How Much Does It Cost To Become A Dog Trainer

You’re thinking of becoming a pet dog trainer, but have questions. 

Questions like:

• How much do professional dog trainers make typically?
• Do people pay for dog training? 
• How much does it cost to become a professional dog trainer?
• What education and experience do I need?

The pet dog industry is booming especially when it relates to dog training services. There is no better time to consider a career in professional dog training. Just like you and me, millions of North Americans love their dogs and regard them as family members. They want only the best for their dogs when potentially hiring a professional dog training specialist. 

An unprecedented number of people are bringing puppies and dogs into their homes to join their families. They need skilled and educated dog training professionals to help them integrate, properly raise and train their new furry family members. Pet dog training has proven itself to be a recession-proof industry that has continual demand for qualified dog trainers. 

The truth is, a well-behaved dog is welcome in more public places and allows for more freedom for both dog and owner. People want well-trained dogs which is why professional dog trainers are regularly hired! 

The average pet dog owner will spend upwards of $500 training their dog and with an estimated 8.2 million dogs in Canada and an estimated 41% of households having a dog, there is a large amount of money to be made within the professional dog training industry. 

Depending on your location and experience, certified professional pet dog trainers charge between $100 - $165 per spot in a group obedience class. To start, you could charge between $50 - $100 per hour for private one-on-one coaching. So let’s take a look … 

Let’s say that in an average week you host three, one-hour group classes that are six weeks in length and they each have 6 students enrolled. And you also have 6 private sessions per week. The total number of hours you will work is 9 hours per week, plus prep and administration time.

Your group class price per student might be, for example, $130. Three classes of 6 students are 18 students each paying $130. That comes out to $2340 for the 6-week class or $390 per week. It is common for the price per student to be up to $165 for a set of 6 classes.

For your 6 private sessions per week, when you start, again depending on your location, you could charge $45 per hour. That is $270 per week.

This answers the question "how much do professional dog trainers make?" To start you can generally expect to earn about $660 per week or about $2640 a month. This depends on your location and represents about 9 hours of teaching time per week. This is a good estimate for part-time work.

Remember though, that you will have some expenses, depending on your overhead.

As you can see, not only can you make a good living, you get to enjoy a job that you are passionate about, changing the lives of dogs and their families. 

So what does it take to become a professional pet dog trainer, and what is the price to obtain the education needed to succeed in a career training pet dogs?  

Being a dog lover is not enough. In order to succeed as a professional in the pet dog industry, you need formal education and certification. Education is respected and proven within the pet dog industry. 

It is vital for those wanting to become pet dog trainers to not only have formal education and certification but also the practical hands-on skills needed to handle dogs. The next step is coaching pet owners on how to do the same.  

Formal education should include the theory that teaches in-depth information on training philosophies, dog health and first aid, canine body language, behaviour problem-solving skills, client communication, learning theory and instruction skills. 

Along with theory, students need to be coached on practical handling and training of pet dogs. Then you will need to learn how to pass on that knowledge and those skills to clients in a way that simplifies the process and encourages success. 

Good Dog Academy’s Professional Pet Dog Trainer Certificate program offers a comprehensive system that combines both theory and practical work. All of the theory topics above are covered in detail and more. The practical portion of the program offers students one-on-one coaching and feedback from our Director of Training, Jaime Knowles, who has over 25 years of experience in the industry. Live webinars are available for questions and real-time answers. GDA’s goal is to help students successfully start training and earn income training dogs as soon as they graduate as certified trainers.

Our program is online and uses instructional videos, tip sheets, challenges, quizzes and a final written exam. GDA’s PPDT program allows students to work remotely anywhere they can access the internet. The full program runs for a total of 28 weeks.  

The total fee for Good Dog Academy’s PPDT program is only $1395 CAD or approximately $995 USD (this includes all taxes and Bonus Material). Based on the numbers discussed above, the average graduate can see a good return on their investment in only one month after graduation once they begin training!

Still Not Ready? Click Here to join our FREE webinar where our director of training Jaime Knowles will give you a Live Tour of the program!