spiritdogs
Posted : 5/1/2010 1:29:37 PM
Trainers can certify with a group, but are not required to do so, and many of the best trainers don't, although lots do. Certification, in and of itself, is not an indication of excellence. I'm not saying that you have been doing this, but, dog walkers who train peoples' dogs while walking them, without their consent, are crossing a boundary they shouldn't cross. People have a right to understand what methods of training will be used
on their dogs in advance, and you should be able to tell them where you
got your expertise. So, I think it's more ethical for you to make the clear distinction between your two services and let clients decide if they want one or the other, or both. Your local community college may offer an entrepreneur course that helps people start small businesses, or you can join one of the national pet sitter, or training groups for info. Insurance is the main thing you want a group membership for, as it's quite expensive otherwise. You will probably need a business certificate from your city or town. Most likely, you'll need to register your business name with the state dept of corporations, even if you decide to be a sole proprietor.
It takes more than walking a few friendly family pets to make a trainer out of someone, so be sure that you have the skills you need before you add training to the mix. The good news is that a dog walking biz, run successfully, can be quite lucrative in the right neighborhood.