- Animal trainers bring a love of animals and well-tested instructional techniques to the job.dog image by Zbigniew Nowak from Fotolia.com
Although many individuals who love animals work as veterinarians, biological scientists or zoo keepers, a number of roles deal specifically with training animals to be good pets, for public display as part of shows, for competitive sports or for crucial tasks such as drug investigation operations. Animal trainers find employment with pet owners, as part of public organizations or at animal centers such as zoos and safari parks. - Working from a stable, a horse trainer trains and disciplines horses, often to perform in sports such as horse racing or show jumping. The horse trainer will put together training schedules for his charges, which will be carried out either by the horse trainer himself or by one of the stable’s grooms under his supervision, as noted by the "Equinest" website. The horse’s training will encompass behavioural instruction, groundwork techniques and specific exercise routines.
- A dog trainer might work for an organization such as the police or the army, assisting the specialist dog units within those organizations by teaching and disciplining dogs that will work with specially trained handlers in the field as part of search and drugs inspection operations. Elsewhere, a dog trainer might run her own business, working to correct behavioural issues such as hyperactivity and excessive barking and help dogs become well-behaved family pets. Pet dog trainers often work with both dogs and their owners to help develop harmonious relationships.
- Individuals with an understanding of marine science and a love of marine animals such as dolphins and sea lions will likely be attracted to a role as a marine mammal trainer. Typically working for organizations that conserve and house marine life, such as sea-life centers and tourist attractions, the marine mammal trainer conditions charges to follow commands using operant conditioning, as described by the "Dolphin Trainer" website. This method of training teaches animals using positive reinforcement techniques. Trained marine mammals entertain and educate the public as part of shows and lectures.
- Zoos and other centers where many animals are trained and employ curators of animal training, as described on the SeaWorld website. The curator oversees all animal training. This might involve, for example, putting together exhibitions featuring resident animals and managing how certain animals will be displayed. The curator works not only with animal trainers in his own department but also with colleagues in other departments; for example, if the zoo he works for has an education department, the curator will meet regularly with the supervisors of that department to discuss training issues.
