People love animals, and animals are even more lovable when they're well-trained. Professional animal trainers teach animals new behaviors, whether it's for a search and rescue operation, therapeutic horseback riding, performances, or simply training a puppy not to jump up onto visitors. Birds, monkeys, and most often, dogs, may be trained to assist individuals who are deaf, blind or mobility-impaired. Trainers use different techniques, but the simplest is rewarding the correct action with food or praise. A love of animals may lead you to this field, but patience and good communication are essential, as is the willingness to handle the unglamorous care and upkeep of animals. The work can be physically strenuous, especially with large animals. Entry into this field may be through vocational training programs or apprenticeships. The more exotic jobs in venues such as movies or TV, zoos and research facilities may require a bachelor’s degree and specialized skills such as SCUBA diving. The pay is generally low -- many trainers also find work at kennels, stables and grooming services to supplement their income.
What they do:
Train animals for riding, harness, security, performance, or obedience, or assisting persons with disabilities. Accustom animals to human voice and contact; and condition animals to respond to commands. Train animals according to prescribed standards for show or competition. May train animals to carry pack loads or work as part of pack team.
On the job, you would:
Cue or signal animals during performances.
Talk to or interact with animals to familiarize them to human voices or contact.
Conduct training programs to develop or maintain desired animal behaviors for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding, or related purposes.
Education and Training
teaching and course design
Math and Science
Arts and Humanities
talking to others
using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things
teaching people how to do something
changing what is done based on other people's actions
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
communicate by speaking
listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
notice when problems happen
order or arrange things
exercise for a long time without getting out of breath
People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
They do well at jobs that need:
Attention to Detail
You might use software like this on the job:
Data base user interface and query software
Electronic mail software
high school diploma/GED or no high school diploma/GED usually needed
Examples of Registered Apprenticeship programs include:
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.