamt of.

Luckily I refused to settle for second best, and so I made the first step… I found help.

At the time I wasn’t sure exactly what I should become, so I began a search on the internet for careers advice online.

Within seconds I had stumbled upon this website that said it could tell if I was happy or not in my job by answering just a few questions. I decided to complete the questionnaire…

Amazingly the exact test is still on their site and so I’ve included a link here so you can do the same test!

Click here:  Take The Career Health Test 

And my results were very clear. It stated in no uncertain terms… “Yes, it is certainly time for something new!”

Fast forward 10 years to today and I don’t have a job or a career. I have a passion.

A passion that is fuelled by the knowledge that I now understand dogs in a way that very few people do.

And this knowledge allows me to help transform the often damaged and stressful relationship people have with their much loved dogs, turning it into an amazing loving bond that spans lifetimes.

There are many perks too…

One is financial. After all, people will pay very well if you really can help with their most loved pet. For many it is the living creature they love more than anything else.

However many of the other perks are non financial.

Dog training has taken me all over my country and given me the chance to meet the most amazing people. I’ve even been flown to other countries to work with some fascinating people.

I’ve visited the homes of multi billionaires, to people who barely have enough. And been lucky enough to meet some of the greatest sports stars, singers, actors and TV celebrities along the way.

After all…we all have dogs and we want the best for them.

But the biggest joy, by far, is still…

…being able to step into a situation, connect with a dog, and help out the dog who is more often than not, just being misunderstood.

When a dog owner realizes that the relationship I’ve struck up in an hour with their dog is a deeper, stronger, more respectful bond (in both directions) than they have achieved in years, they start to believe there is another way. A way out. A chance to move forward…

You give the owner hope. They can see that the dog is now happier, more relaxed and more compliant than they have ever been before.

Because a picture paints a thousand words.

And that’s what makes my heart sing. That’s what makes this a passion and not a career. It’s something I love to do, something I want to do. Something I live for.

Yes, people will pay well for my kind of help, but it’s not the money that motivates me. It’s the knowledge that I’m making a difference to both the people’s lives, and the dog’s life.

And that feels good.

But there’s still only one of me… and so many dogs who need help…

So now it’s time to get some more people onboard… time to make others who hear the calling become the person they’ve always dreamt of becoming.

People who truly want to help the dogs. People who love to help others, and people who are looking for a passion in life.

So if you are interested in finding out more about how to become a dog trainer then congratulations…

Because over the last two years my team and I have been putting together the most amazing training course – it really is like no other.

I won’t go into too much detail now, but just imagine that you could watch me at work in people’s homes, ask me any questions and be given the necessary help and advice to set up a successful dog training business from scratch.

Sound good?

Awesome!

All you have to do is CLICK HERE for more information on my new Dog Trainer Academy…

…and then standby as I’ll be in touch soon – with what it’s all about and how you can take YOUR next step.

Speak soon!

Doggy Dan Signature
~Doggy Dan 🙂

Doggy Dan

Doggy Dan is the founder of The Online Dog Trainer, a wildly successful online training program for dog owners. His goal is to continue to share his unique approach to dog training with like-minded people who wish to make a difference in the world of dogs. His training methods focus on creating and building the connection between dogs and dog owners, and are shared and used around the world.

36 Responses

  1. Hello Doggy Dan,

    I have already been a Professional Dog Trainer since 2001 having received my initial training from Purdue University’s Animal Behavior Clinic (part of their School of Veterinary Medicine). Unfortunately I have had to take a short break from my dog training business due to some life changes…a divorce and some personal health issues.

    However I am completely healthy & recovered now and would like to find out how to become a Dog Behaviorist. I’m not sure where to look for the right coursework and/or program. I am the type of learner who does best with in-person training rather than only online courses.

    Do you have any suggestions for me?

    Thanks so much.
    Anne W.

    1. Hi Anne…I do have an online Dog Trainer Academy, you can find out more about it by clicking on the following link https://dogtraineracademy.org/ I don’t run any purely face-to-face courses as we like to make our courses available to everyone no matter where in the world they are. Best, Doggy Dan

  2. I have a 15month old golden doodle that I am currently training/having trained. I have a son who has Down syndrome who is 19. Sam speech is limited but he has always had a way with dogs. When he is out of school at 21 I would like to them to be a therapy team, and like you said make others happy with what dogs can uniquely share. I have been reading and learning and am absolutely fascinated with dogs. Obviously I’m just getting ready to retire but would love to learn more about the human/dog relationships. How I wish I had discovered this passion when I was younger. Sorry for the long post lol

    1. Hi Lori,
      Thanks for your post, I love hearing from our followers and it’s by no means a long one! Dogs are really amazing in what they can do and it never ceases to amaze my at how brilliant they can be as service or therapy dogs for their owners. The bond these dogs have with their human charges is beautiful to see. Good luck with your training….best, Doggy Dan

  3. Hi Dan, I a already a dog trainer in a Perth, Australia. But I don’t get nearly enough business and I am really struggling to help my clients achieve real change. I really need help to star I business and accomplish my mission.

    1. Hi there..Marina thanks for posting your question.

      Very soon we shall be opening up our academy for training dog trainers again for some new recruits.

      If you are interested in joining then I would sign up here right away https://dogtraineracademy.org/

      The program shows how to share the method that you are using inside The Online Dog Trainer with people.

      It also helps with the business side of things such as how to get a steady flow of new clients and how to make things work financially.

      We have some extremely successful students in the program who had never trained a dog in their lives a year ago and now they are full time trainers across the world.

      Love to help you achieve your goal…
      Doggy Dan

    1. Hi Patrica, just make sure you have signed up under “CLICK HERE TO STAY INFORMED ABOUT THIS TOPIC” which is at the top of this page and we shall let you know all about it. I am so very excited about the course, putting it together has been a couple of years in the making now. Its really going to take those people who are looking for more to life especially in the area of helping dogs to take a journey where the benefits last a lifetime! Exciting times 🙂 Dan

  4. Hello Doggy Dan, I am a dogtrainer from the Netherlands. I am interested in dogtrainers from all over the world. I am a positive trainer. What is new about your trainingsmethode? I know thats positive trainings is not a method to put only cookies in the dog. regards Henk

    1. Hi Henk, the method that I use is really about going into the psychology of the dog and looking at the WHY a dog does something rather than just starting with trying to train it out of them with positive or negative consequences… So by looking at everything through the eyes of the dog (not through human eyes). I believe in owner education more than training the dog out of their “bad behaviors” because the dog is usually only a reflection of their environment and how they have been treated and trained. At a deeper level its about looking within ourselves at what WE can change about ourselves, our energy, the way we act and work with the dog rather than pointing a finger at the dog and saying I want you to fix my dog! I have found that the most important thing we can do with dogs is make sure they do no think they are the decision makers in the home. Once they understand this many issues disappear. So this is the cornerstone of the method. Its about winning the dogs mind FIRST and then we look at training the dogs body. Hope that makes sense, regards Dan

    1. Great stuff Sue, just register your interest by popping your email in the box at the top of this page and I’ll keep you up to date, there’s going to be a lot of really cool things for you to take a look at…exciting times for people who want to work with dogs 🙂 Best regards Dan

  5. Hi Doggy Dan!

    Great articles and information. Just found your site recently. I have a rescued 10 month old Lab Terrier mix who is aggressive at times and especially in our back yard. She wants to be dominate of the whole hard and will jump on me and pin me to the fence or house or act aggressively barking and biting. She can be sweet inside most of the time, but can still have an aggression attitude. I have tried several methods and nothing seems to work. Any videos that would help me on this issue? Thank you so much!

    1. Hi Angie, wow…that sounds pretty scary stuff. I will be honest and say this. With such a large, and strong minded dog I would not be doing you justice by suggesting a couple of quick tips or videos will sort it all out. At 10 months old you are starting to see what can potentially happen with your dog. You don’t have long before it will really get out of control…could be days or weeks. So, in my opinion the cause of the problem will be that she thinks she is in charge and is not happy with her lot. You talk about dominating you and the whole back yard so that sounds exactly what the cause of the issue is. Until you understand the importance of how to kindly and gently show her she is not in charge you are going to struggle. This is the foundation of my method, the pack leader section inside the site http://www.theonlinedogtrainer.com is what you need. Then you can start the training of what to do when she bites you etc… The training may not be that hard, it may be as simple as just walk inside if she barks or bowls you up but ONLY if you have the foundation in place. Hope that makese sense… The site is only $1 trial for 3 days. If you have any questions about it I am happy to answer them…I understand how serious this is and would like to help, regards Dan

    1. Cool Terry, lots of good stuff to share!… I presume you have signed up to be kept informed of the course at the top of the page?
      Regards Dan

  6. Doggie dan
    I have Icelandic sheepdogs I have 4 they are all unfixed females 2 of them fight is there a way to prevent this

    1. Hi Denise, sounds like fun with 4 dogs…there is certainly a way to stop them from fighting…its all about making sure they are not fighting for top spot! Training will not sort this issue… My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com shows you very clearly how to achieve this…maybe take a quick look…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan

    1. Hi Heather,

      thats great Heather, I think you and your son will love what we’ve put together 🙂
      See you soon! And make sure you register your interest to stay in the loop…best regards Dan

    1. Hi Aimee,

      cool, all the best with your new business, I think you may find this course a good addition to what you offer 🙂
      Make sure you register your interest in the box at the top of this page, cheers Doggy Dan

  7. Hello,
    I’l like to register my interest in the dog training course but couldn’t see the button to click!
    Thanks
    Ashleigh

    1. Hi Ashleigh,

      I’ve added a “YES I”M INTERESTED – KEEP ME INFORMED” button at the top of the page to make it easier to find!
      Exciting times ahead 🙂 Have a great day, Doggy Dan

    1. Hi Karl,

      you can register your email in the box at the top of this page and we’ll keep you up to date with whats going on… Thanks, Doggy Dan

    1. Hi Mark,

      If you are interested finding out more about the Dog Training Academy then please register your email in the box at the top of this page and you shall be kept up to date with whats going on… Thanks, Doggy Dan

    1. Hi Angela,

      If you are interested finding out more about the Dog Training Academy then please register your email in the box at the top of this page and you shall be kept up to date with whats going on… Thanks, Doggy Dan

  8. Hi, I think your approach to dog training is awesome! I work in a dog day care in Whangarei and I started using your tips which work a treat. In this post I see that you are going to have trainer training. …. can you please send me details about this? Thanks, Birgit

    1. Hi Birgit,
      thanks. I used to work in a doggy day care…some of my happiest days… Surrounded by dogs 🙂
      If you are interested in becoming a dog trainer then you can find out more here…There is a button at the top of the place where you can register your interest…
      https://theonlinedogtrainer.com/becoming-a-dog-trainer-and-behaviorist/
      I’m putting the course together as we speak and can honestly say there is some really amazing stuff…best regards, Dan

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