Instructions
Attend a service dog training program. You do not need to attend a program in California to become a service dog trainer in Irvine, California, however you may want to search local training programs in the state before looking outside of the state. You can find a list of dog-training programs in California at the website provided by K9 trainers, located at Resource 1. You can also find a comprehensive list of out-of-state training programs listed at Resource 2.
Complete 300 hours of dog-training instruction. This instruction can come from traditional classroom settings, field training, seminars and conferences and even work with shelter animals.
Take and pass the certification examination given by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. The certification examinations are given throughout the year, and you can schedule your test through the website provided by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.
Apply for service dog trainer jobs in Irvine. If you cannot find available jobs in traditional job listings, such as the newspaper or online databases, contact local shelters, veterinarians and other dog-training programs in the area, as they may have special knowledge of available service dog training jobs available in the area.
How to Become a Service Dog Trainer in Irvine, California
Service dogs are used in a variety of fields. They can be used for therapy, as police dogs, search and rescue dogs and even companion animals for individuals with disabilities. Service dog trainers work with various breeds of dogs over an extended period of time to teach them how to assist in specialized fields. After deciding the kind of service dogs that you want to train, you must then pass an examination given by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, which will award you certification to train dogs. Once you earn the certification, you can become a service dog trainer in Irvine, California.