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Attending a dog-training school is an option for aspiring trainers. Such schools vary widely in the length of their programs and the training methods they teach. Some have actual campuses, while others have distance-learning programs.

Look for a thorough program that includes courses on the history of dog training, including a comparison of dog training with other animal-training methods; how animals learn; dog behavior, body language, and development; how to design classes and advise owners; and the basics of business management, such as marketing, accounting, customer relations, insurance requirements, and legal issues faced by small businesses.

Schools should offer programs that address shaping, targeting, clicker training, and other techniques; the science of learning; the use, advantages, and disadvantages of various types of equipment; and how to develop your classroom procedures. In addition to learning how to interpret dog behavior, students should also become adept at reading human body language and tailoring basic behaviors for the specific needs of each dog and owner.

At the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, a full-time six-week course in science-based, positive-reinforcement methods results in a certificate in training and counseling. Students attend lectures, workshops, and seminars that cover animal-learning theory, dog behavior and development, obedience and clicker training, teaching classes, treating common behavior problems, critical thinking, and one-on-one counseling skills.

An online option is offered by the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior. The six-month program combines distance learning with four two-day hands-on workshops. Between workshop sessions, students can get help by phone or e-mail from the workshop instructor or academy staff. While it’s recommended that a student who aspires to enroll in this challenging program already have experience as a trainer, veterinary technician, or shelter employee, it’s not required. The curriculum ranges from such topics as behavior chains and cuing to preparing business plans.

“A school or course should supply you with abundant knowledge in many different areas of becoming a trainer as well as behavior,” says Pamela Dennison, a trainer in New Jersey. “There’s a lot involved in being a good or great dog trainer, and the first thing to understand is that dog training is not really about dogs. It’s about teaching people to communicate with dogs. Look for a school run by professionals who teach, compete with dogs, and write about and speak on dog training rather than one where all they do is charge a huge amount for a reading list.”

In addition to lectures and reading assignments, a school should offer hands-on practice. Correspondence or video courses may teach you some of the basics, but there’s nothing like real-life experience. The ideal school is one that provides a wide curriculum and plenty of opportunities to work with a number of dogs. Such an opportunity might be spending time at a local animal shelter or rescue group, working with dogs who need house-training and manners to help them become more adoptable.

Ian Dunbar: Patron Saint of Positive Training

Having founded the Association of Pet Dog Trainers in 1993, Ian Dunbar today is revered as the patron saint of positive training. As a dynamic lecturer and an innovative teacher, he has made a huge impact on the behavior and training community. In 1981 he developed the revolutionary Sirius Puppy Training technique, which advocated positive training methods to pet-dog owners. Dunbar focused his methods on training pet dogs and emphasized the use of food treats in training as well as the importance of puppy socialization. Dunbar received his veterinary degrees from the Royal Veterinary College in London and his doctorate in animal behavior from the University of California in Berkeley. He hosted a popular television series in the United Kingdom called Dogs with Dunbar. Dunbar has written numerous books, including his How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks and The Good Little Dog Book, as well as appeared on about a dozen Sirius Puppy Training videos. No other behaviorist-trainer today can lay claim to the lasting influence that Dunbar’s dog-friendly positive methods have had on the international dog scene.

“Work with as many dogs as you can, especially those with problems,” Toepfer says. “Volunteering at a shelter or rescue organization is an outstanding way to test your training skills and to make a significant difference for a dog who needs a home.”

Before you send in your tuition check, ask school officials what type of training methods they advocate in their classes. You don’t want to go to a “jerk ’em, choke ’em” school if your interests lie in clicker training and other positive-reinforcement techniques.