How To Become A Dog Obedience Instructor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a dog obedience instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average dog obedience instructor salary is $45,624. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an psychology major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a dog obedience instructor. Dog obedience instructors with a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 28% and produce 101,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreDog Obedience InstructorUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $45,624

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.14%

Asian 1.66%

Black or African American 4.43%

Hispanic or Latino 14.67%

Unknown 6.96%

White 72.13%

Gender

female 74.49%

male 25.51%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.3

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

9.3

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a dog obedience instructor

Explore dog obedience instructor education requirements

Most common dog obedience instructor degrees

Bachelor's

58.0 %

Associate

23.2 %

High School Diploma

8.7 %

Start to develop specific dog obedience instructor skills

Skills	Percentages
Behavior Issues	44.32%
PET	35.02%
Training Sessions	11.67%
Training Techniques	8.98%

Complete relevant dog obedience instructor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New dog obedience instructors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a dog obedience instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real dog obedience instructor resumes.

Research dog obedience instructor duties and responsibilities

Own and manage a small business as a CPR and first aid instructor and consultant for diverse clients.
Cover the fundamental concepts of chemistry and biology including cell biology, metabolism, microbiology, genetics, evolution and histology.
Assure proper annotation of administrative MWD utilization and training records used for legal reviews.

Prepare your dog obedience instructor resume

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