The key to being a successful pet trainer comes down to the way you treat your clients (pets and humans alike!). Strong communication skills are vital, as well as a confident and calm attitude. If you want to work as a behavior consultant, it’s also important to have a strong understanding of animal behavior and the connection between pet and human behavior.

It depends on your goals. The pet training business is not regulated in the United States and many pet trainers work without any specific education or qualifications. At Pet Harmony, our pet behavior consultants have a variety of training credentials and certifications. In our Mentorship program and Pro Campus membership, we can work with you to determine the certifications and education programs that are right for you and your goals.

CDBC stands for Certified Dog Behavior Consultant. If you want to start a behavior consulting business, becoming a CDBC is one of the best things you can do to add credibility to your business and boost your training skills. With a number of CDBCs on our pet behavior consultant team, we can help you determine if this credential is right for you. We do not, however, offer certification through our professional development programs.

When you are first entering the field, figuring out HOW you’ll work with clients can be a big obstacle. The Pet Harmony Enrichment Framework provides a structure for working with pets and their people that helps organize and standardize your workflows. The PETPro curriculum also focuses on the client experience, and provides additional coursework on starting, marketing, and sustaining a business. Weekly group coaching calls and user forums provide opportunities for networking and crowdsourcing information from other professionals. Finally, learning how to meet the needs of pets and their people is not sustainable without meeting your own needs. PETPro provides resources for creating and maintaining your own enrichment practices in order to avoid burnout.