# animal related jobs



## Kevin Barrett (Dec 16, 2009)

I was wondering how many people on the forum make a living strictly from working with dogs from one area or other .


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Working with dogs (and other animals)? Yes. Earn a living yet doing so? No. :-(


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## Katie Finlay (Jan 31, 2010)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> Working with dogs (and other animals)? Yes. Earn a living yet doing so? No. :-(


Yeah, pretty much.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Kevin Barrett said:


> I was wondering how many people on the forum make a living strictly from working with dogs from one area or other .


I do.

DFrost


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

Ariel and I do........if you call working 18 hours a day, 7 days a week just to pay the bills a lliving, LOL.

By the way, we are looking for an intern here......any takers???


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## mel boschwitz (Apr 23, 2010)

Paid or unpaid?




mike suttle said:


> Ariel and I do........if you call working 18 hours a day, 7 days a week just to pay the bills a lliving, LOL.
> 
> By the way, we are looking for an intern here......any takers???


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## Ariel Peldunas (Oct 18, 2008)

mel boschwitz said:


> Paid or unpaid?


Paid ...minimal salary/stipend. We will provide living quarters, utilities, Internet, cable.


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## Ariel Peldunas (Oct 18, 2008)

I've been making a living working with dogs since I joined the Marines in 2001. Sometimes, it's been rewarding and fulfilling and other times, I have seriously questioned whether it's sensible to try and make your passion a career. I have come to the conclusion that to be content working in this field, I need to ensure the business has goals and standards I believe in and remember to enjoy my dogs as I did when training was just a hobby.


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## eric squires (Oct 16, 2008)

Yes i do. I am an ACO for a Sheriff's Department


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## Kevin Barrett (Dec 16, 2009)

Wish I could Mike, sounds like you have a good thing going there. I think that would be a rewarding business to be into.


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## Kevin Barrett (Dec 16, 2009)

Wish I could Mike, sounds like you have a good thing going there. I think that would be a rewarding business to be into.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

mike suttle said:


> By the way, we are looking for an intern here......any takers???


Can ya hold it until the end of January? I might need a job. 

DFrost


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## Tanya Beka (Aug 12, 2008)

Yes, I earn a living on my own dog related business. Long days, long hours, but love it.


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## Denise King (May 31, 2009)

I do and have done for many years. Groomer.


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## Marta Wajngarten (Jul 30, 2006)

I do, work myself half to death every day taking care of other people's dogs, barely have time for my own. It's shitty, there are days I hate it with every fibre of my body and there are days I think I'm the luckiest person ever, but I can't imagine doing any thing else.


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## Steve Estrada (Mar 6, 2011)

Yeah I do, thirty two years now, love it but income has dropped about 70% since the crunch. I'll never retire one I don't want too, and second can't afford too. I may have to if knees don't hold out. If I'm crawling I could still work puppies LOL


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## shawn murace (Feb 20, 2007)

I do. I've worked with exotics and domestics. I have a degree as a mechanic though but I like animals better than getting greasy. It also seems I like to take huge pay cuts as I make 1/3rd of what I do training dogs as I did fabricating cars.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Steve Estrada said:


> Yeah I do, thirty two years now, love it but income has dropped about 70% since the crunch. I'll never retire one I don't want too, and second can't afford too. I may have to if knees don't hold out. If I'm crawling I could still work puppies LOL


or sit down in a chair


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## Steve Estrada (Mar 6, 2011)

Sitting down in a chair is no problem getting back up is....LOL!


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## Jennifer Marshall (Dec 13, 2007)

Yeah wouldn't call it a living but I survive  Mostly pet training, very few people want to do anything with their dogs around here in the form of competition. Done this as a side job/paid hobby since 2004 recently made it my "only" job so the going is slow as I build facilities on the new property that will allow me to do more. I enjoy it, sometimes it is extremely frustrating and a lot of people want a magic "cure" for everything and are not willing to put in any effort. Most of the time is spent dealing with the owners. But all in all it's fun and when I come home after working with nervy, low/no drive pets all day ... I LOVE my dogs and appreciate them *that much* more


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## Debbie Skinner (Sep 11, 2008)

Yes, boarding facility.


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## Kevin Barrett (Dec 16, 2009)

Little by little im putting back to open a boarding facility. What's your pros and cons to it.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Debbie Skinner said:


> Yes, boarding facility.


I"m thinking of opening a water boarding facility. Can I make a living at it? ;-)


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## Jason Davis (Oct 12, 2009)

Yup. Pet dog trainer in Jacksonville.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Yes. I'm a (part time) dog groomer, my fiance is a veterinarian. Pays the bills (and not that much more.  )


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

I wouldn't call it earning a living but we do provide a Software Trials Programme for all our National Trials as well as the International IPO and Mondioring which covers participants' notes, judges notes, Ranking listings, etc, in fact everything one needs for the documentation of the above trials in German, French, Italian and mavbe English??


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## Debbie Skinner (Sep 11, 2008)

Kevin Barrett said:


> Little by little im putting back to open a boarding facility. What's your pros and cons to it.


Unless you hire help you can trust..you are stuck close to home and especially during holidays and weekends as those are the busiest times. Have to get used to people being late, early and not showing up. Pretty high start up costs (property, good kennels and facility). I'm stuck close to home most of the time due our ranch and dogs, etc already.

Working around mainly animals vs people. Steady income if you work hard. Normally the clients have few complaints compaired to dog training where if they don't maintain training many play the "blame game". People going on vacation are in good moods. People dropping dogs off to be trained are frustrated.


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## Karen M Wood (Jun 23, 2012)

I was a pet groomer for 10 years and last year i retired from grooming to return to being a sports wear graphic designer. (better pay, insurance, bennies, and paid vacations) Since the economy took a dive i lost 10k in 1 year hence the return to arts. Sometimes i miss my old job. But sitting behind a computer means not getting bitten, scratched or covered in fleas. And allows me more time and money to train my own dog.


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## Chris Keister (Jun 28, 2008)

I could not imagine making a living soley on dogs. I admire and envy those that can. I interned at a kennel boarding facility and train a few dogs here and there. I don't charge money though. I keep thinking I should start something for a retirement income but that's a minimum of 15 years away. 

For me the dogs are no problem it's the people. Like others have said, they want the results but don't want to put in the work, then it's your fault. One reason why I don't charge money, if they don't like me, my methodes, the results, or I get tired of them, I just tell them to go pay someone else.

Does seem to me a boarding kennel would be the way to go.


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## Sally Crunkleton (Jan 13, 2012)

Great topic...I would love to find a way to make a living working with dogs, like some sort of govt contract type work.

I am very fed up with corporate America and will be lucky if I can retire at all in my lifetime. I would take a pay cut to drop the pressure, stress, and toxic environment. 

I have been considering/researching all types of avenues, but until I figure out plan B, I have to pay the bills.

I think there is a lot more out there besides vet, pet trainer, etc....it's just finding where these jobs are hidden.


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## Jami Craig (Jul 5, 2010)

I wish.....


Right now I managed to get out of school with no debt and have been attempting to do artwork fulltime....it's been a fun year (and has really started paying off) and I get to work my own hours so I can be nocturnal like my brain wants to be....

I'd love to do something with training part time at some point but want to learn more about more advanced training methods and behaviors before tackling pet dog training. My degree is in animal science (pre-vet...I basically took all the bio requirements but instead of additional advanced research and lab work stuff I got bitten and kicked a lot...).


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Nope, I've worked as a computer programmer for years to support my dog hobby, the dogs are just one big money pit LOL


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## Gina Pasieka (Apr 25, 2010)

I could not even imagine what it would be like to have a job that I had to go to an office and not see a dog. Wouldn't change my profession for the world. I work ridiculous hours...have off today...but technically I am on the computer to do some literature searches...so there is never really a day off.


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

as far as the IRS knows I make a living with dogs, but everyone knows you cant really survive doing that alone, so for my real income I direct midget porn.


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## Ariel Peldunas (Oct 18, 2008)

Disclaimer: Mike has been hitting the bottle tonight and he is a lightweight. Please disregard his above post.


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

Ariel Peldunas said:


> Disclaimer: Mike has been hitting the bottle tonight and he is a lightweight. Please disregard his above post.


Ariel is just mad because she is 3 feet too tall to star in one of my movies.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Ariel Peldunas said:


> Disclaimer: Mike has been hitting the bottle tonight and he is a lightweight. Please disregard his above post.


You mean he doesn't make his living training dogs?


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

Thomas Barriano said:


> You mean he doesn't make his living training dogs?


Not much of a living really, but we stay busy around the clock trying to keep the lights on.


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

I cant believe her........I grilled her delicious ribeyes on the grill tonight, pour her a wonderful glass of Riesling and she still disrespects like this............as Bob would say........"Wimmens"


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## Ariel Peldunas (Oct 18, 2008)

mike suttle said:


> I cant believe her........I grilled her delicious ribeyes on the grill tonight, pour her a wonderful glass of Riesling and she still disrespects like this............as Bob would say........"Wimmens"


Ahem ....who poured the wine, love?


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

Ariel Peldunas said:


> Ahem ....who poured the wine, love?


Well, I grilled the steaks, and bought the wine. Anyway, stop hijacking this thread and get up off the couch and pour me another glass!!


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Ariel Peldunas said:


> Ahem ....who poured the wine, love?


From the sound of things he poured it....all into his own glass.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

mike suttle said:


> I cant believe her........I grilled her delicious ribeyes on the grill tonight, pour her a wonderful glass of Riesling and she still disrespects like this............as Bob would say........"Wimmens"


If you did all that for one of the midgets, at least you know they'd look up to you ;-)


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## Ariel Peldunas (Oct 18, 2008)

mike suttle said:


> Well, I grilled the steaks, and bought the wine. Anyway, stop hijacking this thread and get up off the couch and pour me another glass!!


For the record ...I bought the wine.


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## Kevin Barrett (Dec 16, 2009)

Who hired the midgets? Is it wrong that the wizard of oz is the scariest movie to me


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Kevin Barrett said:


> Who hired the midgets? Is it wrong that the wizard of oz is the scariest movie to me


Yes, you are not supposed to watch it tripping on acid.

After all, it was a fantastic story about the wonderful differences that make us all so special. The take away was that the man behind the curtain had the ability to control the perceptions of ourselves. Or so we might think, until we realize that if you pull back the curtain, what seemed to be missing was really there all the while.

MWHHAHAHAHAHAH. Yeah, I can sound pretty creepy when I want to. \\/ What the hell, the power just came back on and I'm bored.


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