# Becoming a professional gun dog trainer?



## labster (Mar 26, 2008)

I don't want this to sound this like a pity me kinda of thing But here I go any how. I mostly like to just roam the board I don't post very often and under no circumstances do I consider myself a retriever training expert. I never really have been involved in hunt test or field trails. I have been training my own personal dogs since I was 14(Im now 28)for the soul purpose of being my gun dogs and family pets. I have always taken pride in my minor accomplishment of training these dogs mostly with no help except for a few friends who fill in as bird boys.

Now here is where I don't want people to think I am throwing a pity party for myself because I am just trying to tell you all a little about myself.
Since high School I never really considered myself very good at anything and I was the kinda of kid that did not care much for academics. I spent most of high school more worried about where I was going to be hunting on the weekends than weather my grades were good. It was only threw some small miracle that I graduated. Than came my early twenties and well again collage was just not of interest to me I wanted to chase girls, waterfowl, and work my dog/dogs. 

Well, now that I am a grown man who has settled down I am really feeling the effects of a life spent having fun. Unfortunately like many americans I work a low paying job that well I despise (there are no better adjectives to describe how much I hate my job.). They say if you can make a living doing something you love you never work a day in your life. The only problem with many of us "dreamers" though is most things we love are hard to break into are seem unattainable and long shots at best. 

I have always had a dream of training retrievers professionally and I really envy those of you that do. Other than the obvious getting more involved in Hunt test and field trails I am curious as to how many of you became "pros". Perhaps some could share there stories I am sure I would not be the only one who would like to hear them. Were many of you apprentices are Was is something you fell ass backwards into? Give people like me some inspiration that dreams can come true.


----------



## Scott Parker (Mar 19, 2009)

Just remember that if you take a hobby or something you love and turn it into a job it may just become that a job and you may get burned out on it and begin to not enjoy it anymore. I'm not trying to discourage you from your dream but when you work with animals it becomes more of a life style then a job and it can be 24 hours a day 7 days a week unless you have the money to hire help. I've worked with horses all my life and my life was totally devoted to my job and I didn't have much time for myself but that was my chose because I did love my work. But like anything else I got burned out on it and now I transport horses but I don't have to be there 24/7 I now have time for myself and my dog. So you might want to work for a trainer for awhile to get some experience and to see if that's what you really want to do. I wish you good luck with what ever you decide to do.


----------



## dtrkyman (Dec 8, 2012)

Mentor, find one and learn from them, I would think a truly good trainer would be glad to help you out. maybe try a local club?


----------



## DarrinGreene (Feb 8, 2007)

There's way more money and business in pet dogs.


----------



## SCOTT C. (Oct 20, 2004)

Scott Parker said:


> Just remember that if you take a hobby or something you love and turn it into a job it may just become that a job and you may get burned out on it and begin to not enjoy it anymore. I'm not trying to discourage you from your dream but when you work with animals it becomes more of a life style then a job and it can be 24 hours a day 7 days a week unless you have the money to hire help. I've worked with horses all my life and my life was totally devoted to my job and I didn't have much time for myself but that was my chose because I did love my work. But like anything else I got burned out on it and now I transport horses but I don't have to be there 24/7 I now have time for myself and my dog. So you might want to work for a trainer for awhile to get some experience and to see if that's what you really want to do. I wish you good luck with what ever you decide to do.


Good advice!


----------



## Rnd (Jan 21, 2012)

DarrinGreene said:


> There's way more money and business in pet dogs.



Darrin has something here. Many more "pet" owners willing to spend whatever it takes to train fido. Gun dog owners/trialers are more self reliant as a whole.

There is money to be made at the* top* level of retriever training but it's _A long way to the top_. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1iR2Wi3u5o 



Scott Parker said:


> Just remember that if you take a hobby or something you love and turn it into a job it may just become that a job and you may get burned out on it and begin to not enjoy it anymore. I'm not trying to discourage you from your dream but when you work with animals it becomes more of a life style then a job and it can be 24 hours a day 7 days a week unless you have the money to hire help. I've worked with horses all my life and my life was totally devoted to my job and I didn't have much time for myself but that was my chose because I did love my work. But like anything else I got burned out on it and now I transport horses but I don't have to be there 24/7 I now have time for myself and my dog. So you might want to work for a trainer for awhile to get some experience and to see if that's what you really want to do. I wish you good luck with what ever you decide to do.




As Scott says; You may, or may not get burned out but you WILL be married to those dogs 24/7/365.

Other than that chase your dream and enjoy the ride 

JMHO.

Randy


----------



## dmccarty (Jul 9, 2004)

Others have given you great advice so I will give you a slightly different slant. If you really want to make this a career, find the most successful trainers in your area. Show up at first light and offer to throw birds all day for free. If they say no, keep showing up and offering till they see that you're serious and either take you on or send you to someone looking for an assistant. A phone call won't cut it, you've got to make the effort to show up ready, willing and able every morning. If they take you on, show up every day and work your ash off. When they teach you something do it right, do it with a smile and always ask if there's anything more you could do at the end of the day. If you do this you will be successful at just about any career choice you make. Remember, most successful people didn't get handed all the lucky breaks in life, they put in the hard work to make those happen. They did it, and you can too!


----------



## Colonel Blimp (Jun 1, 2004)

Firstly if you don't make some sort of attempt at having a career in dogs you will always regret it. You won't regret failing, or having to start over, but you will forever regret not trying. So the first words of advice are .. do it. 

Secondly, realise that the things we are qualified in aren't always what we are best at. You can be a brilliant chemist and such a PITA to work with that you'll never get anywhere. So in business you need to develop any skills and attitudes that you already have, and add some others you might be missing. Being able to train a dog is merely one of the skills, and of itself isn't enough. 

Again, you sound like a family man. How does She Who Must Be Obeyed see your ambition? If there's not much money coming in right now she won't want to see less, so you need to work around that. On the other hand she may have abilities that you don't, and might be pleased to deploy them. Any business needs it's books kept straight, cash flow well controlled, tax kept to a minimum, legalities like public liability taken care of, and correspondence answered promptly. Women are often better at that than men. How are you with people? Do you speak well and confidently? If up to this point you haven't considered that dress and appearance are important, well they are now. Can you address an audience and give a simple presentation? If not it's high time to learn. 

How to start out is the next question, and only you can decide, but I'd offer some suggestions. First do what *dmccarty* suggests just as an exercise in seeing what's really involved. Start out giving your time free outside normal working hours. At the same time do an analysis of your locale. What could you offer that isn't being done now for both pet and working dog owners? If you see a gap, what resources do you need? You can run a successful Sunday morning training group in a plain grass field at a pinch, and develop from there. Most landowners and farmers are pretty open and generous if you explain just what it is you are doing ... see the need for presentation skills now? One group of owners that are nearly always overlooked are those who have dogs of working breeds, but either don't hunt or don't want to. Almost without exception they'd like their animals to be field trained just for the sheer heck of it. When I ran a Sunday class, they formed a good half of the attendees initially and many went on to the real thing where I acted as a paid mentor for them. If you get a mixed lot of Springers, Labs, Weims, GSP's so what? Learn about them and how they are trained and expand your own knowledge. Again, a dedicated puppy section was a great success. 

My chum Ray was a carpenter; worked all the hours God sent to buy a small property with some outbuildings. Converted these into boarding kennels, but aimed primarily at working dogs. Whilst the owners were away he could continue with any training. He trains a few dogs for sale, and has a rabbit pen he hires out to Spaniel handlers. Here's an analysis subject ... how many gun dog trainers locally need a supply of pigeons and somewhere to shoot and train with them? Could you meet their needs? It's stuff like that this that will both get your foot in the door and as a by product give you a lot of fun.

Away you go, get stuck in, and the best of luck,

Eug


----------

