Careers with Dogs E-Book

Kim Campbell Thornton

• Herausgeber: CompanionHouse Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 640

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Today's job market has inspired many in the work force to reevaluate their career choices and to reinvent themselves. Careers with Dogs is an engaging resource book for anyone who wants to learn about the many and varied canine-related jobs available today. From veterinary technician and medical specialist to dog trainer and professional handler, this comprehensive volume covers every imaginable job, offering advice to recent high school and college graduates as well as adults seeking a new profession. Each chapter provides information on individual occupations, in-depth narratives about a day-in-the-life of a professional on the job, the education and training required, salary and job forecast information, as well as an up-to-date listing of resources and career sites to help the hopefuls find their place in the dog-eat-dog world. Careers with Dogs is the best and most complete source on the market for all those who love dogs and want to realize their career potential in a dog-centric industry.

Leseprobe

Lead Editor: Jarelle S. Stein

Senior Editor: Amy Deputato

Assistant Editor: Elizabeth L. McCaughey

Art Director: Cindy Kassebaum

Production Supervisor: Jessica Jaensch

Production Coordinator: Tracy Burns

Publishing Coordinator: Karen Julian

Indexer: Melody Englund

Vice President, Chief Content Officer: June Kikuchi

Vice President, Kennel Club Books: Andrew DePrisco

I-5 Press: Jennifer Calvert, Amy Deputato, Lindsay Hanks,

Karen Julian, Elizabeth L. McCaughey, Roger Sipe, Jarelle S. Stein

Copyright © 2010 by I-5 Press™

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of I-5 Press™, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Thornton, Kim Campbell.

Careers with dogs : the comprehensive guide to finding your dream job / by Kim Campbell Thornton.

    p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-935484-96-7

1. Dog industry--Vocational guidance. I. Title.

SF426.55.T46 2010

636.70023--dc22

2010031138

I-5 Press™

A Division of I-5 Publishing, LLC™

3 Burroughs

Irvine, California 92618

Printed and bound in China

14 13 12 11 10       1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

To Mordecai Siegal,a dear friend who will always bethe dean of the dog writers.

You are missed.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Section 1

The Pet Industry and Dog-Related Careers

Chapter 1

The Pet Industry in America

Chapter 2

Forecast for Animal-Related Jobs

Chapter 3

Your Career Path and Education

Chapter 4

Getting the Job

Section 2

Training and Behavior

Chapter 5

Dog Trainer

Chapter 6

Applied Animal Behaviorist

Section 3

Veterinary Medicine

Chapter 7

Becoming a Veterinarian

Chapter 8

Private Practice and Other Choices

Chapter 9

Practice Specialties

Chapter 10

Public Welfare and Policy Specialties

Chapter 11

Research Specialties

Section 4

Canine Well-Being

Chapter 12

Veterinary Techs and Rehabilitation Therapists

Chapter 13

Massage Therapist, Dietary Consultant, and Dog Groomer

Section 5

Canine Science

Chapter 14

Canine Genome Researcher

Chapter 15

Wildlife Biologist

Section 6

Visual, Written, and Spoken Arts

Chapter 16

Artist and Other Art-Related Careers

Chapter 17

Photographer

Chapter 18

Writer, Editor, and Publisher

Chapter 19

Communications and PR Professionals and Broadcast Hosts

Section 7

Animal Welfare Careers

Chapter 20

Shelter Employees

Chapter 21

Humane Educator and Humane Investigator

Section 8

Petrepreneurs and Associated Careers

Chapter 22

Animal Communicator and Caretakers

Chapter 23

Pet Hosts

Chapter 24

Other Pet-Business Owners

Section 9

Recreation, Events, and Judging

Chapter 25

Breeder and Professional Handler

Chapter 26

Dog Show Judge and Superintendent

Chapter 27

Other Jobs in Dog Sports

Section 10

Working-Dog Handlers

Chapter 28

Law-Enforcement Dog Handlers

Chapter 29

Other Working-Dog Handlers

Section 11

Pet-Oriented Professions and Industry Careers

Chapter 30

Attorney, Librarian, and Therapists

Chapter 31

Product Developers, Marketers, and Retailers

Acknowledgments

Resources

Photo Credits

Introduction

When most of us think of occupations that involve working with dogs, veterinarian, veterinary technician, dog groomer, and dog trainer immediately spring to mind. Those are certainly the best known of the dog-focused careers, but as many people have learned, to their delight, a number of other professions, occupations, and pursuits can focus on dogs. Whether your interest in dogs lies in behavior; canine health, well-being, welfare, and advocacy; human health, welfare, assistance, and protection; sports; or some other area, there’s a good chance that your passion can become your life’s work.

If you’re interested in a dog-related health career, you may have thought you were limited to being a veterinarian or veterinary technician, but did you know that you could pursue a career as a pet rehabilitation therapist, pet massage practitioner, or pet EMT (emergency medical technician)? If you do pursue veterinary medicine, you can specialize in anesthesiology, behavior, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, emergency and critical care, epidemiology, immunology, internal medicine, neurology, nutrition, oncology (cancer), ophthalmology, radiology, surgery, theriogenology (reproduction), or toxicology (poisonous substances). You can serve as a veterinarian for the military or work as a veterinary consultant for a pet-food company. You can open a general small-animal practice, study diseases at a university, or extract the secrets of the canine genome at the National Institutes of Health. Those are just a few of the options for veterinarians.

There are ways other than practicing medicine to ensure a dog’s physical well-being. Dog groomers don’t just make dogs look nice and smell good. They’re keen observers of the canine condition. A groomer can be a dog’s first line of defense, alerting owners to the presence of external parasites, ear infections, and skin problems. Groomers help dogs in poor condition regain their beauty and self-esteem (yes, dogs have it, too!).

Animal-control officers, shelter employees, and humane educators help dogs in need. Animal-control officers ensure that dogs are licensed, mediate barking-dog disputes, and investigate cruelty cases. Shelter employees evaluate dogs and interview potential adopters to help make the best match for all involved. Humane educators visit schools and teach students about kind and appropriate pet care. Other advocates for dogs include lawyers who focus on pet-related legal issues and employees at dog- or animal-related organizations. The latter includes dog registries such as the American Kennel Club and the United Kennel Club and pet-health institutions such as the Morris Animal Foundation, the Canine Eye Registration Foundation, and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.

The human health field also has a place for dog lovers. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) involves more than just taking dogs to visit nursing homes and children’s hospitals. Health and human services professionals with specialized training provide AAT to clients with the goal of improving their physical, social, and reasoning skills as well as their emotional well-being. Therapists who practice AAT may work with clients individually or in a group setting. Medical doctors work in tandem with veterinarians to find treatments and cures for diseases that affect both people and animals, and psychologists help people overcome their fear of dogs or work out pet-related relationship problems with the goal of creating a happier home for people and their pets.

Dogs assist people by tracking criminals; detecting bombs, drugs, and other contraband; searching for injured people after disasters; indicating the presence of termites; and much more. They don’t work alone, however. They and their handlers form close-knit teams. Dog handlers may work for the military, the police, a federal or local disaster agency, or private businesses.

All dogs need training, and with some 74 million of them in the United States, there’s plenty of work for people who understand how dogs think and how to motivate them. Dog trainers and behaviorists are employed in many different fields, from entertainment, where they train dogs for film and television work, to animal shelters, where they help homeless dogs acquire the skills they need to successfully adapt to a new family. Behaviorists and trainers teach obedience classes, train guide and assistance dogs, and help people solve their pets’ behavior problems. They may work for an organization or set up their own businesses.

If you have an entrepreneurial mindset, you’ll find the pet field rich in possibilities. You can open a pet boutique, become a pet detective, start a dog-walking business, or design pet products. Starting a business that caters to doting dog lovers can be a satisfying and lucrative way to include dogs in your work life.

The pet industry itself is a multibillion-dollar business. Pet-food, pet-pharmaceutical, pet-supply, and pet-insurance companies need product developers, account managers, salespeople, event planners, marketing professionals, public-relations people, and many other types of employees to run their businesses. These jobs may or may not bring you in contact with dogs on a daily basis, but they do allow you to become immersed in a specialized field in which you have a strong interest.

Creative types needn’t feel left out. Writers, photographers, and artists can all find a niche involving dogs. Artists create portraits of dogs, immortalizing them on canvas. Dog photographers work not with supermodels such as Heidi Klum but with the beauties of the dog world. They take photos for dog magazines or calendars and every weekend can be found photographing the winners at dog shows. Writers and editors fill staff positions at companies that publish dog magazines and books or work as freelancers for print and digital media.

If your interests lie in the realm of science, there’s a place for you as well. Genetics is big business these days, and that includes dog genetics. The unraveling of the canine genome is helping to unlock the secrets of dog diseases, history, and even behavior as well as to find links between human and canine illnesses. Have an interest in wild dogs? Consider a career in wildlife biology.

You may have thought that showing dogs in conformation—at dog shows ranging from those of the local kennel club to the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club show in New York City—was merely a hobby, but some people do make a living in show-related occupations. Professional handlers, judges, and show superintendents are all essential to the smooth running of a show. Although breeding dogs is more of a hobby than a profession, without breeders there would be no dog shows, no assistance dogs, no working dogs—no purebred dogs of any kind, for that matter. That would be a great loss, because when we look at purebred dogs or train them to carry out the tasks they were traditionally bred to complete, such as hunting or herding, we see history come to life and experience the bond that has linked people and dogs for more than 15,000 years.

The desire to work with dogs can take you in almost any direction. Let this book serve as your roadmap to the ideal dog-related career for you.

The Pet Industry and Dog-Related Careers

It’s no secret that we love our pets. We pamper them with soft beds, interactive toys, and special diets. We take them on vacation with us or board them at kennels with spa facilities. We give them gifts at holidays such as Hanukkah; we hang stockings filled with organic treats for them at Christmas. We refer to our pets as our “kids.” Even when the economy goes south, we readily spend money on caring for our companion animals. It’s no wonder that a thriving pet industry has sprung up to cater to animals and their people. And that thriving industry offers plenty of employment opportunities.

The Pet Industry in America

The rise of the pet industry started in the 1960s, when dogs and cats began making their way into our hearts as more than mere animals on whom we spent only what we had to. Signs of this cultural change included the advent of mass-merchandised convenience foods and premium diets for animals, the introduction of more advanced training techniques, and the emergence of publications dedicated to pets and their care. Pet-related companies that got their start in the 1960s were at the forefront of what would become a multibillion-dollar industry.

Today, the pet industry encompasses food, veterinary care, supplies, nonprescription medications, and pet services such as grooming and boarding. Researchers estimate that pet owners spent $45.4 billion on their animals in 2009, up from $43.2 billion in 2008 and $17 billion in 1994. All this recent spending occurred during one of the biggest recessions this country has ever seen. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the pet industry is now the seventh-largest retail segment in the country, ahead of the toy industry and the candy industry. Pet-supply sales are increasing—5 to 7 percent annually—while sales of baby supplies are decreasing.

What’s Fueling the Growth?

What’s fueling the explosion in the buying of pet services and products among consumers? Several factors, including the time constraints that are experienced by two-income families, more disposable income among empty nesters and childless couples, and a desire for high-tech and high-end products and better animal health care.

At the PetSmart grooming salon in Woodhaven, Michigan, Emily Meadows bathes a customer. Grooming and other pet services are in high demand among dog owners.

Less Time, More Disposable Income

Baby boomers with empty nests and young married professionals with no kids and lots of disposable income drive the spending on pets. Dual-career couples have a two-pronged motivation for their pet-spending habits.

First, purchasing treats, toys, or other special items for their animals brings the owners pleasure. Second, many of them work long hours and are not able to spend as much time with their pets as they would like, so they pay other professionals—such as pet sitters and dog walkers—to ensure that their animals get the necessary exercise and companionship. Dog owners also spend their money on services such as grooming, boarding, massage, and yoga.

High-Tech Gadgets and High-End Products

Thanks to pet owners’ interest in and concern for the well-being of their animals, products for companion animals now extend far beyond traditional necessities. Among the high-tech items for pets are computerized ID tags, GPS tracking devices for lost pets, and programmable feeding and drinking systems. High-end pet supplies include decorator daybeds and designer collars and clothing by such companies as Coach and Burberry. Companies known for catering to people—Paul Mitchell, Omaha Steaks, Origins, Harley-Davidson, and Old Navy, for instance—also offer lines of pet products that include shampoo, treats, clothing, and toys.

These brands don’t slap their names on just anything. The Omaha Steaks Steak Treats for Dogs and Cats, which resemble the beef jerky the company produces for people, are made from the same premium Midwestern beef as the human version, minus the high levels of sodium and certain spices that might not agree with a dog’s or cat’s digestive system. The John Paul Pet company, which was created by the cofounder of the Paul Mitchell line of hair-care products, tests its shampoos and conditioners on people first to ensure that they won’t irritate the sensitive skin of pets. Harley-Davidson’s pet collection includes denim and leather jackets, riding goggles, bandanas, and spiked leather collars for dogs who ride shotgun in a sidecar or a motorcycle dog carrier.

A canine biker sports a Harley-Davison jacket and cap. People are clamoring for high-end brand-name pet apparel.

The most stylish pets—or at least the ones with the most stuff—have carryalls for their paraphernalia, which can include a blanket, a folding water dish, a water bottle, and poop-pickup bags. Coat wipes and air fresheners keep pets and cars (as well as homes) smelling clean. Some automobile manufacturers even design optional dog-safety features for their cars and SUVs. Car harnesses, seatbelts, and car seats for dogs have proliferated.

The Best Animal Health Care

Many dog owners want to ensure that their animals get the best health care available, from high-end diagnostics to pain relief to complementary therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic. To help pay for it, they’re turning to pet health insurance.

Online veterinary pharmacies meet pet owners’ needs by providing home delivery of medications, usually at lower prices. With these trends in mind, more and more veterinary practices offer levels of care approaching that for people.

Pet-Friendly Environments

Businesses not traditionally pet-related are getting into the act, as well. Hotels across the country, including luxury resorts, not only have adopted pet-friendly policies but also are actively courting pet owners. They are offering special meals, dog walking, pet sitting, and spa services for the animals of guests. Similar trends in pet-friendly environments include restaurants with outdoor seating areas for people with pets, walk-up windows at Starbucks so dog lovers don’t have to leave their pets outside when they order, and shopping centers that welcome animals, such as Stony Point Fashion Park in Richmond, Virginia, and Fashion Island in Newport Beach, California.

More Sources for Pets and Products

The growth in sales of specialty foods, toys, luxury items, and convenience accessories comes from passionate pet people who seek selection, style, and originality in the items they choose for their animals. They want products as good as those they’d purchase for themselves and ones that will match the style and décor of their homes, whether they live in a Colonial saltbox, a California bungalow, or a New York high-rise exuding global chic. No wonder pet products can be found not only in traditional pet-supply stores but also in discount, warehouse, home improvement, and lawn and garden stores as well as in freestanding independent pet boutiques that sell specialty items and treats.

The dot-com bust of the 1990s was a mere bump in the road for online pet suppliers. They include not only the major players, such as PETCO and PetSmart, but also small businesses that focus on one product or a collection of unique products. The Web sites of these suppliers have increasingly sophisticated design and usability.

Bill and Jack Kelly:Brothers with a Passion for Nutrition

Two brothers and World War II army vets, Bill and Jack Kelly of Medina, Ohio, established Bil-Jac Foods in 1947. The first product the company introduced was Bil-Jac Frozen Dog Food, which boasted fresh meat sources and little processing. For more than sixty years, the company has remained family-owned and–operated, and the company’s credo remains “making pet food is our only business, our life’s work, and our passion.” Bil-Jac has built its business on investing in putting more quality ingredients in the bag and fewer dollars into marketing. The company claims to have revolutionized the dog-food industry with its “exclusive nutrient protection technology,” which involves how high-quality proteins are pasteurized and vacuum-dried to preserve the integrity of the amino acids needed for proper nutrition and digestion.

As pet adoptions have increased, so too have the avenues for acquiring a pet. Prospective pet owners are no longer limited to breeders or to animal shelters in their immediate areas. With the advent of pet-adoption Web sites and rescue Web sites for individual breed and all-breed rescue groups, as well as informative Web sites created by breed clubs, people have more alternatives and opportunities for acquiring a dog.

It’s much easier now to find a good breeder through a breed-club Web site or to find exactly the type of dog you’d like to adopt because of the greater access provided by the Internet to many different shelters and rescue groups.

What does all of this mean? It means that pets are more than companions; they’re big business. Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, and IKEA are among the big-box retailers catering to pet owners by expanding their selections of pet products and offering products stamped with their own labels. Colgate-Palmolive and Nestlé entered the field by purchasing pet-food manufacturers Hill’s and Ralston-Purina, respectively. Industry analysts expect the amount of money spent on pets to increase.

Saturation will happen at some point in time, but experts believe that the pet industry is still at the low end of the growth curve. This means that opportunities abound for people who are interested in careers in this wide-open field.

Forecast for Animal-Related Jobs

Given the prediction of continued growth in the pet industry, employment opportunities appear bright. The service industry as a whole is growing rapidly in the United States; pet services can fill a niche in many well-to-do communities as well as in middle-class areas. The growth in unique pet products is also a sign of future job opportunities in areas such as sales and promotion.

Want an edgy and challenging job? Seek out positions in law enforcement or the military. If you’re interested in veterinary medicine or scientific research, you can find plenty of opportunity.

Individuals with an artistic flair can put their talents to good use as photographers, artists, and writers. Dog shows also provide interesting career opportunities. Other fields that offer the potential for animal-related job opportunities include the law, public relations and communications, and sales.

It’s clear that dogs are our best friends in more ways than one. We can do more than share our home life with them. We can work for them and with them in many different ways to help improve their lives as well as the lives of others.

Pet Services

Dog lovers with an entrepreneurial bent face a bright future, especially those with an interest in starting pet-related businesses such as dog walking, sitting, grooming, and training. Service industries are expected to account for approximately 18.7 million of the 18.9 million new wage and salary jobs generated through 2014. The American Pet Products Association (APPA) estimates that owners spent $3.4 billion on pet services in 2009, up from $2.4 billion in 2005. Two-income families, in particular, have the money but not the time to spend on their dogs. The state of the economy is also important, as pet owners tend to spend even more on animal services when the economy is strong.

Doctor of physical therapy and certified canine rehab practitioner Amy Kramer works with a patient at California Animal Rehabilitation, the care business she founded in Santa Monica with veterinarian Jessica H. Waldman. They have been nonstop busy since opening in 2007.

If you want to help animals, consider shelter work. The job outlook for animal-care workers, such as kennel attendants and shelter workers, is promising. While it’s not good news for animals, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that jobs in animal shelters will be plentiful. Although this type of work is rewarding in some ways, it can also be demanding and stressful. Shelter workers may deal with people who are sad about giving up their pets as well as those who callously abandon their animals when they are tired of them. Shelter workers also see pets who have been mistreated, are sick, or are difficult to work with because they are untrained. Because of the various stresses of the job, many shelter employees switch careers eventually, thereby creating opportunities for other people who wish to enter the field.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment of animal-care and service workers such as kennel attendants, groomers, pet sitters, animal-control and shelter employees, and trainers will grow by 18 to 26 percent through 2018. Advantages of these jobs include not only direct involvement with dogs but also generally flexible work schedules. In addition, such jobs usually don’t require a college degree. The work can be backbreaking, however, especially for groomers and kennel attendants, and anyone working in this field risks being bitten by the animals they work with.

Trainers with good communication and self-promotion skills can find work teaching assistance or service dogs, training dogs for the entertainment industry, or as a broadcast personality, such as Victoria Stilwell of the Animal Planet television show It’s Me or the Dog.

Pet Products and Public Relations

The APPA estimates that American pet owners spent $10.2 billion on pet supplies in 2009, an increase of $200 million from 2008. One of the trends in this area is automated products such as self-cleaning litter boxes and programmable food and water dishes. Dog lovers with engineering or design skills may well find a place in the pet-product industry.

Careers in various facets of the pet industry include retail sales and management, promotions, public relations management, and event planning. There’s always a place for a good salesperson, especially one who has in-depth knowledge about the products. If you love dogs and are knowledgeable about their care, you’ll be better able to help customers choose the products that meet their needs. Retail sales positions are expected to grow by approximately 8 percent through 2018, reflecting the increase in consumer spending by a growing population.

Other pet-industry sales jobs include being a sales representative for a pet-food manufacturer, veterinary pharmaceutical company, or pet-product manufacturer or wholesaler. These jobs are also expected to grow between 7 and 13 percent through 2018. With pet owners spending $26 billion per year on food and supplies, this area holds many opportunities.

Promotions managers or specialists direct programs that combine advertising with purchase incentives to increase sales. They seek to reach dealers, distributors, and consumers through direct mail, telemarketing, television or radio advertising, catalogs, exhibits, inserts in newspapers, Internet advertisements or Web sites, in-store displays, product endorsements, and special events. Purchasing incentives may include discounts, samples, gifts, rebates, coupons, sweepstakes, and contests. Promotions managers may publish newsletters that provide information of interest to their target audiences. Related jobs include account manager, public relations specialist, advertising manager, and marketing manager.

Sarah Carey, who manages public relations efforts for the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and the UF Veterinary Hospitals, spends a day on the beach with Katie.

Creative Arts

The creative arts—photography, painting, writing, and editing—offer a wide scope of opportunities for dog lovers. If you have a creative skill and would like to use it in a career with dogs, consider a career as a dog-show photographer, a pet portrait photographer or painter, a dog magazine editor, or a freelance writer.

In the fields of writing, editing, photography, and art, employment is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2018. The increasing specialization of magazines, as well as the growth of online publications and business Web sites and newsletters, means that writers, editors, and photographers have many more outlets for their work. Unfortunately, the increase in digital media is affecting the amount of money these professionals can make—and not in a good way. Print media salaries are decreasing because of the upsurge in digital media, and the new jobs in digital publications pay less than those in print media. In addition, although creative fields offer many opportunities, they’re also highly competitive.

Craft artists and fine artists work primarily on commission and may require some other source of income to pay their bills, at least until their talents are recognized and they develop a regular clientele. Art directors may find employment not only at pet magazines but also at pet-related companies, in advertising or public relations.

Many people want to work in fashion design, and some want to specialize in creating clothing and accessories that either feature dogs or are for dogs. The best opportunities for these people may be as entrepreneurs, selling their creations to apparel and pet-product wholesale firms. Haute couture for pets is popular and gets lots of press when worn by the dogs of celebrities, but stylish and affordable designs that appeal to middle-income consumers will be most in demand.

If you’ve ever been to a dog show, especially a prestigious one such as the Westminster Kennel Club show, you’ve seen the trove of jewelry sold by vendors there: gold, silver, and bejeweled necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, and cufflinks—all in the forms of different dog breeds. People who love their purebred dogs also love to wear jewelry fashioned in the breed’s image. A jeweler who can create such designs will have a readymade clientele. Jewelers who specialize in this type of work are usually entrepreneurs who sell their wares at dog shows or through catalogs or on Web sites.

EVENT PLANNING

Event planners or public relations managers may be involved in special events, such as the sponsorship of dog shows, parties to introduce new products, or other pet-related promotions. Tie-ins with special events help pet-industry companies gain public attention without advertising directly. Competition is keen for these jobs, but employment in the fields of advertising, marketing, promotion, public relations, and sales management is expected to increase by 16 percent through 2018.

Jewelry for dogs themselves, primarily charms that can be worn on collars, is becoming popular as well, creating another market for designers in this field. Thanks to the rise in nontraditional jewelry marketers—discount stores, mail-order and catalog companies, television shopping networks, and Internet retailers—as well as increasing numbers of affluent people (including working women who like to buy their own baubles and people age forty-five and older), jewelry sales are expected to remain strong in the recovering economy.

Dog Shows

Unsurprisingly, some of the most hands-on careers involving dogs are those in the dog-show world. You thought showing dogs was just a hobby? Think again. Professional handlers are paid to take dogs into the show ring to earn their conformation championships or to achieve a certain standing within their breed or Group, such as number-one English Springer Spaniel or number-one Sporting Dog. And someone has to judge those dogs. Dog-show judges travel all over the world to evaluate show dogs, determining which ones will become champions and, more than likely, pass on their genes to the next generation of dogs. Who runs those dog shows? The show superintendent is the one who handles entries, determines when and where a show will take place, prints judging programs and catalogs, and much more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t track these specialized dog-show jobs, but with the thousands of dog shows that take place each year—the largest U.S. ones drawing more than 3,500 entries—there’s definitely room for growth in this field.

Law Enforcement

Want to combine your interest in law enforcement with your love of dogs? Consider becoming a police- or military-dog handler, U.S. customs inspector, or arson-dog handler. Police dogs and their handlers track missing people, help control crowds, search for explosives or illegal drugs, chase criminals, and guard prisoners. In the military, dogs and their handlers are responsible for guarding bases and aircraft hangars, locating land mines and other explosives, and searching for casualties. Customs dogs and their handlers work at seaports and airports to seek out contraband such as drugs and food products being brought into the country illegally. Arson-dog handlers determine whether fires were set deliberately. Dog handlers may also patrol and guard property or provide security at events.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at the Canine Enforcement Training Center teaches a detector dog to search a car trunk.

Although these jobs can be dangerous, they’re also challenging and exciting, which can make them attractive. They may or may not require a college degree, but all require at least a high-school diploma. Competition for dog-handling jobs may be high, but the growth of employment for police in general is expected to grow as fast as the average, approximately 10 percent, through 2018. Layoffs are rare in this industry, and trained law-enforcement officers are always in demand, especially if they have a skill such as dog handling. Opportunities are best in local police departments rather than in state police or federal law-enforcement agencies. Applicants with a college education in law enforcement will be most desirable.

Veterinary Medicine and Science

According to the APPA, pet owners spent an estimated $12.2 billion on veterinary care in 2009. The BLS expects employment for veterinarians to increase 33 percent through 2018. Do you have a more analytical mind and an interest in research? Scientists have decoded the canine genome, but there’s still much to learn from it about what makes dogs tick. Studying the genetic underpinnings of the canine species is only one of the opportunities available to someone with an interest in biology.

Veterinary Care

The median annual earnings of veterinarians in 2008 were $79,050. Veterinarians who practice in East or West Coast cities or who specialize in a particular field will probably earn the most, but they are also more likely to have higher overhead costs and higher living expenses. Becoming a veterinarian also requires an investment of time and education. Veterinarians must complete four years of college plus several more years of veterinary school.

If you are not sure that you are cut out to be a veterinarian, but you are still interested in the field of pet health, you may want to train as a veterinary technician or a veterinary technologist. Employment in this field is expected to grow by 36 percent—that is a much faster rate than average for all occupations—through the year 2018. Specializing in advanced veterinary services, such as dental care and surgery, can create additional opportunities.

Besides working in a veterinary practice, veterinary technicians and technologists can seek jobs at biomedical facilities, diagnostic laboratories, wildlife facilities, humane societies, animal-control facilities, boarding kennels, drug- or food-manufacturing companies, and food-safety inspection facilities.

Charles Cruft:The P.T. Barnum of Dog Shows

A young Charles Cruft began his association with canines as an employee of Spratt’s dog food company. It was as a Spratt’s representative that Cruft visited Paris to assist with a dog show at the World Exhibition in 1879. From this experience, Cruft decided to start his own dog shows in London and soon became the Barnum of the European dog-show world. Naming the show after himself, the publicity-hungry entrepreneur hailed Cruft’s Dog Show “the greatest show on earth” and attracted thousands of entries, including the Collies and Pomeranians of the reigning monarch Queen Victoria. Crufts quickly became the most prestigious show in the United Kingdom—and perhaps the world. After Cruft’s death in 1938, the show was sold to the English Kennel Club, which continues to produce the show each winter, still attracting thousands of purebred dogs from around the world.

Scientific Research

Biologists with an interest in dogs and wildlife might study the origin, behavior, diseases, and life processes of wild canids, such as wolves in Yellowstone National Park or endangered African wild dogs. The findings of these professionals help us understand more about our own domestic dogs. Ecologists study the relationships among organisms and between organisms and their environments. In wild dogs, that might involve observing the effects of such factors as population size, the abundance or absence of prey, or the encroachment of humans into the dogs’ territory.

Other biologists work in research and development of new veterinary drugs, treatments, and diagnostic tests. Research using techniques such as recombining DNA has led to the production of new and safer vaccines for dogs. Biotechnology researchers isolate genes and determine their function. This work leads to the discovery of genes associated with specific diseases and inherited traits, such as certain types of cancer. Biological research can have commercial applications in the pet-food industry, as well. A career in biology may lead to managerial or administrative positions, such as planning and overseeing programs for testing pet foods and drugs or directing activities at municipal zoos.

National Park Service wildlife biologist Doug Smith carries a tranquilized wolf in Yellowstone National Park.

Your Career Path and Education

Know thyself. This admonition from the ancient Greeks may be the best career advice ever given. Being aware of and honest about your interests and abilities is the first step in finding the career that’s right for you, whether you are a high-school or college student or someone seeking a career in a new field.

One of the advantages of working with dogs is the variety of backgrounds that can lead to a rewarding position. Depending on your career interest, the educational requirements for working with dogs range from a high-school diploma (sometimes not even that) to years of graduate study. Take into account your learning style and level of interest in higher education when deciding which job will be right for you.

Discovering Your Path

In deciding on a career path, consider your skills and your personality. People have different types of skills, some that are natural and some that they acquire through school, work, and life experiences. Skills you may learn in school include meeting deadlines, working under pressure, problem solving, presenting ideas verbally or in writing, speaking a foreign language, and working as a member of a team. Skills learned on the job may include human-resource management, project administration, and research or design techniques. The abilities to relate to people and to pay attention to detail often come through day-to-day living but may be learned in school or the workplace.

Questions to Ask

To find the career that will match your talents and bring you the most satisfaction, begin by asking yourself the following questions:

Personality Traits

How do I enjoy spending my days?What do I like thinking, learning, and talking about?Do I enjoy talking to people or am I the quiet type?Do I like asking people questions?What kind of people do I enjoy being around?Do I like being the center of attention, or do I prefer the background?Would I rather live in the city or in the country?Do I like to travel, or am I a homebody?What are my favorite volunteer activities, hobbies, or sports?

Skills

Am I analytical or creative?Do I have artistic abilities in writing, photography, or art?Do I excel in science and mathematics classes?Am I good at selling things or persuading people to my way of thinking?

Work Environment

Would I rather work for a big corporation, a small company, or myself?Do I prefer to be part of a team or to work on my own?Do I like being busy all the time, or do I need plenty of time to spend with friends and family to be at my best?How much money would I like to make?

Animal Specifics

What animal-related activities do I enjoy?Am I good at teaching my pet tricks or behaviors?Do I enjoy spending time making sure my pet is clean and beautiful?

Kris Parlett, Procter & Gamble Pet Care External Relations team member, poses with actress Betty White during a media junket to support the Morris Animal Foundation.

Personal traits such as patience, reliability, risk taking, resourcefulness, and innovation can also affect your choice of careers. Sometimes these are learned through life experiences, but often they are innate. For instance, patience often develops naturally with experience, but it can be difficult for a timid or withdrawn person to become a gregarious risk taker. It can happen, but it requires a lot of desire, willpower, and practice. People willing to make that effort can be successful at risk taking, but they often need a lot of down time to recharge their energy. To discover your skills and traits, answer the questions in the box “Questions to Ask” (opposite).

Matching Skills and Traits with Careers

Studying the answers to the questions in “Questions to Ask” and making a list of your traits and skills, as well as your preferences in work environment and pet activities, can help you clarify your interests. You will start to see a pattern emerge, indicating whether you prefer to work with people or with information, whether you’d like a demanding career with lots of travel or a quiet one in which you work alone or with only one or two other people, and whether a high salary or job satisfaction is more important to your happiness and well-being.

Recognizing and accepting these factors is essential to choosing the right career. For instance, if you have a scientific mind and like the idea of becoming a veterinarian, but the thought of talking to dozens of dog owners every day makes you shudder, you might instead consider a career in veterinary research, studying the causes of canine diseases or contributing to the development of a new vaccine or drug. Or suppose you enjoy meeting people and traveling and you have a persuasive personality, but hitting the books for seven or more years isn’t your idea of a good time. Rather than becoming a veterinarian, you may want to consider a career in sales, marketing, or public relations for a pet-food manufacturer, pharmaceutical firm, or pet-product company in a position that would allow you to attend dog shows, veterinary conferences, and other animal-related events.

Are you on the planning committee for your high-school prom or your city’s annual Fourth of July parade? You probably have good organizational and communication skills, which can lead you to careers as disparate as event manager for a pet-food company or director of an animal-welfare foundation.

These are just a few examples of how you can evaluate your skills and personality to plan your future. You’ll also want to consider various facets of job satisfaction. Study the following list of factors and number them in order of importance from 1 to 12, with 1 being the most important. The answers will help you refine your choices.

Contributing to society

Financial rewards

Helping others

Intellectual challenge

Interacting with the public

Job security

Potential for advancement

Professional status

Recognition

Supervising or managing others

Working as part of a team

Working independently

Exploring More Sources

Once you have an idea of the type of career you want to pursue, you need to gather as much information about it as you can. In addition to reading the chapters on specific careers in this book, you should look for information in various other books and periodicals and on Web sites. Then arrange to talk with a professional in the field.

Books, Periodicals, and Web Sites

Books that can help you explore and define yourself include the latest editions of Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type, by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger (Little Brown) and What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job Hunters and Career Changers, by Richard Bolles (Ten Speed Press). Do What You Are, whose authors have decades of experience training career counselors, outplacement consultants, and human-resource specialists, is a guide to personality type and can help you determine how you process information, make decisions, and interact with people. It links personality types with occupations and uses case studies to help readers tailor their job searches to their strengths or get the most out of a chosen career.

Libraries such as this one are great sources for information on occupations, on technical schools and colleges, on careers opportunities, and on other aspects of job hunting.

Financial Considerations

You may or may not make a lot of money in your chosen career. Sometimes, working in a field you love requires financial sacrifices. This is not always the case, but it’s definitely something you should be prepared for. Lots of people have an interest in working with animals, which means that employers often have their pick of the best people and can set their own terms. You have to consider whether working with animals or in a pet-related field balances out the possibility that you won’t be rolling in dog biscuits. That’s especially important if you’re thinking about making a career change.

Answering the following questions will help you decide if a career is right for you financially and whether it is feasible for you to make a career change:

What income level can I reasonably expect from this career?What benefits (health insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, retirement plan) can I expect from this career?If benefits are not included, can I afford to pay for them myself or do I have another source of coverage?Would I rather work directly with dogs or would I be satisfied with a higher- paying position in a pet-related industry?How much money do I need for personal expenses (housing, food, medical costs, utilities, transportation, child or pet care)?If I am starting a business, how much will I need for start-up costs?Is my credit good enough to get a loan for educational or start-up expenses?Am I organized and disciplined enough to pay quarterly estimated taxes and keep track of my expenses? If not, can I afford to pay a bookkeeper to do those things for me?

MIND YOUR MANNERS

Remember what you learned in kindergarten: Always say please and thank you. If someone spends a great deal of time with you for an informational interview or gives you a great lead or piece of advice, write a thank-you note. Not only is it the polite thing to do, but it’s also a way for you to stand out.

Once you have a handle on your personality type, What Color Is Your Parachute? described by Fortune magazine as “the gold standard of career guides,” offers practical job-hunting advice not only for people new to the workforce but also for career changers, victims of layoffs, and people reentering the job market after taking time off to care for dependents or to go back to school. Neither book is pet oriented, but together they provide a foundation for finding the right job in any field.

Exploring your career options is the next step. To supplement the career information in this book, check your library or a bookstore for books about your chosen career. Look beyond the typical career guide. For instance, aspiring veterinarians may enjoy reading Nick Trout’s Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing, and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon (Broadway, 2008). Want to be a wildlife biologist who studies wild canids? Look for Swift and Enduring (E.P. Dutton, 1981), by George and Lory Frame, about their time in Africa spent tracking the endangered painted dogs. Read books by trainers and behaviorists, people who show dogs, and animal-welfare advocates. Their experiences can give you an idea of the highlights as well as the problems these types of work.

For more information about the training and education needed for a specific career, earning prospects, job outlook, working conditions, and job-search tips, consult the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. You can find it in your library in the reference section or online at www.bls.gov/OCO. It provides an excellent overview of most careers, from animal-control officer to veterinarian, as well as seven- to ten-year job projections in each field.

Don’t forget to check consumer magazines and trade journals, such as Dog World magazine, Pet Product News International, and the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. You can subscribe to them or find them at newsstands as well as at libraries. If your library doesn’t carry a publication, talk to the librarian about obtaining a copy.

The Internet is another great source of both objective and subjective information. Lots of trainers, veterinarians, and other pet professionals have blogs, for instance. Reading them can give you a window into their work life and the issues they face in their fields.

Information Interviews

Reading books and magazines and surfing the Web are useful for acquiring background information, but there’s nothing like talking to people who work in a field. This is the best way to learn how to become established in a given career and what’s actually involved in a job on a day-to-day basis, and it will help you develop and refine your career goals.

Set up what’s known as an “information interview” with people in your desired field. It will probably be easy to find people who work in your hometown or nearby as animal-control officers, dog trainers, groomers, or veterinarians. Look in the phone book or talk to the people who care for your pets. Professional organizations, such as the National Dog Groomers Association, the American Pet Products Association, the Pet Care Services Association, and the Public Relations Society of America, can also help you find people in pet-related jobs. The Occupational Outlook Handbook lists organizations as resources for different careers, so look for leads there.

Once you’ve identified someone in the field, call to make an appointment to speak to that person by phone or at his or her place of business. Explain that you are not seeking a job interview but would like to learn more about the field as a possible career. Some busy people may prefer to answer your questions by e-mail, so be sure to give them that option.

For a phone call or personal meeting, write your questions down in advance, be on time, and take good notes. Don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterward. Such a gesture of courtesy can pay off when you need a reference for a college or graduate-school application or for an apprenticeship. Even if you just speak casually to your veterinarian, groomer, or another pet professional about his or her job, be sure to thank that person.

Try to talk to more than one person in a given field. For instance, if you want to be a dog groomer, speak to one who owns his or her own business, one who works for a veterinarian or a pet-supply store, and one who runs a mobile grooming van or do-it-yourself dog wash. If you are interviewing veterinarians, talk to a general-practice one and an emergency-room one as well as a couple with specialty practices in fields such as cardiology or dentistry. If you’re interested in a career in pet products, interview the owner of a pet boutique and the manager of a pet-supply superstore.

If you’re not sure where your interests lie, do as many different information interviews as you can. Think, too, about where you’d like to live, the lifestyle you want, what salary you need, and what type of organization you’d like to work for. These factors affect such decisions as where you choose to go to school or apply for a job. As you review interview notes and compare them with notes about career desires and skills, knowledge, and needs, you’ll start to develop a picture of what career to pursue.

Pursuing Education and Acquiring Experience

If you’re not academically inclined, you may prefer to get your training on the job, apprenticing with a professional. If you do want formal education in a particular field, research as many different educational programs as possible to make sure you choose the best for your purposes. Professional organizations often have their own requirements for members, including certification and licensing.

Learning about dogs starts with observing and interacting with your own pet.

In addition to on-the-job training or formal education, make the effort to learn on your own. Spend as much time as possible watching dogs, studying their behavior, reading about them, and viewing them in works of art. Your self-study, along with your education in the fundamentals of your career, will help train your eye and give you a firm foundation as you pursue your chosen field.

On-the-Job Training

Not every dog-related career requires formal education. Often, the best way to gain experience is to learn on the job. Groomers, dog trainers, and professional handlers have a long history of serving in apprenticeships to people established in their field to learn the trade.

Working in retail isn’t exactly an apprenticeship, but it is the type of job that’s frequently open to people with little or no experience in pet-supply sales. A friendly, helpful attitude toward customers and a strong work ethic will go a long way in the pet-supply business, and it doesn’t hurt to be knowledgeable about the products the store carries.

Careers in the arts also allow you to get your education on the job. Many artists and photographers never take a course; they learn by doing.

Are you planning to work in the field of human welfare but want to incorporate dogs into your job? Police- and military-dog handlers often learn the dog-handling aspect on the job, but prior experience through personal ownership, volunteer work for a search-and-rescue organization, or formal study at a dog-training school can help as well.

Lead cashier and accredited pet trainer Kayla Barett stocks the shelves at PetSmart in Woodhaven, Michigan. Working at a pet-supply store can be a good way to learn more about dogs and pet products.

Formal Education

Groomers and trainers may also attend schools that specialize in educating future canine hairstylists and dog whisperers. People who plan to be trainers, whether they apprentice or attend a dog-training school, can benefit from college courses in animal behavior and human psychology. Because trainers teach the owner to teach the dog, it can be immensely helpful to understand the psychology of learning and learn what techniques motivate people to follow advice. Trainers who want to work in the entertainment industry need to understand something about filmmaking and self-promotion.

Profiles of Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Students at Pennsylvania’s Bucknell University can earn a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree in animal behavior. The interdisciplinary major combines the study of biology and psychology. Coursework includes chemistry, math, physics, biology, and psychology, plus electives in the humanities, social sciences, languages, and cultures. Classes cover animal behavior, behavioral ecology, and organic evolution, to name just a few. Students have the opportunity to perform research with faculty and study abroad in environments as diverse as Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Canisius College, located in Buffalo, New York, says it offers more undergraduate courses in animal behavior than does any other four-year college or university. Students have access to internships at the Buffalo Zoo and the Aquarium of Niagara, as well as at other, more distant animal facilities such as Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo and the Dolphin Research Center in Florida. Its minor in animal behavior has six required courses: comparative animal behavior is required for everyone, and students choose the other five classes from a range that includes social organization of mammals; sex, evolution, and behavior; animal learning; behavioral neuroscience; reproductive biopsychology; and vertebrate zoology.

At Purdue University (above) in Indiana, through its Center for the Human-Animal Bond, undergraduates with any major can study the issues surrounding the role of animals in society and earn a certificate in animal welfare and societal concerns. The interdisciplinary undergraduate program, which requires sixteen to eighteen credit hours, is designed to educate students about the sociology, ethics, biology, behavior, and economics of animal care and use; provide a scientific and philosophical basis of animal care and use; teach students how to resolve conflicts concerning the humane use of animals; develop leaders in animal policy development; and inspire research to improve human and animal well-being. Required courses include biology, animal welfare and human interaction, companion-animal management, evolution of behavior, applied small-animal behavior, and ethics and animals as well as a research project related to human-animal interactions.

In addition to on-the-job training, those interested in a sales career in pet products can turn to formal education. Junior college or college courses in accounting, business, and other relevant topics can lead to a store management position.

Veterinarian technician Christa Carlson examines a dog at Blum Animal Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.

Most writing and editing jobs require a college degree in English, journalism, or some other liberal arts field, such as anthropology or history. Anthropology is a good foundation for studying and understanding the culture of dog ownership, which is a large part of writing for or editing a publication about dogs. Knowledge of history benefits all journalists and editors, because it allows them to place events they cover in context. And, of course, the study of English and journalism is the basis for learning how to write in a correct, clear, and entertaining manner—one that will hold readers’ interest as well as inform them.

Sometimes formal education and on-the-job training go hand in hand. For instance, even though police work doesn’t necessarily require formal education beyond the police academy, candidates with the best prospects are those who have studied criminal justice, psychology, or another related field in college. And people who want to be search-and-rescue handlers should have superb outdoor survival and navigation skills, usually acquired through personal experience.

Dog-related careers in the sciences require a different kind of hard work. Veterinarians and biologists must earn a four-year college degree, followed by three or more years of graduate study. Besides an understanding of anatomy and physiology, veterinarians need the fine motor skills to perform delicate surgery as well as the strength to perform difficult orthopedic surgeries on large dogs. Veterinarians who wish to specialize face additional years of study and testing before they can become accredited.

Profiles of Master’s Degree Programs

The Tufts University Center for Animals and Public Policy, established in 1983, offers a master of science in animals and public policy. According to the center, this program “explores historical, philosophical, scientific, cultural, legal and political underpinnings of contemporary human-animal relationships.” The curriculum includes animals in society, human-animal studies, and public policy. With this degree, graduates may continue study in such fields as veterinary medicine or law or find work at nonprofit organizations, with corporations, or at government agencies. Some graduates of the program become editors, writers, journalists, shelter administrators, or humane educators.

The University of Illinois (above) offers a master of science degree in biology with a specialization in applied animal behavior. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) provides adjunct support. The in-residence, two-year interdisciplinary program is designed to provide graduate training for careers in such fields as applied animal behavior, companion-animal-behavior consulting, and training and behavior for shelter animals. Each student must complete a research project. Students applying to the program should be able to show evidence of animal-related experience, such as volunteering at an animal shelter, training animals, or exhibiting dogs or cats.

Amie Lamoreaux Hesbach, relaxing here with her dogs, worked as a licensed physical therapist before becoming a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner.

While veterinary technicians and technologists don’t have the same lengthy course of study as veterinarians do, they must be graduates of two- or four-year programs in their fields. Because of advances in veterinary care that require prior training, strictly on-the-job training is a rarity.

Pet rehabilitation is another area that calls for extensive education. Pet rehab practitioners may start out by studying human physical therapy, which requires a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. Although any undergraduate major is acceptable, students in the initial stages of undergraduate preparation should consider a major in kinesiology or the biological sciences, which tend to be the most direct routes to a physical-therapy program. This path requires additional study to learn animal anatomy so that the rehabilitator can appropriately apply physical-therapy techniques. Other pet rehab practitioners are veterinarians who have gone on to study physical-therapy techniques so they can use them in their practices.

Professional Requirements and Licensing

Regardless of their paths of learning, people in the fields of grooming, training, and handling can improve their skills and build their businesses by meeting the requirements for membership in a professional organization, such as the National Dog Groomers Association, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, or the Professional Handlers Association. Licensing is another factor to consider. Trainers and professional handlers can simply hang out a shingle and they’re in business. Groomers, however, may be required to be licensed in the states where they work. They may also face restrictions on the services they’re allowed to perform—such as cleaning teeth—unless they’re working under the supervision of a veterinarian. Be aware of licensing and other professional requirements before you decide on your career path.

Experience Versus Education

Don’t be discouraged if years of difficult study don’t sound appealing. Not everyone is suited to that, and not every pet-related career requires a college degree. Sometimes experience does trump book learning. The success of dog trainer Cesar Millan is an example of what can happen if you have a knack for dealing with animals. You may find that apprenticing with a well-known trainer, groomer, or handler is considered just as valuable as a college degree, if not more so.

That said, it never hurts to have an education to fall back on, especially in a slow economy or in the event of an accident or illness that prevents you from continuing your chosen career. And in some instances, a college degree can give you an edge over people who have experience only. It can also help you develop better speaking and writing skills, which can be essential in communicating with clients and employees. It can give you a more in-depth background in your field as well. A dog trainer who has studied behavioral psychology is likely to have a better or more well-rounded understanding of why dogs behave in certain ways and how to motivate them.

Even better than a person who has either experience or formal education is one who has both. That’s a combination that is hard to beat.

EDUCATION RESOURCES

Blue Ridge Community College, Veterinary Technology, http://community.brcc.edu/vettechBucknell University, Animal Behavior Program, www.bucknell.edu/AnimalBehavior.xmlCanisius College, Animal Behavior, www.canisius.edu/biopsych/anbehavPurdue University, Center for the Human-Animal Bond, www.vet.purdue.edu/chab/edu.htmTufts University, Center for Animals and Public Policy, www.tufts.edu/vet/cappUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, School of Integrative Biology, http://sib.illinois.eduUniversity of New Hampshire, Thompson School of Applied Science, [email protected]