How to Get the Experience & Skills You Need to Be a Pet Professional
If you want to change careers or launch your own business as a pet service professional, gaining animal handling and business experience is key to feeling confident in your skills—but gaining relevant experience can seem overwhelming when you’re starting out and don’t know where to look.
Read on to learn 6 ways you can gain the hands-on experience, knowledge, and skills you need to be a successful pet service professional.
1. Sign Up for an App-Based Dog Walking or Pet Sitting App
This is one of the easiest ways to dip your toe into the world of pet services because the app does a lot of the heavy lifting of marketing for you.
There is a variety of dog walking and pet sitting apps available for you to try, but the two most common apps are Rover and Wag. You can also sign up as a pet sitter on sites like Care.com to offer your services.
When you sign up for these apps, you simply create a profile where you share how passionate you are about caring for animals and include any relevant experience that you may have—like being a pet parent yourself!
2. Volunteer for a Local Animal Organization
Another great way to gain experience with animals is through volunteering. There are so many local animal organizations that are always looking for extra helping hands, including your local animal shelters, animal rescue organizations, and even your local zoo.
Consider what type of pet service professional you want to become, and search for volunteer opportunities that will allow you to learn the skills you’d like to gain.
For example, if you want to start a local dog walking business, consider volunteering at your local animal shelter as a dog walker—they’re always looking for people to help provide the animals in their care with exercise and companionship during the day.
If, however, you’re looking to start a social media marketing company to help other pet businesses, ask your local rescue organizations if they need social media volunteers. This is a great way to not only gain more skills but to network with other pet professionals.
3. Enroll in a Course or Certification Program
One of the best ways to boost your skills is to learn those skills from experienced pet service professionals. No matter what you’re looking to learn, there are many great courses and certification programs available for you to take—plus, a certification can be great for marketing your new pet service business!
Consider taking a course on pet behavior or dog training techniques. Even if you’re not planning to become a dog trainer, knowing how to better communicate with pets is a great skill to have for any pet service professional.
If you want to become a professional pet sitter, consider a pet sitter certification course, like those offered by Pet Sitters International or the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. A certification in Pet First Aid and CPR is also a great skill for anyone to have.
Beyond courses and certification programs in pet-related skills, you can also take courses in marketing, client management, and other business skills that are necessary for any business owner to be successful.
4. Find a Mentor or Coach
Learning from someone who already has the knowledge and experience that you’re looking to gain is a great way to build your confidence as a pet professional. Working with a mentor or coach will help you understand the day-to-day realities and responsibilities of having a pet business, beyond what a course can teach you.
There are many ways to find a mentor. Consider networking with other pet professionals in your area. Go to local pet-related events, and engage with established, successful pet service professionals on social media.
While you may think of these people as your competition, there are plenty of clients to go around, and many pet service professionals are excited to share their knowledge with others.
Another great way to find a mentor is to join a coaching program. These can be group-coaching sessions, or 1-on-1 private coaching sessions if you desire customized recommendations from a seasoned, successful professional.
5. Join a Professional Organization
Joining a professional organization is another great way to network with your fellow pet service professionals. These can be local business organizations, or national professional organizations in your area of expertise.
Not only do you get to talk and learn from others in your industry, but many of these professional organizations offer additional benefits, such as free educational resources to help you learn new business skills and stay up to date regarding the rules and regulations within the pet service industry.
A few professional organizations you may want to look into are:
- The Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)
- National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS)
- International Boarding & Pet Services Association (IBPSA)
- International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP)
6. Don’t Be Afraid to Start
The best way to gain experience and knowledge is by taking the plunge and diving into your business. While researching, taking courses, and working with a coach are great ways to set yourself up for success, you can also get stuck in "analysis paralysis."
Taking a leap and starting your business is a big, scary decision, and sometimes it’s easier to throw yourself into learning as much as possible. At a certain point, however, you have to take a chance, put yourself out there, and go for the life you want.
Will you make mistakes? Of course, you will. Everyone does. No matter how much you study, and how much you prepare yourself, you'll inevitably make errors, lose clients, and say the wrong thing. The key is to learn from your mistakes, and not repeat them. Practice may not make you "pawfect," but it definitely makes things easier.
What is the Right Next Step for You?
There are so many ways to gain more knowledge and grow your skills as a pet service professional and/or business owner, and no two journeys will ever be the same.
Whether you sign up for a course, connect with a mentor at a local professional organization, or dedicate hours volunteering at your local animal shelter, what’s important is that you’re pursuing something you’re passionate about.
