What do programs look for when hiring people as assistance dog trainers?
This will vary with each program and the type of assistance dogs they train. Generally, programs look for a person with a practical, common sense attitude toward dogs. Like most employers, programs are looking for positive, enthusiastic team players with good people skills. A good instructor candidate is patient and genuinely interested in helping people. A willingness to work long and hard, get dirty and do whatever needs to be done to accomplish the program’s goals are a must. Each program has it’s own policies and procedures relating to dog training, client selection, team training and follow-up. Job seekers will want to do careful research on each program to determine which program best matches their ideals and meets their needs.
