Читать книгу Careers with Dogs - Kim Campbell Thornton - Страница 29

Don’t be discouraged if years of difficult study don’t sound appealing. Not everyone is suited to that, and not every pet-related career requires a college degree. Sometimes experience does trump book learning. The success of dog trainer Cesar Millan is an example of what can happen if you have a knack for dealing with animals. You may find that apprenticing with a well-known trainer, groomer, or handler is considered just as valuable as a college degree, if not more so.

That said, it never hurts to have an education to fall back on, especially in a slow economy or in the event of an accident or illness that prevents you from continuing your chosen career. And in some instances, a college degree can give you an edge over people who have experience only. It can also help you develop better speaking and writing skills, which can be essential in communicating with clients and employees. It can give you a more in-depth background in your field as well. A dog trainer who has studied behavioral psychology is likely to have a better or more well-rounded understanding of why dogs behave in certain ways and how to motivate them.

Even better than a person who has either experience or formal education is one who has both. That’s a combination that is hard to beat.

EDUCATION RESOURCES

 Blue Ridge Community College, Veterinary Technology, http://community.brcc.edu/vettech

 Bucknell University, Animal Behavior Program, www.bucknell.edu/AnimalBehavior.xml

 Canisius College, Animal Behavior, www.canisius.edu/biopsych/anbehav

 Purdue University, Center for the Human-Animal Bond, www.vet.purdue.edu/chab/edu.htm

 Tufts University, Center for Animals and Public Policy, www.tufts.edu/vet/capp

 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, School of Integrative Biology, http://sib.illinois.edu

 University of New Hampshire, Thompson School of Applied Science, tsas.admit@unh.edu