Have you ever wondered what it would be like to become a balanced dog trainer?
We can tell you from experience: one of the best parts about being a balanced dog trainer is that no two days are ever the same.
Every day comes with new challenges, new wins and new rewards.
What does one of those days look like? If you’re an aspiring dog trainer (or you’re just curious), we’ve broken down what a day in the life of a dog trainer for Koru K9 looks like, with a focus on our board and train program and in-home training program.
What is Koru K9’s board and train program?
Our board and train programs are fully immersive dog training experiences. Our skilled trainers bring clients’ dogs into their homes for 3–8 weeks. The length of a dog’s stay depends on several factors, including the severity of the case, the goals of training and the client’s comfort level.
During this period, our trainers teach the dogs new rules, structures and obedience in real-world situations. Koru K9 trainers use the new environment to their advantage. It allows them to reset behavior and train without the distractions of home life interfering.
What skills does a board and train dog trainer need?
A high level of organization is a must-have skill in the day-to-day of the balanced trainers who run our board and trains.
These trainers typically have multiple dogs in their care—anywhere from 4–6—at a time. Each dog requires 2–3 training sessions per day, plus play sessions, feeding time, exercise and bathroom breaks. That means every day needs to be strictly regimented with a detailed plan in place for each dog.
In addition to meticulous planning, a board and train dog trainer is also responsible for the health and welfare of each dog. This is where a well-structured kennel setup makes all the difference.
A tidy living space is important for dogs. It helps them stay safe, healthy and comfortable. It also ensures that the area where they are staying is always neat and organized.
What is a day in the life of a board and train dog trainer?
Like our balanced dog training methods, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all structure to our board and train program. Every trainer has their own approach based on what works best for them and the dogs in their care at any given time.
That being said, we can give you a high-level breakdown of what a day in the life of these trainers looks like.
A board and train dog trainer’s day usually starts by running the dogs through training sessions. Throughout the morning, the trainer will devote time to each dog for dedicated 1-on-1 work that’s focused on achieving specific goals.
After working with each dog on individual training sessions, there’s typically a mid-day break, followed by additional training sessions in the afternoon.
Along with sessions, the trainers are responsible for providing email and video updates to their clients twice a week. This keeps owners consistently involved in their dog’s training. The trainers are also in charge of the maintenance, grooming and care of each dog.
Fitting everything into one day, and then repeating it all the next, requires excellent planning and attention to detail. It can be easy to work a 12-to-15-hour day, but an experienced balanced dog trainer who’s always prepared can get it all done effectively and efficiently.
What is Koru K9’s in-home training program?
Our in-home training programs take place in the homes of clients, where our trainers teach dog owners how to train their pets.
Over the course of 3–9 one-hour training sessions, in addition to an initial 1.5–2-hour onboard session, our in-home dog trainers coach owners through the entire dog training process with a focus on achieving their individual goals.
Aside from the obvious changes in location, how our trainers run in-home dog training programs differs from board and train programs in two ways.
First, in-home dog training is more hands-off. Rather than training the dog, our goal during in-home sessions is to train the owner, showing them how to communicate with their pet and teach rules, structure and obedience. In-home dog training requires the trainer to understand and work at the owner’s knowledge level to show them how to properly train their pet.
Second, traveling is a big part of in-home training. Organization is just as important for an in-home dog trainer but how they utilize that skill is different. In-home trainers are diligently scheduling training sessions around their day and carefully planning the most efficient routes of travel.
What is a day in the life of an in-home training dog trainer?
Koru K9 in-home dog trainers are typically asked to travel within a one-hour radius of where they live. That way our trainers cut down on travel time and we can help more dog owners.
A day in the life of an in-home dog trainer includes traveling to client homes for one-hour training sessions throughout the entire day. To be successful, planning routes and managing time is key. That means scheduling visits with clients who live close together on the same day and keeping training sessions as efficient as possible.
Trainers who are conducting the longer, more intensive onboard sessions with new in-home dog training clients won’t typically be asked to take on any other in-home training sessions that same day.
A day in the life of an in-home dog trainer could also include a group class. Many of our balanced dog trainers offer group classes in local parks and recreation areas for owners and their dogs. These group classes help alleviate some of the restrictions that can be caused by extensive travel.