So You Want To Be A Dog Trainer

So You Want To Be A Dog Trainer is a lively, fact-filled dog book for kids ages 8 to 14 that explores one of the most beloved animal careers in the world. Written for curious readers who love dogs, it shows how professional dog trainers use science, patience, and positive reinforcement to teach puppies, family pets, shelter dogs, guide dogs, service dogs, and detection dogs.

A real look at a real career. Every dog trainer has two students: the dog and the person holding the leash. Young readers follow a trainer through a full working day, learn how reward-based training and clicker training work, and discover why good timing matters down to the second. The book is honest about the hard parts of the job and joyful about the best ones, including the moment a guide dog graduates and goes home with a new partner.

Learn to speak dog. A kid-friendly guide to dog body language explains what a wagging tail, a yawn, a lip lick, and “whale eye” really mean, helping children understand dog behavior and stay safe and kind around the dogs in their lives.

Stories kids will repeat at dinner. Meet a border collie who learned the names of 1,022 toys, a bulldog who skateboarded through a tunnel of 30 people’s legs, a dog who sniffs out whale droppings from a boat, and a chicken that never lost at tic-tac-toe. Readers also meet pioneering trainers from around the world and the famous dogs of film and history.

Made for learning at home and at school. The book covers how to become a dog trainer, what trainers earn, dog trainer certification, the qualities the job requires, and related careers with animals. It includes hands-on activities to try with a family dog, a glossary of training terms, and carefully chosen books, websites, and organizations for kids who want to learn more. It supports career exploration, life science, and nonfiction reading for upper elementary and middle school students, homeschool families, and classroom and school libraries.

A perfect gift for young dog lovers. Whether your reader dreams of working with animals, is helping train a new puppy, or simply adores dogs, this book makes a thoughtful birthday or holiday present.

Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series of career books for kids, which treats young readers as intellectual equals and shows what jobs are really like.