CPD Skill HUB - Over 60 Courses, Workshops and Webinars

8 Excellent Reasons To Work With Dogs

Sally Gutteridge
I must hear it so many times, “I want to work with dogs but don’t know where to start” or “I’m scared to leave my job” or “what if it doesn’t work out”. The niggling thoughts and ideas we get are there for a reason and here are the reasons you should listen to this one.

  1. The dogs need you. The small towns and cities are still saturated with poor quality dog trainers. We still see dogs being punished and misunderstood. We still see three punishers to one educated empathiser. You can be that empathiser.

  2. Their people need you. Dog guardians rarely know the complexities which lurk around regulation of dog training. When people are struggling with a dog and get to the point they need help, they often assume all dog trainers are properly educated and know their stuff. Sadly many dog trainers are poorly educated and end up doing more harm than good. This means their people either go along with the training or take their dog away and are scared to try again. What they need most of all is someone like you, to help them.

  3. The market is perfect for you. As I say, many areas still have three bad dog trainers to one (or even zero) good ones. The internet has opened up knowledge to people, and balanced out the TV celebrity type training. People are increasingly aware that it’s best to look for science-based dog professionals.

  4. More good dog walkers are needed. Dog walkers, like trainers are varied in their quality. Some walkers parade eight stressed dogs around on short leads, whilst others walk two or three, watching their emotional state carefully. Again, when people employ a dog walker they usually do so on trust – but people are asking more questions now and you can so easily become the excellent dog walker in your local area by putting quality of walks over quantity of dogs you take at a time. It’s pre-determined success. You just need to believe in yourself and skill-up.

  5. Studying dogs is fun. It really is – even if you didn’t learn at school or haven’t studied for 30 years, learning about dogs is fun. It gives us a self-esteem boost, is so interesting and certainly addictive. I didn’t do well at school – I didn’t even get one of the old GCSE’s but made up for it with all the dog study I have carried out since – and you know it’s not like work, it’s really not.

  6. When you follow your heart, things always work out for the best. Taking a leap of faith can be scary. However you approach change though, you can do it and work with dogs. If you need the numbers and proof before you even consider it, do market research. Create a spreadsheet identifying how much you need to earn to make this change. Do anything you need to in order to feel comfortable with a new venture but honestly, if it’s a niggling thought – it means you need to follow it into your future. 

  7. You can do this! If your self-belief is low, use this to grow it. Do one thing at a time and complete it. If your mind chatters away telling you all sorts of lies about inability, it’s not real. The negative mind chatter is simply beliefs that you have gathered along the way, usually in your first few years. It’s not right, it’s not real.

  8. Too many people are trapped in the system. This is absolutely true. Our society tells us all the time that we are safe in a job. That we must hold onto our jobs no matter what, that we must have a certain amount of money in the bank before we follow our heart. Even that we must work and work at something we hate, looking forward to the weekend, holidays, retirement. The system trappings are not true, why have one client (an employer) responsible for all of your income? Why not have twenty different clients? Twenty dog owners who are grateful to have found you, twenty dogs who thrive in your care and coaching? Why not do that instead?


What should you do now? Go back to the top and re-read this post. Read it three times or even four. I promise you it’s all true. Allow that little niggling thought to shout louder – to drown out the negative chatter. Start studying, start planning and make the ultimate step of following your heart. 

Start Your FREE Skill-Hub Trial Today

Commitment Free 3 Day Access

Canine Principles' Skill-Hub allows unlimited* access to ALL self-study courses, workshops & webinars.
Drag to resize
Drag to resize
*Requires Monthly Subscription. See Skill-Hub Subscription Page For Details.

Latest From Our Blog