# Woud YOU train for a living?



## taddy1340 (Dec 10, 2004)

*If possible, would you train the gundog breed of your choice for a living>*​
Yes2262.86%No1337.14%Never thought about it00.00%


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## taddy1340 (Dec 10, 2004)

If the opportunity (i.e. pay, location, etc) presented itself, would you train gundogs (breed of your choice) for a living?

If so, what breed?

Just curious to know what you guys think...

Mike


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## ryanps18 (Jun 23, 2006)

Yes,

british labs, and maybe a springer or two if I was feeling extra patient!


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I will have to go with a no, because the dogs that I have trained do what I like them to do, but others don't think what the dog is doing is right. Also the time to train a dog I don't have.


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## Jungda99 (Nov 17, 2006)

I would do it if I had someone to partner up with for the first few years that new what they were doing.

I currently do not have the knoweledge to train dogs for a living. BUT if I had someone to teach me and work with me everyday and I could make a decent living at it I would definitly do it.

Nothing makes me happier when you get done hunting with a bunch of people and they say "I will hunt with you and your dog anytime"

I would only train labs


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I think its a pretty neat way to make a living if you like long hours low pay lots of work and dealing with idiots that undo what you have accomplished.

I'm just kidding sorta..I never had the guts to give up my real job.

I can't wait to see Gone Huntings comment on this one :lol: .

Actaully Mike if I was your age I would give it a shot, dog training has come along way.

I've considered just doing OB training for rich yuppies in Atlanta. Lots of money and you dont really need much in thw way of facilities.


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## taddy1340 (Dec 10, 2004)

Bobm said:


> I think its a pretty neat way to make a living if you like long hours low pay lots of work and dealing with idiots that undo what you have accomplished.
> 
> I'm just kidding sorta..I never had the guts to give up my real job.
> 
> ...


Bob,

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm giving it a shot. I'll be separating from the AF in a few months and it will be my "side" job until the wife finishes school and gets a job with benies. I have a great mentor helping me out. Immediate concentration will be boarding and OB training. The place I'm looking at back home already has 22 kennels and is set up for the most part.

Either way, this is what I've known I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Once in awhile you have to take a risk and believe in yourself. After having a stroke at 27, a person realizes you only have so many opportunities at pursuing your dreams. Now is my time!

Mike


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

I would.

The thing is I would take a couple of approaches at it. If the people wanted me to train the dog I would....but then I would remind them that they have to follow suit and keep training the dog or at least keep the skills fresh. Because a trained dog is only as good as his handler....IMO You could have the best dog in the world but if you put him with an idiot handler they will not succeed.

Or I would help the people train there dog. Do one on one sessions with owner and dog.

I would train golden retrievers and labs.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Mike you're correct, one thing for certain when you are doing something you love its not work.

I never had the guts, always took the safe route for more money doing something I dont really like.

If I was your age and could do it over I would give it a shot, you'll do fine.


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

It really doesn't matter whether or not a person *wants* to make a living training dog. Few ever can. It takes such an unusual personality to be a great dog trainer; few in this world are gifted with it.

It takes a person that is tough and loves dog's, a person that knows when to follow advice and when to figure it out for yourself. You have to be willing to put enough pressure on a dog to get the job done. You can't be a sadist and do it for the pleasure of hearing an animal scream. You can't be a bleeding heart who loves dogs but just can't bear to hurt them and discipline them. You have to know how to push a dog to it's fullest, how to continually challenge without confusing. How to teach not train, how to understand without frustration. How to hear without knowing the language. You have to think like a dog not a person, sometimes act like a dog and not a person.

You have to be willing to work 14 hours a day, seven days a week. You have to be able to deal with uncaring clients that have no idea what it takes to train a dog and don't want to learn. Who will tell you how to train their dog when they're the ones that have all ready screwed it up. Who will give you no credit if you make a great dog, but criticize you unmercifully to all who will listen for not making a great one from a cur. You have to be a great salesman and you will be required to sell the hardest commodity to pedal on this earth and that is yourself. You have to realize that you'll never be rich and this incredible obsession that is driving you could very well cost you your family, your home, your marriage. You may be gone for six months of the year and your best and most trusted friends will be the dogs on your truck. You will be the most important thing in those dogs lives and it is a trust and commitment that must never be abused.

You fellows that want to pick your clients, pick you breed of dog, dictate to them how the dog will be trained and what they must do are dreamers. You're a dog trainer. You don't only take the good, you take the bad, the abused, the man eaters, those afraid of birds and those that eat birds. Those that bite and those that lick. You're a dog trainer and you take them all and do your absolute best with whatever your given.

You'll need a minimum of $300,000.00 to get started and quite possible a lot more. No bank will lend you money to do it because the failure rate is so incredibly high. You will need to win several field trials with several great dogs of your own before any client will ever give you a dog to train. The only way those clients will ever know that you're a great trainer is if you can beat everyone else that thinks they are. You'll have to work for a professional trainer for at least two years that specializes in all breeds. You'll have to train the way he does and says to, so pick a very successful pro that has a program you believe in. You won't earn enough to buy toilet paper while you're working to him, so you'll need enough money to live on for a couple of years. If you can't find a trainer that can train them all, and few can, you'll have to find a retriever trainer, a pointing dog trainer, and a versatile dog trainer and work for each of them.

Think you still want to be a dog trainer? If you don't think you'd like any of the things I've explained above, then you're probably not cut out for training and should do something else. Very few are cut out for it; why do you think there are so few recommended trainers out there? An old wheelsman on an ore freighter once told me " If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing right. If you don't want to learn to do it right, find something else to do.".

Would I do it again? You're damned right. Why do you think I answer endless questions on these boards? I loved and cherished every minute that I was a dog trainer and I miss it to this day. It is the only thing I have ever done in my life that I was proud of doing. I loved the dogs with and incredible passion and I loved the job. I am glad that for that one period of my life I could say " I was a dog trainer".


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

:lol:

AND that my friends is why I've considered training rich yuppies dogs to come, sit and heel for money and train my dogs to hunt for pleasure.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

One more thing Mike when you move you will only be about a hour and a half from Gone hunting, although like me his joints are longing for warm weather.....


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

Mike,

If thats what your passion is then go for it. I have seen alot of what GH and BobM have outlined here. I have seen it from a paying customers view and I have seen it from a guy in the field throwing birds when a cusomer shows up unexspected on a Saterday wanting to see his dog doing great things, and no matter how much training that dog would get he/she will never be a great dog and the trainer gets the brunt of abuse from the owner.

Get hooked up with the best you can and learn.. Iv'e come to believe a trained dog is a trained dog i don't care if the dog is being trained for trials or hunt tests or a gun dog . Basics are Basics and all dogs (retrievers) could be trained the same way.

I think there can be a good living made training dogs. No names mentioned but the guy I use charges $715.00 a monthe and has an average of 15 dogs on his truck= 10725.00 a monthe not a bad living doing what you love. Granted there are plenty of expences involved but you have to remember those are deducable.

I think there is a nitch for gundog trainers out there, not everyone is willing to pay 7 to 8 hundred a monthe for training but then again I wouldn't trust my dog with someone who doesn't have a great track record and is charging 4 hundred a monthe either.

I wish I would have had the passion that I do now 10 years ago because the first thing I would have done is got on with a GREAT trainer went south in the winter and worked my *** off for nothing just to learn the ropes.

If I could do it all over again that would be my route.

Good luck.


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## taddy1340 (Dec 10, 2004)

Thanks to everyone for the feedback!

GH, as always I appreciate the time and effort you put into your replies.

I really want to try this...it's like it's in my blood. This may sound odd, but the only job I've truly enjoyed was milking cows on a dairy growing up (keep your jokes to yourselves! ) Just something about working with animals.

Anyway, when I do make the move, I imagine I'll be leaning on you guys a bit. I'll be sure to post pics of the new place as well.

Thanks again!

Mike


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

I think you got some great perspective from GH, BROWNDOG, and Bob. I sent my dog to the same trainer that BROWNDOG uses off his recomendation. I'm glad I did. When I saw how much it was going to cost me I thought "hey that must be a hell of a way to make a living." Once I spent some time out there with him and the dogs, I realized just how hard and stressful it must be. They put in LONG hours outside in the elements. I saw the dogs there that just didn't have what it took. It cant be easy dealing with that when someone is paying you 700+/month and has high expectations. Then there's the people who dont know what they want out of their dogs, what they are going to be used for... I saw a dog being trained that was owned by a woman whos father sent it to the trainer as a gift. Well she didn't really hunt, the father wanted it FF'd, daughter didn't. So the trainer didn't really know what direction to go with the dog.

I personally get burned out on things easily enough just from getting over ambitious about them. Thats why I try to keep my hobbies and my income separate.

So I voted no on the poll. I dont have near enough patience with dogs, or people to make it as a trainer. That doesn't even get into my training ability, which I doubt could be developed to that level. I'm talking strictly about retrievers because that is all I have experience with.

Sorry for the negativity, I wish ya Luck. Should be exciting!


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## taddy1340 (Dec 10, 2004)

> Thats why I try to keep my hobbies and my income separate.


Good reason...that's why I declined becoming a profession escort! :lol:

Seriously, I appreciate the input!

Have a great weekend...

Mike


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