Ok, so I made the huge leap today of deciding that I think I'd like to be a trainer. I've been apprenticing with an awesome one for awhile, and I realized that I literally count down to the days with her, every week (I keep a day job for the money, but it also involves dogs ). I've been consuming every book on training I can find, and observing agility trials, and talking with other trainers, and taking Astro to every type of class there is. I've been giving advice for basic pet training, with the approval of my company, to clients at my day job, and it's been going wonderfully. Obviously, there's still SO MUCH for me to learn, but I feel like I'm making good progress, considering I didn't have any grasp at all of what I wanted for a career 1 year ago. Maybe it won't pan out, who knows, but I'd like to give it my best shot.
I feel that the most important thing is to keep at it with my trainer, since we jive well, she's well-respected in the area, and I can glean things from her in person (she's also tremendously available, I really don't know how I'd go through this without her). But I'd also like to start attending as many seminars as I can, and of course, training Astro to a higher degree as he matures; we're currently in private lessons weekly.
I'd like to take the CPDT exam (eventually - I really want to lay the foundations slowly and well), but I'd also like to do a longer course to flesh things out. I was looking at Karen Pryor's professional trainer course and trainer foundation courses - I really wanted to go to the ClickerExpo in Lancashire in October (it's sold out already, BOOOOOO), and stumbled upon those courses.
I guess the thing tripping me up is the pledge, combined with the cost. It seems the pledge is intentionally a little bit vague, but as I understand it your certification can actually be revoked if you're found to use aversives.
I can't find ANYTHING stating what will actually get your KPA graduate good-standing revoked. Does anyone know? Is it one of those things where if you advertise yourself as a 'positive trainer' but whip out choke collars for 8-month-old puppies, it's gone...or is it more, you said 'uh-oh, whoops!' to a client's dog once, and that was enough? I guess I'm a bit nervous to plop down so much money before knowing more, but I just can't seem to find anywhere that lists the exact line in the sand.
And if anyone has any other advice or schools to recommend to me, I'd be ever grateful I mainly like the KPA for the combination of online stuff with occasional in-person teaching; I have work so I can't do a full-blown live course, but I don't really want to do something that's just online.
I feel that the most important thing is to keep at it with my trainer, since we jive well, she's well-respected in the area, and I can glean things from her in person (she's also tremendously available, I really don't know how I'd go through this without her). But I'd also like to start attending as many seminars as I can, and of course, training Astro to a higher degree as he matures; we're currently in private lessons weekly.
I'd like to take the CPDT exam (eventually - I really want to lay the foundations slowly and well), but I'd also like to do a longer course to flesh things out. I was looking at Karen Pryor's professional trainer course and trainer foundation courses - I really wanted to go to the ClickerExpo in Lancashire in October (it's sold out already, BOOOOOO), and stumbled upon those courses.
I guess the thing tripping me up is the pledge, combined with the cost. It seems the pledge is intentionally a little bit vague, but as I understand it your certification can actually be revoked if you're found to use aversives.
I can't find ANYTHING stating what will actually get your KPA graduate good-standing revoked. Does anyone know? Is it one of those things where if you advertise yourself as a 'positive trainer' but whip out choke collars for 8-month-old puppies, it's gone...or is it more, you said 'uh-oh, whoops!' to a client's dog once, and that was enough? I guess I'm a bit nervous to plop down so much money before knowing more, but I just can't seem to find anywhere that lists the exact line in the sand.
And if anyone has any other advice or schools to recommend to me, I'd be ever grateful I mainly like the KPA for the combination of online stuff with occasional in-person teaching; I have work so I can't do a full-blown live course, but I don't really want to do something that's just online.