Dog Trainer Resume: Templates & Top Tips

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As a Dog Trainer, you’re used to teaching pets how to behave and ensuring they follow their owner’s commands. However, are you having trouble getting job recruiters and pet owners to play fetch with your resume? If that’s the case, use our resume template to get the treatment you deserve.

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ResumeGiants » Examples » Dog Trainer Resume

When it comes to dream jobs, working with furry friends has to be toward the top of the list! Being a dog trainer comes with plenty of perks like belly rubs and tail wags, but it also takes patience, skill, and expertise. That’s why it’s so important to show you have what it takes to be a dog trainer with a resume that showcases your skills and experience.

At ResumeGiants, we might not be able to tell you the best way to get dogs to listen to you, but we can help you write the best dog trainer resume. In this guide, we’ll cover all the essentials to help you “train up” a great resume that’ll have potential employers eating out of your hand:

• How to write a dog trainer resume.
• Creating a dog trainer resume summary or objective.
• Completing your experience and education resume sections.
• Adding relevant dog training skills.
• Tips, tricks, and advice to help you start a fulfilling career as a dog trainer.

If you’re ready to chase the ball and don’t feel like you need to read all our helpful tips (no hard feelings), head over to our free online resume builder to get started on your resume. There are plenty of professional templates available. Just choose the one that best fits your style, update your information, and you’re ready to start sending to potential employers.

However, if you want a little training of your own first, keep on reading. There are plenty of tips, tricks, and advice ahead to help you make the most of your dog trainer resume.

It’s always best to sniff before taking a bite. So before we jump into the exciting world of resume building, let’s take a look at a dog trainer resume example. This will give you an idea of the sections and information to include in your own resume.

Resume Example

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Taylor Waggs
[Dog Trainer]
6495 Wet Nose Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28105 | 704-555-7877 | tayl.waggs@email.com

>> Summary <<
Engaged and passionate dog trainer with over five years of experience working with various breeds. Strong understanding of canine behavior and experience using positive reinforcement techniques for potty training, walking, and performing tricks on command.

>> Experience <<

Well-Behaved Dog Training, Inc. | Charlotte, NC

Dog Trainer

2019 – 2022

• Worked with 200 clients per year on average, customizing programs to suit the needs of both owner and pet.
• Implemented training programs using positive reinforcement, clickers, electronic devices, and other tools to encourage desired behavior.
• Educate clients to reinforce positive behaviors at home.
• Average 95% customer satisfaction rating in post-training surveys.

Pets ‘R’ Us | Concord, NC

Pet Groomer

2017 – 2018

• Worked closely with pets and followed specialized care instructions.
• Used gentle grooming and behavioral techniques to ensure a comfortable experience for dogs.
• Received a 97% satisfaction rating from customers.

>> Education <<

Canine Training Institute | Charlotte, NC

Graduate | 2017 – 2018

Cabarrus High School | Concord, NC

Diploma | 2017

>> Skills <<

• Communication
• Patience
• Problem solving
• Time management
• Listening
• Flexibility
• Compassion
• Training techniques
• Clicker, training remote, and repellent knowledge

>> Certifications <<

• Certified Professional Dog Trainer | Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT)

>> Memberships <<

• Member of Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)

>> Languages <<

• English (native)
• Spanish (fluent)
• French (proficient)

Don’t have the qualifications to be a dog trainer yet? That’s okay; everyone has to start somewhere! Starting your career as a dog sitter is a great way to get experience with man’s best friend while you learn some training techniques. Check out this article to learn how to write a dog sitter resume and get your career started.

Some dogs like treats, and others are happy with just a few ear scratches. There’s no “best” way to work with every dog, and the same goes for your resume’s format. The best resume format is simply the one that best showcases your skills to potential employers.

While you’re welcome to choose the format you like best, there are a few universal resume rules you should follow to make the most of your dog trainer resume:

• Use reverse-chronological order for your experience and education sections.
• Leave plenty of space between sections to keep your resume clean and easy to read.
• Keep it to one page (you can go to two if you really can’t help it).
• Include headings and bold titles for each section for organization. 
• Use a professional font like Calibri, Arial, or Cambria.
• Choose a readable font size around 13-15 for headings and 11-12 for body text.
• Save your resume as a PDF to prevent formatting issues.

No matter which format you choose, it’s always best to put the most important information at the top. Since people read from top to bottom (including potential employers), you want to show off your most impressive experience at the top to encourage them to keep reading. 

You have all the pieces of a great dog trainer resume, now it’s time to put them all together. Since we don’t know your contact information, let’s jump right to the resume summary or objective.

First things first, what’s the difference between a dog trainer resume summary and objective?

• Resume summary – Two to three sentences describing your professional experience and skills.
• Resume objective – A short overview of your career goals and a few key skills you possess.

These are the first things potential employers read, so they have to be good. Let’s take a look at how to write each — and when to use them.

Dog Trainer Resume Summary Example

A resume summary is simply a quick rundown of your professional experience in two to three sentences. The key is to keep it short and concise and make sure you include only the most important information. Think of your resume summary as the teaser trailer before the movie (the rest of your resume).Here’s a quick example of what a good dog trainer resume summary might look like:

It might just be a few sentences, but this dog trainer resume summary has everything you need. It doesn’t just say the applicant has five years of experience. It goes into detail about the specific kinds of experience the applicant has and how they’ve used it. Just like with dog training, the devil is in the details!

Entry-Level Dog Trainer Resume Objective 

Resume summaries only work if you have a resume to summarize. For entry-level dog trainers, it’s best to go with a resume objective.

A resume objective is just a few short sentences about your career goals and a few skills that would make you a great dog trainer. Since it’s always better to learn from others’ mistakes, let’s look at what not to do with your dog trainer resume objective:

Applying to a job is a competition. It’s you against all the other applicants. So if your resume doesn’t stand out, you’re probably not going to get the job. 

This resume summary doesn’t stand out. There aren’t any specific skills or goals mentioned, and the general skills that are included (get along with dogs) are so generic that every other applicant likely has them too.

Instead, follow the same rules as writing a resume summary. Include specific details about your background that will make you stand out from the (dog) pack:

As an entry-level applicant, you might not have professional experience, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have any experience. If you used a clicker and belly rubs to train your own dog, that counts! As long as you include specific details about your skills and objectives, you’ve earned your treat!

How to Describe Your Dog Trainer Experience on Your Resume

Your experience section is arguably the most important part of your entire resume. Not only does it show off tons of your skills, but it also shows that you can put those skills to use in real-life situations. 

To write a great dog trainer resume experience section, you need to include three key pieces of information:

• Work history 
• Key accomplishments
• Responsibilities

You likely have tons of experience you want to show off, but like with everything else on your resume, it’s best to keep your experience section short and concise. Hiring managers don’t have all day to read through pages and pages of experience, so limit your section to only the most impressive and relevant to the position.

No matter what experience you decide to include on your resume, be sure to follow these time-tested tips to make your experience section stand out with hiring managers:

• Include concrete numbers and statistics.
• Customize your work experience to the job you’re applying to.
• Keep all information concise and to the point.
• Include keywords from the job description.

Basically, the closer you can make yourself fit the job, the better! For example, if the description mentions the need to use a specific training method, be sure to talk about your previous work experience using that method — even if it’s not a part of your “standard” resume.

Dog Trainer Resume Examples: Experience

Now that you’ve been “trained” to write a great experience section, let’s put that training to use with some examples. First, let’s take a look at what not to do with your dog trainer resume experience section:

This dog trainer resume experience section falls a bit flat. There’s nothing here that wouldn’t apply to anyone else in the stack of resumes on the hiring manager’s desk. It’s not going to stand out, meaning it’ll probably end up as a puppy potty training material.

Your experience section needs to be full of details about your background and skills. Show hiring managers what makes you unique and why you’d be a good fit for the position. 

With that in mind, here’s an example of what a good dog trainer resume experience section looks like:

This dog trainer resume experience example will have potential employers begging for more. There are tons of specific and concrete details to back up the experience. It’s one thing to say you worked with a lot of clients, but it looks even better if you give a real number. It adds more credibility to your experience and helps set you apart from other applicants. 

Entry-Level Dog Trainer Resume Experience Section

Don’t have much professional experience to show off? That’s okay! You probably still have plenty of skills to showcase in your resume’s experience section. 

Think back to any past job, extracurricular, volunteer position, or even hobby you’ve had in the past. If any of the skills you learned translate to dog training, you can use it in your dog trainer resume.

For example, take a look at this entry-level dog trainer resume experience section:

This might not be professional dog training experience, but the skills mentioned in the section are definitely relevant for a dog trainer position. Plus, there are plenty of specific details and numbers to reinforce the experience. 

Is Your Education Section Well-Trained? Maybe Not

Your resume’s education section might not be as important as your experience section, but that doesn’t mean you can skip it. Luckily, it doesn’t take much to train your education section into shape.

A great resume education section needs only three key pieces of information:

• Where you went to school
• The dates of attendance
• The degree or diploma

As long as you have those three points, you’re good to go as far as potential employers are concerned!

Dog Trainer Resume Education Section

Now that you know the three key points of an education section, let’s take a look at a dog trainer resume education section example:

Short, sweet, and to the point. That’s all it takes for a great education section. 

You’re also welcome to add your GPA or any academic achievements, but only if they’re impressive and relevant to the position you’re applying to.

The Best Dog Trainer Skills for a Resume

It’s hard to fit all your incredible expertise into just your experience and education sections. Adding a skills section is a great way to round out your resume and showcase some of your more specific or unique skills.

There are two types of skills you can add to your resume:

• Hard skills – Measurable, concrete skills.
• Soft skills – Universal, harder-to-define skills.

Think of hard skills as something you can become certified and tested in (like walking on a leash), while soft skills are more like personality traits (like not begging for food). 

You want to look well-rounded, so it’s always a good idea to include a mixture of both hard and soft skills on your resume. Here are just a few of the skills that look great on a dog trainer resume:

You probably have dozens of skills you want to mention on your resume, but unfortunately hiring managers don’t have all day to read through all those skills. Limit your skills section to only the most impressive and relevant skills you have.

You’re an impressive person, and there’s probably more you want to say about yourself that might not fit into the standard sections on your resume. That’s what an “other” section is for.

Other sections are just that: additional sections to fill out your resume and set you apart from the other applicants. You’re welcome to add whatever extra sections you like as long as they’re relevant to the position you’re applying to. (Tired of hearing that yet?)

Dog Trainer Resume Sample Extra Sections

Not sure what kind of extra sections you should include? Here are just a few that look great on a dog trainer resume:

Certifications

• Certified Professional Dog Trainer | Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT)

Memberships

• Member of Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)

Languages

• English (native)
• Spanish (fluent)
• French (proficient)

Key Takeaway

Now that you’ve been fully “trained” in the art of resume building, it’s time to get started on your own resume — but don’t forget to grab a treat as a reward first!

While you’re working on your professional dog trainer resume, be sure to keep these time-tested resume tips in mind:

• Personalize your resume to fit the exact job description.
• Use plenty of specific details about your background and experience. 
• Match your skills and experience to the position you’re applying to. 
• Include concrete numbers and specifics.
• Use a clean resume layout.
• Choose a professional font and format.
• Save your resume as a PDF. 

Need a little inspiration to get started? Check out some of the resume templates at ResumeGiants.com. All our templates follow resume building best practices, so all you need to do is fill in your information according to these tips, and you’re ready to start applying. With a great resume at your side, you’ll be working with four-legged friends in no time!