Petco trainers

Has anyone worked as a dog trainer for Petco?

I just applied, because our two local stores are hiring, and it's a job I could do in the evenings or on weekends with Lilly and school. The application was kind of weird, though. I put my past job experience at the day care and in grooming, and put a few people who's dog's I've trained in my references, but there was no space to list volunteer work or the classes/seminars I've taken, since I don't have any formal certification.

I feel like I'd have had a much better chance if I got to include my own resume or there was a section for extra information.

I also didn't finish the timed questions.

I'm wondering if I have a chance of getting an interview with no technical "training" experience, and without finishing the timed questions. Also, what was it like working there? Did you have to follow really specific guidelines for training, or were you allowed to sort of make your own training suggestions and so on?

I don't know but I applied there for a position as an associate, I finished the time questions, but found them very ... Strange.

Hope you get the job

I haven't worked there, but I do know of someone who has, and apparently it's easier to get hired if you don't have prior training experience? They said it was because they wanted to teach you 'their way' of doing things from scratch. I dunno if that was just that 1 location being weird, or what. Good luck!

I've heard this, too. I applied and got an interview, but I was never called back. Not even to say "Sorry, we chose someone else." I even called THEM and left a message and got nothing back. That very well could be that particular store I went to, though. I did have a couple titles and was very clear with what my training goals were (at the time, ultimately, service dogs, though that has changed).

From what I understand, they do give you their own training (hence them liking those without experience, so they can have a clean slate), so not having any experience should be fine.

All this except my personal experiences are with PetSmart, but I have been told from ex-Petco people it is the same. PetSmart didn't want to hire me because I know too much basically.
They have their own "training" they give you and you basically have to follow their training regime for insurance purposes. As was explained to me, if you tell somebody to do something outside of what their Official training tells you, you can be held personally liable if anything bad happens.

Just what is their regime? What does it entail?

Sell lots of stuff..i.e., head halters, treat bags, no-pull harnesses, and so forth .

Some people there are pretty good. Most...not so much. I think a lot of them (Petco and Petsmart) start puppies right onto head collars and front snapping harnesses, which probably wouldn't be necessary if they got actual training. But hey, what do I know.

At the same time, I would imagine 90% of petco/petsmart class takers are "6 weeks and done" type trainers. I know my in-laws were. For those type of people, throwing a front clip on IS a good choice. I WISH their petsmart trainer had showed them front clip harnesses and head halters, because there was no way they were going to be dedicated enough to teach him loose leash walking...so now their dog gets no walks whatsoever because he yanks my mother-in-law's arm too hard and she can't control him I gave her Lucy's old easy walk, but she had already given up by that point.

I feel like most people who are actually going to invest the time into training their dog are going to go somewhere other than a big box store. Or maybe I'm spoiled living in an area with more than enough other options for basic obedience.

haha, there were all these questions about being a leader, innovation, taking initiative, etc. I guess I'm not getting THAT job.

I was also wondering why I had to have so much sales/retail experience to be a trainer.

The few classes I have seen (mind you this is petsMART not petCO, so I don't know if that makes a difference or not) left me going like ... Wut? There were a few puppies that clearly werent responding to the method I assume trainers are required to adhere to.

It's a shame because if they allowed their trainers a certain amount of lead way, there might be more of a turn over in customers, more importantly, more manageable dogs, because we all know that a manageable dog is less likely to end up in a shelter or worse ... On CL.

Because the majority of your time is not going to be teaching classes, the majority of your time will be spent on the sales floor or register like a normal associate. You will be a sales associate first, trainer second. After having finished my second stint of working for that company, the first as a trainer and the second as management, I would highly recommend working ANYWHERE else. Corporate cut down on the amount of hours stores got company wide a couple years ago, so unless it is one of the SUPER high volume stores or the ones that the bigwigs shop at, the stores run with a skeleton crew for the most part. This was the most common gripe on the company's intranet page, nationwide. If you have an opportunity to work for PetSmart, take that one instead, the pay is better, the stores are staffed better and there are generally more defined areas for training barring a foldup wall. I've worked for both companies and Petsmart is run better. I never taught classes at Petsmart, but it seems they give their trainers a SMIDGE more leeway than Petco does.

I know one of the trainers at my Petsmart pretty well (I spend a lot of time training Logan at Petsmart - not in their classes, but in the store itself), and she definitely has more flexibility AND spends more time training than Petco trainers. She also has training experience outside of Petsmart.

I hate that they make you an "Everyman" when you work at those places like petCO/petsmart. It seems to me that it would make more sense to hire a specialist for fish, small animal etc, instead of having a bunch of people & a "jack of all trades, master of none" thing going.

I don't even think I'd take this job if I got offered it, if what everything I've heard about the company is true.

In our area I prefer Petco because they seem to have healthier bettas and a better selection of stuff, but I have had their employees give me basic info about fish that I *know* is false. You'd think it would make more sense to have people be specialists in each area.

We took Jack to his puppy class at PETsMART because I worked evenings and that was the only time other training places had their classes (PETsMART had theirs on Saturday). They did have us put a head halter on him right away.

Yes, I have the same issue with treats & food sometimes :/ at petCO or petsmart

While I didnt enter Gwen into a class at PetSmart, I talked with the trainer several times and he gave me off the record advice. Asked me what my big issues were and gave me tips on how to handle them. He seemed to really care about the dogs as well as the humans. For a retail person, I would say he was pretty great. (He also said most of the dog food was crap. Lol.)

I would not expect to go to a PetCo or PetSmart looking for the best of the best. And I would assume, while they have a standard manual, many trainers would go off the record. They're all different and most of them are probably not looking to be a dog trainer long term.

I have heard better things about PetSmart. They also seem to be doing better all around.

I've met a few decent petsmart trainers. Most are a joke. Our local petsmart was hiring a few years ago. I have the experience most others have. I was over qualified and they didn't want me. I too called trying to get my foot in the door and it was a no go. I was told by employees when I mentioned it on future trips to buy things that they hired someone with almost no dog experience as they'd rather teach them the 'petsmart way'.

Just what is "the petsmart way"?

Whatever their training booklet says. Being happy to push all the tools in the store. I've watched petsmart trainers fit puppies for prong collars. Having any sort of background in training whether it's pet manners or dog sports isn't a bonus for them as it means to them you are less moldable into the trainer they want... even though that person would end up likely being a better one.