Clean Run Magazine - June 2010 - 7

Everything you always wanted to know about agility
By Brenna Fender I’m in high school and I just started competing this year with my Lab, although I’ve been studying agility for about seven years. I love agility and one day want to have my own training center and be a professional trainer. I will graduate in a few years, and sadly there are no college courses for agility trainers. What direction would you recommend when applying to college? Would getting a business degree then apprenticing with a trainer be good? Or perhaps another road? Many paths can lead to becoming a professional dog trainer and owning a training facility. While there are a few dog training or instructor certification programs available, it is probably best for you to start with a college degree that can be applied to a variety of occupations. Degrees in behavioral analysis can build a solid understanding of what it really takes to train dogs (and their owners). “The primary focus of your education needs to be on behavior. The core of agility is operant and respondent conditioning and a thorough understanding of this science is a necessity,” says Angelica Steinker, MEd, who has many certifications through dog training organizations and owns Courteous Canine Inc. “To operate a dog school you need to understand the science of behavior so you can manage your staff well, communicate clearly with clients, and modify dog behavior. Also no matter how much we love the dogs, your real client is the human. Understanding how to modify human behavior will be vastly helpful, as it is the much more challenging part of the equation.” Another dog trainer echoes Steinker’s suggestion of studying general psychology. Owner of Best Behavior Dog Training Audrey Ferrell says, “I suggest taking all the classes she can on learning theory through the Animal Science department as well as through the Psych department. I have a BS in Animal Science and had I known what was ahead of me, I would have benefited greatly from classes in psychology while in college. After college and after I started my business, I went back to the University of South Carolina and took a whole bunch of psych classes.” Focusing on animals and behavior at the collegiate level is a theme repeated by well-known agility competitor and instructor Nancy Gyes, who owns Power Paws Agility with her husband Jim Basic. “While agility instructing does not require any kind of advanced college degree, since this young handler is going to pursue a college education anyway, I would suggest she consider a degree in animal behavior. Attending business classes is a good idea as well, but first and foremost she should consider learning as much as possible about animal behavior. I personally did not have the foresight when I was young to work toward a degree in the animal sciences and have always regretted it,” she says.

Do you have a question about agility rules or anything else agility related? Mail your questions to Brenna Fender: brennafender@gmail.com Brenna collects the questions and forwards them to us so we never see the names.

Consider getting certifications from organizations such as the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. “Another resource is the Association for Pet Dog Trainers. Professional membership and certification help you to grow your business and connect you to a network of others in the profession,” says Bonnie Henderson, who runs a training business called A Better Canine. Now that we’ve sorted out your college education for you, trainers have more suggestions for your budding career. “A key part to your education is also to continue in the sport of agility and to learn how to train the agility behaviors with a variety of breeds to the highest level,” says Steinker. Success in agility with your own dogs can be what attracts many people to your training center. Being able to do amazing things on course doesn’t mean you have the skills to teach (although your education should help in that regard). Find a trainer you admire and see if she might allow you to apprentice with her to get hands-on experience. Gyes says, “My mentor was the instructor who taught me privately with my own dogs, and when I wanted to pursue dog training as a career I apprenticed with her. I worked for free and then eventually was a paid instructor through her dog obedience school.” Don’t confine your experiences to agility only. Training in other dog sports helps you to be a better instructor, plus it allows you to diversify your business if necessary. Be sure not to neglect the business side of training. The inability to budget, market, and so on can likely sink a training business even if the trainer is amazing. Consider a minor in a business program or take business courses offered by universities, community colleges, or at seminars. D

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Clean Run Magazine - June 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - June 2010