Animal Trainers

Career summary

#4/9/19 lh

Animal trainers help teach animals to do desired behaviors and stop doing undesired behaviors. For example, they may train dogs to walk-nicely on leash, stop barking, search for drugs, or guide blind people. They may train horses for show, racing, or working. In addition, trainers may teach animals to perform. They may train dolphins to find and retrieve objects. They may teach other animals to sit, stand, beg, or perform other tricks on cue. Trainers usually specialize in one type of animal and one type of training program.

Regardless of the type of animal they train or the purpose of the training, animal trainers must know how to do many of the same things:

Identify suitable animals

Animal trainers must find animals to teach. They may breed their own animals, buy animals, or adopt them from animal shelters. Before choosing animals, trainers evaluate them to determine whether they are trainable.

Training practices

Trainers begin by getting animals used to human voice and contact. Most training involves getting the animals to respond to hand, voice, and physical commands. Training is a slow process and trainers must be patient.

Animal psychology

Trainers must understand the psychology of the animals they train. Once animals are trained, trainers may also need to teach the animals' owners. They may train a horse and its rider, or a dog and its human handler.

Animal care

Training animals is only part of a trainer's tasks. They must also care for animals. Trainers who keep animals while they are being trained must also feed the animals, exercise them, give them medicine, and clean their kennels, stables, or other living areas. They keep records of diet, health, and behavior. Trainers who have large facilities may have animal caretakers who do animal maintenance tasks. Trainers may hire, train, and supervise these workers.

Related careers

This career is part of the Hospitality and Tourism cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Animal Breeders
• Animal Caretakers
• Animal Control Workers
• Veterinary Assistants

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to animal trainers.

• Evaluate animals to determine ability and aptitude for training.
• Train animals to obey commands, compete in shows, or to perform tricks.
• Train dogs to behave well, locate missing persons, or detect drugs.
• Train guide dogs to assist blind people. Teach blind people to handle guide dogs.
• Train horses for riding, show, work, or racing.
• Teach animal owners to care for, ride, handle, or maintain animals' skills.
• Treat minor injuries and ailments. Call veterinarian to treat animals with serious illnesses or injuries.
• Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury. May give medication.
• Feed, exercise, and give general care to animals.
• Clean pens, kennels, stalls, cages, and yards.
• Supervise animal caretakers.
• Cue or signal animals during performances.
• Keep records of animals' diet, health, and behavior.
• May organize animal shows.

Common work activities

Animal trainers perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Make decisions and solve problems
• Perform activities that use the whole body
• Teach others
• Perform for or work with the public
• Think creatively
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Get information needed to do the job
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Document and record information
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Coach others
• Handle and move objects
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Develop goals and strategies
• Schedule work and activities
• Convince others to buy goods or change their minds or actions
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Assist and care for others
• Perform administrative tasks

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, animal trainers:

Interpersonal relationships

• Are responsible for the health and safety of their animals.
• Communicate with others by phone and in person on a weekly basis. They speak with people face-to-face more often.
• Have a medium level of social interaction. Trainers spend time teaching animal owners, but they also spend time alone with the animals.
• Are somewhat responsible for the work done by others.
• May sometimes work as a team.

Physical work conditions

• Work outside the majority of the time, but spend time indoors as well. They work in arenas, barns, kennels, and customers' homes. They also work outdoors at racetracks or in corrals.
• Are occasionally exposed to hazardous situations with the animals they train. Animals can be unpredictable. They may bite, kick, scratch, or throw trainers.
• Are occasionally exposed to hot or cold temperatures, such as when working outside.
• May be exposed to sounds and noises that are loud and distracting, such as barking or braying.
• May travel with animals in a truck or van.
• Work close to others, such as when sharing the same space with other trainers.

Work performance

• Must be sure that all details of the job are performed to ensure the safety of animals and those who work with them.
• Make decisions that impact pet and animal owners on a weekly basis.
• Rarely consult anyone before deciding a course of action.
• Set nearly all their daily tasks and goals for the day without consulting a supervisor first.

Hours/travel

• Do not have a set schedule. The type of animal, performance schedule, and travel requirements all affect schedules.
• Frequently travel. Trainers of guide dogs must travel to owners' homes for the final month or so of training. Trainers of circus animals, race horses, and show animals also travel.
• May work long hours during the show season, from mid-spring to mid-autumn, if working as a show animal trainer.
• May work long hours training animals for TV or movies. The trainer's day begins before shooting and ends after shooting is finished.

Physical demands

Animal trainers frequently:

• Stand for long periods of time.
• Walk or run for long periods of time.
• Repeat the same movements.
• Bend or twist their body.
• Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.

It is important for animal trainers to be able to:

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand the speech of another person.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.
• Be physically active for long periods without getting tired or out of breath.
• Coordinate movement of several parts of the body, such as arms and legs, while the body is moving.
• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.
• Move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for animal trainers to be able to:

• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
• Bend, stretch, twist, or reach out.
• Use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects.
• Determine the distance between objects.
• Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
• Choose quickly and correctly among various movements when responding to different signals.
• React quickly using hands, fingers, or feet.
• Use muscles for extended periods without getting tired.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
• Move arms and legs quickly.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Adjust body movements or equipment controls to keep pace with speed changes of moving objects.
• Make fast, repeated movements of fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Keep or regain the body's balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
• While looking forward, see objects or movements that are off to the side.
• Determine from which direction a sound came.

Skills and abilities

Animal trainers need to:

Communicate

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand spoken information.
• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Understand written information.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.

Reason and problem solve

• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Manage the time of self and others.

Work with people

• Teach others how to do something.
• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Look for ways to help people.
• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Animal Training

Other programs of study to consider

• Animal Grooming
• Animal Husbandry and Production
• Animal Sciences, General
• Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
• Equestrian Studies
• Marine Biology
• Veterinary Technology
• Zoology and Animal Biology

Training

To work as an animal trainer, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent; and
• complete moderate-term, on-the-job training.

Education after high school

There are no formal education requirements beyond high school for most animal trainers. However, trainers who work in zoos or aquariums usually have a bachelor's degree. Their degrees often are in marine biology or animal management. These programs include courses in animal science and psychology.

Work experience

Work experience as an animal caretaker is helpful. Similarly, volunteering at an animal hospital or clinic is also valuable.

On-the-job training

Almost all animal trainers receive informal, on-the-job training from an experienced worker. On the job, you learn to:

• feed and water animals;
• identify animals that can be trained easily;
• make friends with animals; and
• train animals.

Training generally lasts up to a year.

Helpful high school courses

You should take a general high school curriculum that meets the state's graduation requirements. You will be required to take both math and science classes to graduate.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Animal Science
• Food and Nutrition
• Psychology

Many animal trainers are self-employed. If you want to run your own business some day, you should consider taking these courses as well:

• Accounting
• Entrepreneurship
• Introduction to Business

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Employers look for applicants who have experience working with animals. They also look for education or training beyond high school. Zoos and aquariums often require applicants to have a bachelor's degree in a related field.

Strong communication skills and a calm, patient manner are important. This is because many trainers also work with people as well as with animals.

Costs to workers

Some workers join professional associations, which may have annual dues.

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Animal Trainers 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

The minimum wage for Washington State as of January 1, 2020 is $13.50 per hour. Some areas of the state may have a higher minimum wage.

Wages vary by employer and area of the country. The type of animal trained and the trainer's level of experience also affect wages.

Animal trainers who work full time generally receive benefits. Typical benefits include sick leave, paid vacation, and health insurance. Animal trainers who are self-employed must provide their own insurance.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

About 43% of animal trainers are self-employed.

Major employers:

• Dog kennels
• Guide dog schools
• Horse boarding stables

National outlook

Demand for this occupation is growing. Most of the growth in this occupation will come from the needs of pet owners. As more of these pets live indoors or with other pets, the likelihood of behavior problems increases. Trainers will be hired to solve these problems.

Because of the high cost, police departments and other groups that need trained animals can buy only a small number of animals each year. Budget cuts may limit demand.

Job for trainers at zoos and marine parks will be hardest to get. Zoos and marine parks have low turnover, and job openings attract many applicants.

Other resources

Association of Pet Dog Trainers 
2365 Harrodsburg Road, A325
Lexington, KY 40504
800.738.3647

Certified Horsemanship Association 
1795 Alysheba Way, Suite 7102
Lexington, KY 40509
859.259.3399

Guide Dogs for the Blind 
P.O. Box 151200
San Rafael, CA 94915

International Association of Canine Professionals 
PO Box 928
Lampasas TX 76550

International Marine Animal Trainers' Association 
885 Woodstock Road
Suite 340-202
Roswell, GA 30075-2274

Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International 
PO Box 33150
Denver, CO 80233
800.369.7433

Vancouver Aquarium--Marine Mammal Trainer 

References

Career cluster

• Hospitality and Tourism

Career path

• Realistic (Technical)

O*Net  occupation

• Animal Trainers (39-2011.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 2 - Some preparation needed. Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed.

DOT occupations

• Animal Trainer (159.224-010) 
• Horse Trainer (419.224-010) 

Holland occupational clusters

• Realistic/Conventional/Investigative
• Realistic/Investigative/Conventional

COPSystem

• Outdoor