10 Essential Tools that Every Dog Trainer Needs to Have

Dog training is an important aspect of ensuring that your pet leads a happy and healthy life. Having a well-trained dog is going to make your clients' lives a lot easier.As professional dog trainer, there are certain tools that can help make the process easier and more effective. Since you might already be a professional dog trainer, some of these may seem obvious. However, there might be a few that surprise you as well. If you're a person that is thinking about becoming a dog trainer, get certified first and then come back here and stock up on all the necessary supplies! 😄

In this blog post, we will discuss the 10 essential tools for dog training.

Leash

A leash is one of the most important tools for training your dog. It provides control and helps you keep your dog safe during walks and training sessions. Make sure to choose a leash that is strong, durable, and fits your dog comfortably. It makes sense to invest in a quality product instead of something cheap you find on Amazon that is going to break easily or won't last for more than one year. Pay for quality and you'll appreciate it.

Treat Pouch

A treat pouch is a handy tool for rewarding your dog during training sessions. It allows you to keep treats easily accessible so you can reward your dog quickly and consistently. If you're constantly having to search your pockets for treats, you're going to be wasting precious training time. Plus, treats should be given quickly after a positive action in order to reinforce the behavior you're looking for. If you wait too long, the dog won't know what the treat is for.

Clicker

A clicker is a small, handheld device that makes a clicking sound when you press it. This sound can be used to mark the desired behavior, making training sessions more effective and efficient. A clicker is also something that is going to help you stand out from the competition. Showing your potential clients your work with a clicker is going to help show that you're the real deal and not just some fly-by-night dog trainer.

Collar

A collar is an essential tool for dog training, especially if you are working on obedience training. Make sure to choose a collar that is comfortable for your dog and fits properly. If you don't want to invest in numerous different collars, you can include the cost of the training collar in the overall price of your training lessons. This way, your clients can continue to use the collar with their pet once your training lessons are completed.

Harness

A harness is a great tool for training dogs who pull on the leash. It provides more control over your dog's movement and can help prevent injury. It can take a while, but getting a dog to walk with a harness is going to pay dividends for yourself and your clients. Work on getting the dog comfortable in a harness ASAP.

Training Treats

Treats are a great way to motivate your dog during training sessions. Choose treats that are small, soft, and easy to chew so that you can reward your dog quickly. Honestly, you really don't even need to have special treats. You can just use pieces of kibble as treats. Maybe have something REALLY special for certain moments, but most dogs will be quite happy to get a single piece of dry dog food.

Agility Equipment

Agility equipment, such as jumps, weave poles, and tunnels, can be used to enhance your dog's physical and mental abilities. This type of training can be fun for both you and your dog. Not all dog trainers work with agility equipment, but if you're looking for ways to increase your dog training revenue, you might want to consider getting some agility equipment and marketing yourself as a dog trainer that also does agility work.

Long Line

A long line is a training tool that allows you to work on recall and obedience training without having to worry about your dog running off. It provides a safe and controlled environment for training. Man, I wish we would have had one of these back when I was a kid. Our dogs weren't the best behaved and I can't count the number of times that we'd let Libby off her leash to try to see if she'd come back and she'd BOLT to the park across the street. A long line would have made training her a lot less stressful.

Remote Training Collar

A remote training collar is a tool that provides a small shock or vibration to help correct behavior issues. This type of tool should only be used under the guidance of a professional dog trainer. There are two separate schools of thought when it comes to training (shock) collars. You'll have to decide for yourself, but here's an interesting article talking about how one owner's relationship changed via using a training collar.

Dog Toys

Dog toys can be used as a tool for training and entertainment. They can help stimulate your dog's mind and body, making training sessions more fun and enjoyable. After a long training session, it's a good idea to give Fido a little time to go wild. Let him run around and play with his favorite toy for a bit. He's just gone through a long day of training, so let him have some fun now. 🤣

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