The Role of the Assistant Dog Trainer
Your goal may not be being an assistant dog trainer. You may dream of owning and running your own training business, or department at a local rescue or shelter. However for some, functioning as an assistant may be a wonderful way to get their feet wet without having all the pressure and responsibility on their shoulders, at least when first entering into the business. It would be very wise to seek an experienced mentor trainer to team up with either full time, or on a case to case basis to continue your learning and skills acquisition in the early phases of your career as a dog trainer. In order to be considered an asset and not an added responsibility, distraction or even burden to the mentor trainer it is very important that you be able to function as a useful and skilled assistant. In some sessions, the assistant makes or breaks the success of the session. If you have zero interest in being an assistant and are gung-ho to get started flying solo from the start – you definitely still need to know what
makes a great assistant dog trainer. At some point, you are going to need one! If you don’t know what YOU would do in a scenario to be an amazing assistant, than how could you describe or explain the needs to someone you are looking to hire for help? Ch 1: The role, qualities and skills of a great assistant.
The assistant dog trainer’s main role is to assist the trainer in making the session run as effectively and smoothly as possible for the trainer, owners, and of course, the dog. This can range from delivering information to the owners before the session on behalf of the trainer to prepare, jotting down notes of what information, videos or handouts to email to the owners after the session, functioning as the “look out” during outdoor fearful and reactive dog sessions, demonstrating training techniques in front of owner, and more. The assistant, contrary to what some may think, is not an inexperienced, unskilled, or unknowledgeable trainer. The assistant plays a key role in sessions and needs to have very solid basic knowledge about learning theory, body language, preventative measures, terminology, various training techniques for various behavioral issues, and answers to the many common
questions owners may have about puppies, supplies, training methods or dogs in general. The best assistants are those with great skill and knowledge, but are looking to gain more, to fine tune, gain experience with specific types of cases, dogs, breeds, or simply enjoy functioning as the assistant. Many trainers benefit from a “bartering� system with other trainers to assist them in a session, in exchange for assistance in one of their future sessions. Skills and knowledge: - Speaking Dog: An assistant needs to be able to read and react to dog body language, adjusting their own actions and body language accordingly, without much supervision or input from the trainer. Understanding subtle early signs of fear, stress, warnings and aggression can save the session! The trainer may be preoccupied or engaged in something else at the time. A trainer who cannot tell when a dog is stressed, confused or posturing may sabotage a session by causing a dog to lash out, cower, or otherwise become reactive, taking away valuable time from the sessions for the dog (and likely the owners) to recover and cool down from this event. An assistant may be asked to work with the dg independently during a session, and needs to be able to read the dog to know when to progress and when to take a step back, with minimal guidance from the trainer, who will be busy talking to the owners, and may be across the street or in another room, depending on what the session entails. Being able to read body language is equally important for group classes as it is for private sessions, and maybe even more so for classes like fearful dog or reactive dog classes, where many dogs with known behavioral issues are closed inside a space together. - Knowing Terminology, Theory, Methods: Terminology:
Picture this: You are assisting a trainer with a dog in a private session at an owner’s house and the trainer is explaining to them how to teach their dog to lay down on a mat when guests walk through the door to prevent overexcited jumping behavior. The trainer asks you if you can quickly demonstrate to the owner how to use lure and reward to teach the dog to go to the mat, while also shaping the behavior into the final product of lying down and staying on the mat, while someone knocks on the door and you open it. The trainer thinks it would be a good idea to backchain it, so wants you to start there. You freeze and just stare at the trainer. You have a fairly good idea of how to get a dog to go to a place – at least, in your own living room…using some trial and error…while no one’s watching…and you’re not really sure WHAT techniques you’re using to get it done. You have to say “sorry…I’m not sure what “lure and reward” or “shaping” are…what is it you want me to do, exactly?” What a nightmare! Not only do you look like you don’t know what you’re doing, but you and the trainer look out of sink, not on the same page, and the owner is going to have doubts about BOTH of your abilities if they think the trainer’s main assistant doesn’t know how to train their dog.
It’s not professional to say “well, I KNOW how to train the dog to do these things in theory…I just didn’t know what you meant or the ‘technical term’ for it.” You need to know technical terms – it’s a common language that everyone in the profession can understand. Instead of saying “do the last thing first and then the second to last thing next and then the first thing and then put it all together, all while rewarding closer and closer increments to the desired behavior”, a trainer says “backchain it, and shape it”. You know what this means, because you’ve taken the time to learn the terms. When you go to seminars, technical terms will be used, and you will be lost if you do not know what the speaker is talking about. If you’re going to be professional, learn the terms of the profession. Mechanics know what a “Pickle Fork” is, nurses know what an “NSAID” is, and you need to know your terms too. There is a misconception that learning and memorizing technical terms and definitions is uptight, a waste of time, or somehow mutually exclusive with being grounded, down to earth or laid back in this profession. That it somehow cuts down on creativity, intuition or spontaneity. Not true!! Be the best you can be in EVERY area, learn the technicalities, AND be creative, they go hand in hand, not against each other. Theory:
Knowing how dogs learn, view their world, and acquire information is absolutely KEY to being a great assistant in a dog training session or class. If you don’t understand the basics of this, you will attempt things with dogs during sessions that won’t work, you won’t be able to troubleshoot problems, or set up the environment for the dog to succeed. For instance: let’s say the trainer is busy writing some notes toward the end of a session, but has asked you to just supervise while the owner is teaching the dog to “Sit”. Previously, you were all in the living room on the rug, and the dog was doing great. You have now all moved to the kitchen area and the dog will not sit. Because you understand how important context is to dogs, you hypothesize that maybe the new tile flooring is throwing the dog off. You ask the owner to grab a towel and place it down on the floor, lure their dog to be positioned over it, and then ask for sit. The dog sits with no problem. Good job! Your knowledge of how dogs learn, are addicted to context, and don’t generalize well, has helped you trouble shoot this. (also, it may just be cold on his rear end!) Now what do you do? Well…you know how raising criteria works, so you begin asking the dog to sit on a smaller and smaller piece of cloth, then a paper towel, then the floor alone. Success! What about this situation: You have just finished a session helping a trainer work with a reactive dog. The trainer has gone off to her car to get something, and then owner asks you about fending off other dogs that may jump their fence or escape the yard and approach her and her dog while on a walk. Because her dog is reactive, she doesn’t want the dog approaching. She says she read somewhere on the internet that you can use an airhorn to scare away the approaching dog, and wants to know where she can purchase one. Because you understand that dogs can quickly make associations (and sometimes the wrong ones) when they experience a strong emotional event (such as a startling, loud noise) you immediately recommend against that. You know that it’s a bad idea because her dog will likely be just as scared and startled by the airhorn, and worse, through classical conditioning (hey, learning theory!), may associate it with the presence of the other dog. After all, that’s when it happened. The dog is already reactive
to other dogs…that’s critically
the last thing we want! Good Job, you for thinking
Methods:
Similar to the example above about terminology, it would be a pretty bad situation during a session for a trainer to ask you to demonstrate to the owner how they can capture calmness in their dog, and you go over and start lure/reward training the dog to lie on his bed….that’s NOT capturing! There is a reason the trainer wants to use a specific method, and you need to know the difference in the methods so you can competently prepare to assist or even demonstrate training during a session or class. You also just need to know all your options so you yourself can “trial and error” train the dog combining, in an organized and planned way, different methods for getting the right behavior. Know HOW each method and technique for different issues works, WHY they work (the owners will want the scoop), and WHEN to choose one over the other for different dogs, issues and environments. Do you want to use shaping for this behavior? Will the trainer be using freezing and waiting for the dog to return to teach loose leash walking, or another method? Why? Do you understand WHY the trainer has chosen this and are you
able to be on the same page and help the dog progress. Will you be helpful with brainstorming to trouble shoot and come up with other ideas if one isn’t working? Not if you don’t even know what all your options are! Know the most common and effective methods and techniques for solving the most common training and behavioral issues, and have an organized way of figuring out which ones to use with certain dogs, and how to trouble shoot them if they aren’t working…you might come up with something the trainer didn’t! Two heads are better than one – but only if the second head knows it’s stuff!
Qualities and Character:
Your shadowing experiences hopefully have helped you highlight and bring out the qualities that are valuable in an assistant trainer. As a paid assistant you will obviously play more of an assisting role and less observation, and you will have some pressure and responsibility on you
to do this in a manner that is pleasant, effective, intelligent, knowledgeable and respectful…not like a robot! Channel your inner extrovert, if you are an extrovert, channel a bit of interovert (have a balance): Great assistants are outgoing and able to comfortably make eye contact and communicate ideas and concepts with owners without coming off too shy, or too preachy and “know-it-all”. You need to be able to sense when it’s wise to chime in and suggest something, and when it’s best to be on the side lines, waiting for some input or engagement from the trainer or owners. HAVE COMMON SENSE: Do not do anything that will make anyone uncomfortable, cause a disagreement, put anyone in danger, endanger the dog, or cause the dog to fail. You are not a veterinarian or the spokesperson for every dog related business in town. Do NOT tell an owner based on your experience, their dog likely has this medical issue or that medical issue, they should only use this vet or that vet, etc. Just assist with the training! No time for gossip, and your opinion might actually differ from the trainers, which will cause tension, and leave the owner not knowing who to listen to, and the trainer feeling undermined. an it.
Be on time. Be on time. Be on time. There is nothing more disruptive to hour long session, than having the assistant show up 15 minutes into
Dress respectfully and professionally, but still in “dog clothes”. Low riding pants that show underwear, backless shirts, or offensive images or language on shirts is not appropriate, unless you already have a great rapport with the owners and no one cares at that point. Do not spend time telling stories and talking about your own dog or asking the trainer your own questions you may have. Do not make chit chat with the trainer, especially about personal stuff non-related to that session (like, for instance, asking them if they’ve seen any good movies recently, or telling them what you had for dinner ) The client is paying good money for a limited amount of time, and the trainer has to make progress and stick to their plan for training that session, within the
allotted time. They have more pressure on their shoulders as the main trainer, than you as the assistant. Try not to distract or detract from this and save casual convo for after the paid time. Any amount of brain power the trainer spends focusing on you or entertaining conversation is brain power taken away from observing the dog and owner, which could result in missing something subtle and important. Be positive and uplifting, even when the trainer is NOT! You will be thanked later. Everyone has a bad day, or gets in a funk. If the trainer seems to have an “off” day or session, you just may be the ray of sunshine that puts it back on track. Leave your baggage at the door, be pleasant and positive and smile! In some ways you ARE in customer service…if the client is put off by you, they may not sign up for a package, which will not only harm your revenue and reputation – but the trainer’s as well! BE PREPARED! Be prepared. Be prepared. Know what the case is before walking in, brush up on the topic and techniques for training, get plenty of sleep, and bring your own treat bag, clickers, spray shield, long line if it seems appropriate, etc. The trainer may not have enough for two…or may forget theirs…talk about saving the day! BE SAFE! There is no room for carelessness or bravado in dog training. When in doubt, use caution. Never step into a situation you are not completely comfortable with, and let the trainer know. Where clothes and shoes that are hardy enough to protect your body, always be aware of your proximity and body language around dogs, and don’t put your face close to the dogs, even if they are “nice” or you have met them before, unless you are paying very close attention to the dog’s body language and are 99% certain the dog is fine with it. (don’t bend over and try to kiss client’s dogs….this runs in the common sense category) Do everything you can to use every moment you spend with the dog as a teachable moment, and to HELP the training, not go against it. The best example is walking through the door and immediately giving the dog attention, even if he’s jumping on you – when the trainer is going to work on teaching the dog calm behavior while greeting guests this session. Duh!
Loosen up, have fun. Remember this should all be fun and games, even if the owners are stressed and worried about their dog’s issues, try to make them smile and keep it light, make fun of yourself, and don’t come off the like “expert”. The more personable and casual the better. The owner may be intimidated or feel judged by the trainer (it’s hard not to sometimes, when you find out you’ve been doing something all “wrong” with your dog for the last 5 years), but they may feel safer with you because you are the assistant. Connect with them, let them know they’re doing great, and not to worry about making mistakes, we all do! So, “how do I market myself as an assistant to either make money or gain experience?” Honestly, cold calling is your best bet. Simply look up as many behaviorists and trainers as you can find, that you feel have knowledge and skills you can learn from, and try to find professionals who specialize in an area you feel you need more work. This may be therapy dog training, aggression, advanced level obedience, or teaching special classes, such as fearful dog or agility classes. Call them up and ask them first if they could use some assistance (you may be able to provide a dog, which is a bonus). If they are looking for an assistant, they may be willing to pay. If they are not, than you are probably looking at your payment being gaining some extra skills and experience which will make you more valuable down the line. Most trainers prefer a regular schedule rather than you attending random schedules, but they may be flexible. Immediately let them know you already have great basic knowledge and skills, and what you could bring to their sessions to make them more effective, efficient, and potentially raise the vale. (a trainer may be able to charge $50 more per session if they bring an assistant/intern, etc, because the owner gets two trainers for the price of one. This would require you being willing to offer your services for free to increase your knowledge and skills, while motivating the trainer to allow you to tag along because you are upping the value of the sessions. In the not too distant future, you will be able to up the value of your own services due to this extra leg-work. We all pay our dues! Karma comes back around – help a trainer out and before you know it, you will have a great person knocking on your door offering free or low cost assistance!.
Ch 2 Assiting in group classes:
Assisting in group classes requires the ability to multi task and have “eyes in the back of your head” You are the trainer’s first line of defense of any question he/she cannot field, puppies squabbling out of reach, owners about to make a bad decision, and just preventative and management stuff in general. A great puppy class that has more than 4 puppies cannot run well without a great assistant. Assistant’s role in various group classes: Attendance, scheduling and debriefing:
You may or may not be involved in helping the trainer maintain an attendance or “sign in” log, or scheduling for owners interested in attending either a free demo class, or a regular class. More likely if you are dropping in to observe/assist, you will not. However, if you are regularly scheduled to assist in this class, being able to keep record of who’s coming, who didn’t show, and who pre-paid for the entire course is a great help to the trainer. Also storing checks and cash on your person or in a nearby safe box using cards on your smart phone to organize payments is vital. The trainer or you should have change in case someone needs it after paying for a class. Most classes are once a week, either on weekday evenings or weekends. You could gather names via phone or email RSVPs or an automated system on the trainer’s website calendar that let’s you know when the class is full, and how many to expect, what breed and age their puppy/dog is, etc. The assistant should be prepared to keep track of what’s going on, make sure classes don’t get over-booked, and send out a initial email or phone call debreifing the owners on rules of the class and supplies to bring, depending on what type of class it is. If it’s a puppy class, mention should be made of the foot bath prior to stepping into training area. Meeter and Greeter: The assistant, not the trainer, is often the first person the owners meet and speak with when arriving to class. Owners are sometimes lost and overwhelmed, have no idea what to expect, are already exacerbated due to issues they are having with their dog/puppy, and need some guidance from you on how the class works and how to set their dog up to succeed in the beginning. Many owners do not realize the hazards involved in just letting their dogs run into the training space off leash, and will assume all the dogs attending are friendly (unless it is a reactive or fearful dog class) and you may be the person at the door instructing them to keep their dogs on leash at all times unless told otherwise by the class instructor.
You will also need to help the owners get settled in (where to put their stuff down, what to do if their dogs eliminates, where’s the human bathroom, etc!) Clearly instruct the owners to a certain part of the room with their dog, and *** make sure they are NOT to let their dog interact, even if it’s from a few feet away on leash, with NY dogs in the class unless specifically told otherwise by the class instructor*** Remember: owners often times cannot read dog body language all that well, and may totally miss the signs that their dog, or another owner’s dog, is not behaving appropriately with another dog, so just avoid all interactions until told otherwise. Play group organizer & monitor While the trainer is busy, you may notice two dogs that don’t seem to get along, a dog that is particularly frustrated or a fearful or overwhelmed dog. If the class instructor is otherwise disposed, it is up to the assistant to make the judgment call to rearrange the seating of owner/dog pairs and possibly erect a barrier or put distance between overstimulated or scared dogs and the rest of the class. The trainer must trust your judgment in this area. During play, you may notice two dogs who’s play styles do not match well, or a dog that is either consistently getting “bullied” or being a “bully”. The trainer may notice this an ask you To remedy it, or may be on the other side of the room and not notice it at all , in which case it’s up to you! Re-arrange play groups based on personality. If a trustworthy, confident, well socialized Adult dog is present, it is sometimes a good idea to put him/her in with an overstimulated or “bully” puppy or dog to learn the ropes. Less confident puppies and dogs will either not correct a dog misbehaving, or overcorrect because they’re fearful, which could cause a squabble to break out. Extra eyes and ears, hands You will need to function as an ectra set of eyes for the trainer, especially in busy classes, for people who may have questions that the trainer doesn’t
notice, owners who are having difficulty but may not feel comfortable or confident asking for help, puppies or dogs that may be getting too rowdy or showing signs of posturing or fear, accidents that need to be cleaned ASAP such as urine, defecation, spills, treat bags falling on floor, and much much more! Use your ears to overhear what owners are saying…this isn’t being nosy, it’s being alert ;) you may catch a couple who are confused, frustrated or are feeling left out of the exercise. You may also hear whining, reactive barking, growling, etc. Keep your eyes and ears peeled especially during the “handling” exercises that may happen during puppy classes – there is always a puppy or two who will freeze and even growl at their owners! This is serious and you need to run over immediately or notify the trainer. You will function as an extra pair of hands to help clean, move puppies and dogs in and out of play groups, and separate any inappropriate play. Helper & Demonstrator One of the most important and probably most challenging, yet rewarding roles you can play as an assistant in a class, is demonstrating a concept to attendees while they watch. This will be nerve wracking if you don’t know how to handle puppies and dogs of many different personalities and breeds in front of a group of people. It is very useful for the trainer to be able to talk while you demonstrate, or the other way around…it can be hard to speak loudly and articulately to a room full of people, making eye contact, etc, while simultaneously training a strange dog on the spot….so assistant can be a crucial help with this! …if they know what they’re doing! Anticipate needs: Being a good assistant dog trainer is not just about being good with people and good at training dogs – it’s also about seeing the whole picture, staying one step ahead and anticipating what the trainer will do or need next. If you can tell the trainer’s voice is getting hoarse, grab a cup of water! Yelling to a room full of people for an hour is very hard on the vocal chords! You could also offer to take over an do the speaking for the next portion od the class so the instructor can give their voice a break. If you know the trainer will
likely want to demonstrate something with a puppy or dog, go ahead and pick out a good one for the demo, and have the dog ready so the trainer doesn’t need to waste time asking you to. If you know usually at the end of class, the trainer walks around and hands everyone a “goody bag” with supplies in it, go ahead and get that started. It’s the little things that are so so helpful…and the 10 or 15 seconds of time and energy you save for each of them add up to minutes of extra learning time for the owners and dogs Q&A: You have probably already noticed this from the few classes you have attended – but owners have A LOT of questions! There are more questions tan the trainer can field in one class, which is why many owners end up staying after class. If you can field some of the questions during or after class, this will take the pressure off of the trainer, who may need to break down and clean up, or prepare for the next class. You could also type up the answers to the most common questions you hear people asking, and simply hand them to them at the end of class, saving oodles of time. For puppy classes these are almost always “how do I crate/pen train my puppy”. “How do I stop the biting” and “How do I prevent/stop chewing”. For adult dog classes it is usually “how do I get my dog to stop listening ONLY when I have a treat”, “How do I get my dog to stop begging and barking at me”, “How do I stop digging?” and “how do I teach him to go potty in a certain place rather than all over my yard?” There will be more questions, but these are just examples. And if you know they are on the type up, you can just refer them to that and skip to the next question, saving time. ***If you are not 100% sure of the answer to a question, do not just make something up! Refer them to the trainer and go along to listen, so you know how to answer it next time!, after all, that’s the whole point of assisting an experienced trainer – to gain more knowledge!**
Ch 3 private sessions
Scheduling Scheduling private sessions for a trainer is more difficult than classes, because they normally don’t occur on a regular, repeating schedule. Also, some trainers may only see aggression cases on certain days of the week, or only one aggression case a day, but two non-aggression cases, or something like that. It may be a good idea to have the trainer email you their available time slots and what types of cases they want put into them on the first day of the week, so you can fill them in later. Or, you and the trainer can have a linked, online calendar (gmail provides this service, for instance) where you can view what the trainer has already booked/available, and insert session that way. A trainer may not want anyone to do scheduling for them, they may feel out of control of their sessions, and prefer speaking with/booking appointments themselves, but it’s good to be organized and know how, in case this is a function the trainer would like you to do in exchange for education. Of course keep in mind locations and accounting for traffic/lunch. Don’t book a 2 hour consultation on one side of the city, and then another two hour
consultation on the other side of the city, with only a half hour buffer between. There may be traffic, and the trainer (and the assistant!!) need to eat at some point. First person owners talk to? If the trainer is very busy, you may be the first person taking/making phone calls with interested owners and answering any questions they have about the trainer’s methods, services and rates. You are making or breaking the sale for the trainer, so practice your phone etiquette, reciting of everything important, and good ways to make the client confident in the trainer’s services and skill without coming off sleazy, pushy or like your “pitching” to them. Be able to rattle off the top of your head answers to common questions such as pricing, discounts for packages, and what about the trainer (and you!) stand out from others. Prepare owners for session Whether it be by email or phone, after you have booked a session, it is very very important to inform he owner of what to prepare and expect. They may need to buy supplies before the consult, or obtain video footage of their dog in action. Know what supplies the trainer would want them to have for certain issues and cases, and also what types of footage the trainer wants for certain cases. For instance, if it is a dog who is destructive while the owners are away, the trainer may want footage of the dog in several different circumstances (daytime, nighttime, with treats left on floor, without, etc) BEFORE the session. This footage will make a big difference in the ability of the trainer to figure out what is going on with the dog. If it is a puppy, the trainer will likely require the owners to have a harness, leash, pen, Kong toys, treats, and possibly a long leash and crate. If it is a reactivity case, the trainer will likely want the dog put away behind a gate or door as you both enter. Make sure to ask the owners to contain their dog, and also if any other dogs are in the household. You may be working with the puppy, but another adult dog who is not friendly with visitors may also be present! Make sure to tell the owners the dogs MUST be continued
in some fashion and not right at the door when you and the trainer enter the house.
Meeting and greeting During sessions, make sure to enter the house behind the trainer, giving him/her and opportunity to introduce him/herself first, and also ensure the “coast is clear” It is the trainer’s job, if not legally, at least emotionally and mentally, to protect you during a session. Owners do not always have common sense or follow directions and may have an aggressive dog coming running at you when you walk in the door. The assistant should not be put in this position to be potentially injured. Follow the trainer’s lead and DO NOT engage with the dog at all until it seems right, or the trainer has specifically instructed you to. DO NOT pet and give affection to puppies or dogs the minute you walk through he door, no matter how cute they are!! Notice what the trainer is doing (ignoring, asking for a sit, moving away?, etc) and do the same Introduce yourself CLEARLY and articulately, shake the owners hand and make direct eye contact….SMILE!! then sit down wherever makes sense with everyone else and get settles in. Get out your notes and a pen and take the role of “observer” until the trainer asks a task from you, or it is common sense to do a task. For instance, if the dog is shy, and comes up to you, it is common sense to reward that! During – notes, supplies Take good notes, not just for yourself, but for the trainer and owners. You may be the one doing the type up, or the trainer may have trouble remembering all the things they were supposed to follow up with, such as emailing video links or links to purchase supplies. Make sure to jot all this down. Take note of the main issues the dog has, the history they give the trainer, and the training plan that everyone come up with.
Extra eyes, ears, hands Again, you are the trainer’s other half! Use all of your senses and your hands and presence to assist the session as much as possible and prevent any setbacks. One of the biggest and most important roles you will play during a session with a fearful or aggressive dog is being the “lookout” for potential triggers: humans, other dogs, skateboards, bikes, trucks, gardeners, etc. Be proactive and keep a close eye out for changes in the environment – they can happen very quickly! Use a hand signal, texting, or your voice, if close enough, to notify the trainer of an oncoming trigger, the direction and distance, so everyone can do what they need to do to avoid or prepare to use this trigger during the training. Help & demonstrate Just like in group classes, the trainer may want you to take the lead in demonstrating and training with the dog during the session while he/she speaks with the owners and gathers a thorough history or explains the training techniques and training methods in general. The assistant and trainer may meet up beforehand and discuss their “plan or attack” and what tasks the assistant will work on independently with the dog while the trainer interacts with the owners. This essentially doubles the efficiency of the session, and allows not only education, but some actual hands on demonstration and training to take place. For example, if the owners are dealing with a dog who steals items and runs under the bed with them, then growls and bites when the owner tries to take the items away: the trainer may ask you to work on “leave it” and “Drop” with then dog while he/she goes over body language and positive reinforcement training with the owners. Then you can demonstrate to the owners what you have been able to accomplish with the dog and what his learning style is like to give them pointers on trouble shooting. This probably the most helpful and rewarding role for both the assistant and the trainer, and creates a sort of synergistic-session “bliss” once a “groove” can be consistently reached during each session. You will just “know” what
to do with the dog, and the trainer will just trust you to do it, and you will both reconvene halfway through the session to go over what you’ve worked on.
Anticipate Needs: Know the general structure of the trainer’s sessions. Especially the first-time consults. Usually trainers gather a history, go over training basics, then demonstrate some specific training exercises the owner should work on, may need to fit the dog with a head halter or harness, and demonstrate the use of other supplies, methods, or concepts. Be one step ahead and think begin gathering supplies while the trainer is still introducing the concept, so that by the time the trainer is ready to show the owner hands on, you already have the harness or head halter out, the Thundershirt ready, the DAP diffuser out of the box and ready to show to the owner, etc. Follow up by phone or email The last role you may play as the assistant during private sessions is sending follow up emails and recaps of what was covered during the consultation, including what supplies to purchase, the training exercises, and a summary of what the trainer feels like is going on with the dog and why. The trainer may want you to take the notes on a computer so they are easily emailed to the owner (you can do it right there during the session if the owner can give you access to Wifi). OR, you may take notes by hand and transfer to email later. You may want to call owners 1 or 2 weeks after the initial consult and see how things are going, and email an update to the trainer. Sometimes owners may be bad about following up or giving updates, and the trainer may be too swamped to keep track of who they’ve spoken with recently. It’s very helpful for the trainer to take it upon themselves to thinking “Hmmm…haven’t heard from Spot’s owners in a few weeks…I’s better just give them a call and see how things are going!” This type of follow up and service sets great trainers apart from so-so ones, wins the best reviews and
testimonials, and will in turn increase the trainer’s value, your value and keep you busy with work. You want the owners to feel like this incredible duo-team of kick-ass dog trainers came into their house, fixed their issues, and continued helping them through the process even after leaving, until the owners could handle the training on their own. THIS is high quality training – not, “we came, you paid, we left”. Yes, we can say “kick-ass”…it’s our curriculum…