Dog Handler or Trainer
What the work is
Teaches dogs to obey commands and undertake specific tasks.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Evaluates dogs to assess temperament and suitability for training
- Designs and implements training programs to teach dogs basic obedience commands
- Trains dogs to perform specific tasks such as search and rescue, detection or assistance work
- Uses positive reinforcement techniques to reward desired behaviours and discourage unwanted behaviours
- Conducts training sessions with individual dogs or groups of dogs
- Monitors and evaluates the progress of dogs during training, and adjusts training methods as required
- Provides guidance and support to dog owners on how to continue training at home
- Assists in the selection and placement of trained dogs with appropriate handlers or owners
- Keeps up to date with advancements in dog training techniques and professional development opportunities
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional wildlife park and training yard, with enclosures, a dog training field and a stable block. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- An anxious dog finally relaxes at a command, and the owner cheers
- A keeper's talk makes a group of school children look at an animal in a new way
- A young horse that was afraid of the saddle lets you settle it on his back
Hard days
- Early starts, wet weather and a lot of cleaning before the animals come first
- An owner who believes the dog is the problem when the habit is theirs
- A favourite animal becomes unwell, and you have to keep working through it
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 341131, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.