Working with dogs

I worked in a dog day care for a year, and I really enjoyed it. Granted, plenty of times during work I just wanted to go the heck home, but I didn't get sick of dogs...I still chose to foster and enjoyed coming home and spending time with my fosters, although sometimes felt like "ugh, I have to walk you? My feet hurt" lol. But enjoyed training them, etc.

I also worked in grooming, long (13 hr days 4 days a week and a half day one day) and I loved it. Granted I loved my boss and clients, which helped a lot..but I never got sick of being around dogs. I think working with them actually made me more interested in volunteering with them when I could, going to more shows, puppy fever, etc.

I would say try it and see what you think. Everyone is different. I can't work in daycare settings. I didn't even want to do anything with my dogs at the end of a day except cuddle and go to bed. Daycare dogs are too unruly, poorly mannered, stressed and get diarrhea too often for me. I hated working in a dog daycare. I tried again a couple of years ago and lasted four hours before I quit haha. Just not for me. I love my dogs, and I love my friends's dogs, but I do not love managing the rest of the city's dogs. Too much chaos. That said, I loved working in a pet retail store. Unfortunately the store owner did not keep her store well stocked and that is part of why I left, and some of the pet owners who came in we're beyond nuts and shouldn't have owned animals, but I really did love sharing my knowledge with people and helping people help their pets. I enjoy working with pet owners and teaching them. It could be quite rewarding some days and I did it for two and a half years. I think I would also love training if I one how to get into that professionally. But working directly with dogs without their owners absolutely was not for me.

Now I work in a profession that has nothing to do with pets (dental) and I really do miss it. If only dog retail and/or training paid better. A lot better.

I did the PetSmart thing for 7 months. I was hired as a trainer but was only able to schedule 1 class per week since I was apparently only a "part time trainer" as opposed to a "full time trainer." I got a few privates in there which was nice, but yeah. It was SO MUCH other retail stuff. Which I don't mind terribly, but only getting to be scheduled 6am-noon every other day meant I got to stock shelves an awful lot and check for expired food. Not so much training. And it was therefore difficult to sell classes because NO ONE WAS there. Ever.

I probably would have enjoyed it more if they were honest about the hours they were going to hold me to. I did, however, get to add to the curriculum and teach things more or less my way (using mainly R+ obviously).

I did the kennel/boarding environment thing while I was in TX and got to do one on one play times with dogs, and that was really fun. I didn't even mind so much the cleaning of poop and kennels because the place was really well-run and the people who worked there were great and passionate about the dogs/cats in their care.

That all being said, I do love what I'm doing now. I come home pretty tired, but I'm usually excited to work with my dogs. It's met with a lot of frustration since we are a non profit and have tours and press events to deal with in addition to our packed schedule of training and husbandry work, but my coworkers are amazing and so knowledgeable and we are like a little dysfunctional family. I generally only do one on one training (we have our "assigned" dogs that we are responsible for then we work other dogs if time allows), but sometimes I lead group training sessions with interns and volunteers who are approved to help with training. Also fun. My weekend teaching gig is wonderful, and I get free use of the equipment after I'm done classes so I bring my guys with me to work to get some good agility time in

In conclusion, dog training in general is just fun for me - group or private/it's just me and the dog. I wouldn't mind a pet store if I knew what I was hired to do from the get go (I actually applied to and was offered a job at a Pet Valu but couldn't take it because I was recovering from a car accident and couldn't lift over 10lbs).

Thanks for all the input, guys. I do possibly have an opportunity to work front desk at a vets office too which I think may be more suited to me. I'm good with computers and good with talking to people etc. And I'd still get to see the animals and somewhat interact with them but on a much different level. This job would be ideal, I think, out of all my current options so I'm crossing my fingers.

Do you think it's okay to go to the interview at the dog daycare/training anyway on Tuesday and feel it out? Is it okay/appropriate to ask for a night or two to think on it...?

I don't think there's anything wrong with interviewing, you might get there and love it! I've applied/interviewed for plenty of jobs that I wasn't really sure appealed to me, but better to do that and go through the process and make the right choice for yourself, vs. just assuming you won't like it and missing the opportunity Heck, my current job was one of those situations, totally didn't even really want the job but applied "just because," and now I've been there 1.5 years and am really glad I did it!

Update: ended up getting a job at a small vet clinic as a receptionist, she also just got new computers, and is starting an online pharmacy and wants me to help run that side of things. I start next Saturday!

YAYYY for this update!!!

That said, I've worked at a daycare/boarding/training facility for about three years now. I love it and hate it. That said, I do enjoy working with dogs enough that I'm looking for a job in the same line of work when we get out to New Mexico and I'm working towards getting my CPDT because I want to branch off into mainly doing training and eventually down the road open up my own place focusing mainly on dog sports.

I do get annoyed at work. Dogs in dog daycare can be crazy. Maybe it varies depending on the daycare. Our dog daycare is small, cramped with way too many dogs and way too little staff for the amount of dogs we accept. There's no place for dogs to play outdoors though we do walk them. We just have small indoor pens for them to play in located in a shopping center. The dogs bark loudly majority of the day and that can drive you nuts after a while. I will admit I go home sometimes and don't want to do much with my own dogs. I do still make myself find time to work with them and enjoy them though.

That said, the place I'm really hoping to get a job at in NM is really nice. They have a much bigger facility, multiple play yards, three big pools for the dogs, etc. They also offer training and I've read up on the trainers and they seem to be pretty competitive in various dog sports which I really like.