25+ Animal Trainer Pros and Cons (explained)

An animal trainer is a person who trains animals for specific tasks such as security, obedience, entertainment, and racing or to assist the disabled. Animal trainers specialize in training one type of animal.

Animals commonly trained are dogs, horses, elephants, cockatoos, seals, whales, and dolphins as also tigers, bears, and lions, etc. The task of training follows the principle of reward and punishment.

Advantages of being an Animal trainer	Disadvantages of being an Animal trainer
Animal trainers can spend plenty of time in the fresh air	Animal trainers don’t make a lot of money
One doesn’t have to go to the gym	One is replaceable
One can follow a passion for animals	Rather questionable future job prospects
Animal trainer as a rather relaxed job	Difficult to switch fields as an animal trainer
Good work-life balance for animal trainers in general	Pet owners can be difficult
One can start own animal training business	One may even get sued
Working as an animal trainer can give you purpose in life	One has to work outdoors also during cold periods
	Not suitable if one has an allergy

Advantages of being an Animal trainer

Animal trainers can spend plenty of time in the fresh air

The biggest advantage of being an animal trainer is that one can spend a lot of time in the fresh air. We do not have to work in an indoor artificial environment like in other jobs.

Instead, we can train dogs and other animals in open ground where we can enjoy the fresh air.

It will not only make us feel quite well since we will get plenty of oxygen and sunlight, but it can also keep us healthy in the long run since our risk of suffering from mental problems will be lower if we work in jobs where we can work in natural environments.

One doesn’t have to go to the gym

As an animal trainer, one will also be able to stay fit in a completely natural manner. One will run with dogs and other animals all day long to show them how to behave and what not to do.

One can follow passion for animals

By working as an animal trainers, we can also follow our passion for pets. If one loves dogs, one may work as a dog trainer and can spend time around dogs all day long. Doing what one loves for a living is probably the best way to work.

Animal trainer as a rather relaxed job

A career option as an animal trainer is a rather relaxed job. In fact, one will be able to work rather independently and with a little bit of experience, one may train dogs and other animals completely on your own.

Good work-life balance for animal trainers in general

Since they don’t work many extra hours and also have many free weekends and holidays as an animal trainer, they have plenty of time for hobbies, family, and friends.

While most other people don’t have a good work-life balance at all and barely have time for anything else apart from work, animal trainers will have plenty of time to see kids growing up and to spend time with loved ones in general.

One can start own animal training business

Most animal trainers just work as normal employees in the initial years, earn some money, get some experience in animal training and then open their own animal training company afterward.

In fact, it is relatively easy to work self-employed as an animal trainer, especially if one has many connections in the locality and therefore a broad potential customer base.

Working as an animal trainer can gives one purpose in life

The animal trainer also gets a real purpose in life. Several people experience tragic events in their lives and are often not able to deal with those experiences in an emotionally healthy manner.

In turn, many people suffer from depression or from other mental issues and lose all their hope. However, working with animals has shown tremendously positive results and it is known to have the potential to cure those people of their emotional pain.

Disadvantages of being an Animal trainer

Animal trainers don’t make a lot of money

One problem with being an animal trainer is that one will just not make that much money. Many animal trainers barely make a living out of what they are doing. Some of them are also only part-time employees.

One is replaceable

A big negative point in working as an animal trainer is that one will be easily replaceable. Since there are mandatory requirements for entry and almost everyone can do the job, one will have many competitors who want to have a job.

This means that one may get fired if someone comes along to work for less money. Consequently, job security will be almost non-existent and there will always be a fear of losing a job.

Rather questionable future job prospects

Also, future job prospects will be rather few. In fact, many animal trainers will lose their jobs in the future and may not find another job in this industry since nowadays machines and robots can do part of the work.

Thus, the demand for human labor will decrease and unemployment will increase in this sector.

Difficult to switch fields as an animal trainer

Due to your limited skill set, one may also have serious difficulty switching fields in the future. While one will become really good at dealing with animals and people over time, one will still lack skills that are needed in the job market.

Pet owners can be difficult

Owners can be really annoying, often more difficult to deal with than training their animals. Some of them are pretty demanding and animals do not learn the things they want them to learn.

An animal trainer may be the one who will be made accountable for it. While few people do that in a nice manner, most may even insult.

One may even get sued

If one is not careful and animals get injured during training, animal trainers may even get sued by pet owners. Thus, before becoming an animal trainer, one must make sure to get proper insurance.

One has to work outdoors also during cold periods

As an animal trainer, one has to work outdoors during rather unpleasant periods of the year.

For instance, one will also have to train dogs and other animals outdoors in winter, and even though he may not like those cold temperatures at all, he will still have to do his job.

Not suitable if one has an allergy

One will also not become happy as an animal trainer if he has an animal dander allergy. In such a case, he will just be far better off going for a different career path from an overall health perspective.

One should thus, make sure that to test self-regarding potential allergies in this regard before deciding on a career as an animal trainer.