How to Become a Dog Obedience Trainer in Maryland

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, candidates earn the highest annual median wage as dog obedience trainers in Maryland. The appeal of the profession in this state is also more than just yearly income, as there are several opportunities for career growth and personal development.

In the coming sections, we will examine several key aspects of starting a successful career as a dog obedience trainer in Maryland. We will begin with an overview of relevant steps before focusing on the possible licensing and certification requirements.

Readers will also find out specific schools and programs to receive the best foundational training and the annual average income to expect based on fee-determining criteria.

Steps to Become a Dog Obedience Trainer in Maryland

Below are the requirements for starting a dog obedience training career in Maryland.

Choosing a Training Approach

Candidates in Maryland may choose a couple of approaches regarding their training destinations. These include the following:

• Self-Education—There are many materials online through which candidates may teach themselves key principles in dog obedience training. However, this approach is not recommended as there are benefits to other methods that are not present here.
• Formal Training—Many training programs offer advantages such as comprehensive technical training and a history of graduate success, along with job placement assistance, state-of-the-art facilities, and hands-on training possibilities.

They also have a strong network of professionals willing to offer work experience to help fresh graduates grow.

Real-World Experience

Along with their initial education, candidates must also decide how to build real-world experience. For those who attended a strong training program, this should be no problem as it would have been incorporated into the curriculum.

However, other candidates may have to find places to build their skills in the real world.

Employment

Lastly, properly trained candidates may go on to secure job placement, start their own businesses, and pursue certification. Below, we explore some of the reasons why certification is so important and the destinations from which candidates can get the most highly rated ones.

Explore careers with similar paths:

• Learn how to become a vet assistant in Maryland

Top Dog Obedience Training Schools in Maryland

These are some of the top dog obedience training programs in the state of Maryland:

Consider exploring nearby states for training:

• Dog Obedience Trainer Schools in Georgia

Licensure & Certification Requirements

Even though licensure and certification are not compulsory for dog obedience trainers in Maryland, it has become a convention for professionals in this field to become certified anyway. Several top-quality professional organizations offer highly rated credentials for dog trainers across the country.

Those with these credentials enjoy more career opportunities because an organization of experts has verified their skills. They also enjoy the ability to network with other professionals in the same organizations while having access to continuing education resources to keep up with advancements in the field.

Dog obedience trainers in Maryland who would like to enjoy all of these benefits by becoming certified may consider the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. Other equally rated options are the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and the International Association of Canine Professionals.

Salary & Career Outlook

Maryland boasts an annual average salary of $76,709 for dog obedience trainers who are among the median earners and an annual average salary of $38,904 for those who are among the bottom earners. With time and a sound business strategy, dog obedience trainers in Maryland can scale their earnings and start making up to $151,250 or more in annual average salary.

In identifying the best places to work for favorable figures, candidates may consider Annapolis, with an annual average salary of $85,260; Rockville, with an annual average salary of $72,305; and Bel Air, with an annual average salary of $72,220.

Also, in planning their future, residents of Maryland will be glad to know that projections for this field are very favorable. The BLS predicts more than a 20% year-on-year increase in employment rate for the next 10 years.