Dog trainer vacancies hard to find
Dog trainer vacancies are rare because:
- the industry is small – about 250 trainers belong to the Association of Pet Dog Trainers
- few businesses or organisations employ full-time dog trainers
- most dog trainers are self-employed.
According to the Census, 342 dog trainers worked in New Zealand in 2018.
New Zealanders spending more on training their dogs
Although vacancies are rare, opportunities for dog trainers are increasing due to:
- New Zealanders spending more on dog training
- an increasing number of dogs being registered.
More than 560,000 dogs were registered on the National Dog Database in 2018, up nearly 30,000 from 2014.
Experience with dogs important
Your chances of securing dog training clients are best if you have:
- trained your own dogs
- either paid or voluntary experience of training or looking after dogs
- an animal health or welfare qualification.
Self-employment common among dog trainers
Most dog trainers are self-employed, or have a franchise for an established dog training company.
