SkellyWags Dog Training Kent

When people imagine the life of a dog trainer, they probably picture us spending the entire day surrounded by puppies, lots of dog cuddles and saying, “Good dog.” To be fair, there is some of that. However, before I even see a dog, I may already have answered emails, returned phone calls, replied to text messages, checked social media, moved three appointments, checked the weather forecast six times and attempted to work out which diary contains the thing I definitely wrote down somewhere. Welcome to a day in the life of a dog trainer.

The day begins before the dogs arrive

Most days start with messages. Some come by email, some by text, some through social media and occasionally one appears on a platform I had temporarily forgotten existed. There are enquiries about puppy training, recall, lead walking, scentwork and dogs who have suddenly reached adolescence and apparently deleted everything they previously learnt. There are dates to arrange, questions to answer and sessions to juggle around clients work, family life, the weather and everything else that real life throws at people.

Then comes the diary. Actually, there may be more than one diary. A paper diary, an online calendar, notes on my phone and, for a brief but optimistic moment, something I was absolutely certain I would remember without writing down. I did not remember it.

Then there is the weather

Dog training also involves developing a relationship with the weather forecast that is probably becoming a little unhealthy. During the heatwaves, mornings began with checking temperatures, humidity and whether sessions could run safely. Suncream, water, shade and early starts became part of everyday life.

This week, the suncream has been swapped for waterproofs and boots. We have gone from trying to find every available patch of shade to wondering whether the waterproofs are still waterproof. British weather doesn’t really do gradual change!

Oddly, the rain has made the week feel normal again. A little wet and muddy, perhaps, but after weeks of heat and disrupted plans, I have been very happy to see dogs working comfortably even if I have spent part of each session quietly wondering where I left my coat.

Eventually, a dog appears

After all the messages, calls, planning and weather watching, the part everyone imagines finally begins, I get to work with dogs. That might mean puppy training as part of one of our Puppy Packages, or a one-to-one session looking at recall, engagement, scentwork or walking on the lead. It may be a scentwork class, Hoopers, Track & Trail or an online consultation with someone who needs support but cannot join me at the field.

No two sessions are quite the same because no two dogs or guardians are quite the same. The plan gives us somewhere to begin, but the dog in front of me gets the final vote. Sometimes we move forward, sometimes we simplify things and sometimes the dog decides today’s most important learning opportunity is investigating a particularly fascinating patch of grass. That is dog training, we observe, listen and adapt.

The learning never stops

The work doesn’t finish when the final dog goes home. There are notes to update, follow up messages to send and plans to prepare for the next session. There is also studying. I never want to reach a point where I believe I know everything about dogs, because I don’t think that point exists. Our understanding of behaviour, learning, welfare and the relationship between dogs and people continues to develop. If I expect dogs and their guardians to learn, it seems only fair that I keep learning too.

Courses, webinars, books, research and conversations with other professionals all form part of the job. Sometimes this happens at a sensible hour. Sometimes it happens late in the evening while Bert looks at me as if to say, “You do realise there’s an actual dog sitting here?” He makes a fair point.

More than playing with puppies

Running a dog training business means wearing quite a few different hats, trainer, administrator, diary coordinator, content creator, student, weather watcher and occasional finder of missing scentwork equipment. The dog training itself is only part of the day, but it is the reason everything else gets done. Behind every session are conversations, planning, learning and a lot of thought about how to give each dog and guardian the support they need.

So yes, a day in the life of a dog trainer does involve dogs, treats and muddy footprints. It also involves a phone that never seems to be far away, several open tabs, a diary full of arrows and a wardrobe that must be prepared for all four seasons before lunchtime. And you know what? I wouldn’t swap it even if I would occasionally like to know where I put that waterproof coat.