Learn the scientific approach to
animal care. Even if you don't go
into animal care as a profession, as
an animal lover you owe it to
yourself to deliver the finest care
possible to your own pets.
Key lesson topics include: A Day In
The Life Of A Veterinary Assistant,
The Physical Examination, Veterinary
Anatomy And Physiology, Anesthesia,
Dentistry and Nutrition, Nursing of
Horses and Food Animals, Nursing of
Orphaned and Wild Animals; Special
Situations, Animal Hospitals and
Veterinary Practices
At Ashworth Career School you'll
enjoy an interactive, web-based
curriculum that enhances instruction
and adds quality and depth to the
learning process. Tuition includes a
beautifully illustrated textbook;
medical encyclopedia; a workbook
with reading assignments; and a
career search manual.
Animal care specialists may have job
opportunities such as veterinary
technician/assistant, surgical
assistant,
admissions/administration,
radiological assistant,
pharmacological assistant and
groomer. Pet stores and zoos are
also areas where jobs are available.
Dog Obedience Career Information:
Yes, most people in this field teach Fido to sit. This is not to lessen the value of this profession. Pets are an integral part of our society and their education is an important part of that phenomenon. Nevertheless, there is more to the profession that just the consumer end of the business. We've all seen the dogs at the airport, the disaster site and one the leash of a police officer aiding in the enforcement of the law. Those dogs weren't born that way, they went to school. Schools mean teachers. Those teachers come from the world of professional dog obedience trainers. The USPCA (United States Police Canine Association) certification requirements are that you must have at least 3 to 500 hours verified experience over a period of 5 years in the field to achieve certification, the actual course is some eight weeks long, and that is just to complete the basic course.
There are a number of other, more advanced, courses that are required to certify to train teams for detection and other specialties. Of course, you can expect to be working in the field from early in the process of learning. You should be able to obtain work as an obedience trainer after the first year, which is an added benefit of this course that not many people realize. The balance of your time will be devoted to pursuing your career goals as a K9 trainer. The initial certification for obedience training generally requires, in addition to the 300 - 500 hours of actual training experience. In addition, several letters of reference are required to receive the certification. The must come from a Veterinarian, a client and a professional colleague.
There are a number of 1 to 4 day seminars that you will be taking, up to 24 of them in total, which will serve to further your training. Then, once the seminars and hours are completed, you will be ready to apply for your K9 certification. This is where the certifications become vital, as you will be unable to work in the field without them. Dog trainers are rated lower on the average salary range due to the focus on the consumer end of the spectrum. K9 trainers however earn from $37,000 to $87,000 annually.
As to your actual career prospects, they look good. It does take a long time to train a team, as both the dog and its handler must learn to work not only apart but together as well. More and more they are in demand for security around the world for many purposes. For example, not only are the dogs used for police work but for other tasks such as for disaster relief when there are cases of needing to find trapped individuals after earthquakes or other natural disasters. It starts with your love of animals and your commitment to a unique job. This job will never end, so long as you are committed to your dog.
