Re: Question: Is It A Requirement to own Your own Dog when You Wish to be a Dog Train
I never said the absence of the title "professional" does not allow us to differentiated between those who act professionally and those who do not. However, anyone who calls themselves a "professional" dog trainer is being misleading. This is a statement of fact, and not to be confused with a manifestation of today's ideal.
Actually, I have to disagree to an extent. The use of the word "professional" merely means you accept a fee payment in return for a service product. In some professions there is a requirement for licensure (such as Engineering, Land Surveying etc.).
However, for those occupations with NO licensure requirement, the term "professional" may be used as an indication of money exchanged for services rendered.
I am a professional photographer. It is not my only occupation (thank goodness or I would starve). However, I do photography in exchange for money and that makes me a professional. Do all "professional" photographers behave in a manner that is beoming to their profession? NO. Absolutely NOT. I would like to think many do, but in working thru photo forums and forums that hire photographers for jobs, there are a lot who do not behave in a manner becoming to their profession (which hurts all their professional colleagues).
You can be a professional Automobile mechanic if you own a garage and repair Automobiles. You may be a credit to your profession. You may be ASE Certified (not required.. a private certification outfit). You may be ASE certified and a total loser and unable to fix anything... and yet, if you accept money for services, you are a "professional." Of course, if you don't get things fixed you will be out of business pretty quick.
LICENSED Professionals is a whole 'nother ball game. Typically a license requires a combination of education, experience and testing to obtain a license. Some states require anyone accepting monetary exchange for certain services to be a licensed professional (beautician, pet groomer etc.). Some licensure processes are out there attempting to force a level of excellance in the profession. Other licensure processes are out there to limit the number of professionals to protect the income of those who have licenses already.
"Professional Licensed Engineer" I think is an attempt to insure the person holding the license is qualified to do the work thru a combination of education, testing and experience (same with Licensed Professional Land Surveyor). However, having worked for many years in engineering designing bridges and highways, I ran into a lot of licensed PE's that I swear got their papers from a Cracker Jacks box.. (same with surveyors). I also was blessed to have worked under some extremely gifted Licensed PE's and Licensed LS's who gave me the love I have to this day for engineering (especially bridges). I was not licensed, but I did full designs which were reviewed and stamped by a Licensed PE (and the challenge was to hand in a design and drawings that got no 'red marks'
)
Licensure in many professions is no insurance of professional behavior.
Now.. back to the original question: Do you need to own a dog to be a Professional dog Trainer? No. You don't need to own one. But, to help your credibility (and your bottom line) you probably need to have trained a dog (more than one) to some sort of title requiring a fairly stiff degree of work, training and time. This can be in a wide variety of dog related things from Dog Sports (such as Agility) to obedience to Herding....
If you are interested in retraining dogs that have been spoiled, then you need to references who are willing to support your abilities. IOW's if you are looking to train Joe's Dog who has No Recall, then you need to have trained a few dogs with poor recalls to recall reliably and when you talk to Joe, handing him those refs will help.
Volunteering at a shelter may be a good way to get that reference thing going. Just some ideas.
