Dog Trainer Schools

Northeast

• Anthony Jerone's School of Dog Training and Career Inc. is located in New York City. Its career academy offers a six-week professional dog trainers course that feature classes in dog obedience, learning theory, basic principles of behavior, basic clicker training, protection training, first aid for dogs, business techniques and imprinting, socialization, and selection of puppies. Classes on private lessons and group classes are also a part of the program.

  Olympia Kennels School for Trainers is located in Chester, N.H. It offers a professional trainer's course that prepares individuals for commercial dog training and focuses on comprehensive instruction of theory and methodology and hands-on abilities. Topics include identification and treatment of behavior issues, teaching private and group lessons, and marketing dog-training businesses. Students are also able to complete a home- and personal-protection training course.

Midwest

• The Tom Rose in St. Louis, Mo., offers a 16-week associate trainer certificate and a 20-week professional dog trainer certificate program for individuals with no previous experience. It also offers a 12-week master dog trainer, 20-week guide and/or assistance dog trainer and 50-week advanced master dog trainer program. The advanced program is intended for exceptional students from the master dog trainer program. Course topics include obedience, agility, search and rescue, puppy imprinting, tracking and teaching private and group obedience classes.

  National K-9 Learning Center is located in Columbus, Ohio. It offers a three-week professional obedience/behavior course and a six-week master trainer course. The professional obedience/behavior course requires 132 unit hours and provides instruction on the fundamentals of dog training. The master trainer course requires 275 unit hours and it includes all the information taught in the obedience/behavior course and expands on various topics, including obedience, behavior modification, utility training, puppy preschool, tracking, assistance dog training for the disabled, personal protection training, breed characteristics and customer relations.

South

• The Triple Crown Academy is in Hutto, Texas. It offers a campus-based four-week pet obedience theory and application, eight-week canine training specialist and 12-week canine training and behavior specialist. It also offers two online programs: the 10-week program, Dog Training Fundamentals: An Enthusiast's Guide, and the 12-week program, Pet Obedience Instruction: Theory and Application of Canine Behavior. The programs feature instruction on learning theory, basic obedience, clicker training, puppy training, behavior problems, agility, basic dog care, puppy imprinting and socialization, private lessons, kennel management, business techniques and behavior modification strategies.

  Jo-Thor's Dog Trainers Academy is located in Alpharetta, Ga. It offers five courses of study: an 80-hour online assistant dog trainer course, 160-hour basic dog educator/trainer course, 160-hour advanced dog educator/trainer course, 160-hour master dog educator/trainer course and 480-hour professional dog educator/trainer course. Courses have specific core hours that students are required to attend and flexible other hours. Topics include obedience commands, breed identification, dog-learning influences, behavioral problems, traditional training, puppy behavior, agility, dog behavior rules and dog sports, competitions and trials.

West

• K-9 Companions is located in Perris, Calif. It offers a 240-hour certified dog trainer course and a certified master dog trainer course. Instructional topics for the certified dog trainer course includes three levels of dog obedience, three levels of protection and a summary of detection work. Individuals wishing to become a certified master trainer must complete the certified trainer course and have at least one year of practical experience working with dogs and clients while being supervised by a professional dog trainer from K-9 Companions.

  TLC K9 Academy offers a K9 Dog Trainer School in Phoenix, Ariz. It offers a two-day dog trainer seminar, five-day dog trainer seminar and three-week professional dog trainer certification course. The course curriculum for the two-day and five-day courses is established to meet individual needs and students learn dog training and dog whispering in a practical environment. The professional dog trainer certification course results in a Certified TLC K9 Magic Touch Method Dog Obedience Trainer designation. The course curriculum includes the TLC Magic Touch Method seminar, the remote trainer, learning and the dog, the psychology of the dog's mind, canine aggression, dancing with dogs, training problems, obedience command and creating a business plan (See Resources).

Online

• Animal Behavior College offers a certified dog trainer program that enables individuals to study at home. The program is flexible and students can finish between 40 and 60 weeks. The curriculum is divided into 11 stages, and topics include study of canines, learning theory, training basics, safety, teaching obedience cues, problem solving, public speaking and teaching group classes and business-building. The program also includes a practicum and externship component. The practicum requires at least 10 hours of volunteer work at a local animal shelter, rescue organization or humane society. The externship involves working with an American Behavior College mentor trainer (see Resources).