11/06/2026
Being a dog trainer is just as draining, as it is rewarding.
To most of the public my job may look like getting to “play with dogs all day”, and yeah, that is a tiny portion of it, and it is really fun.
But after a full day of clients, driving from different locations all over the borough, not having time to stop for a meal, I walk into my own home and I’m immediately hit with an overwhelming sense of guilt and frustration.
By the end of some days I lack the enthusiasm that my dogs deserve.
With a consistently changing schedule, and wonky hours, I can’t help but feel that I spend most days doing for others, what I should be doing for myself and my dogs.
Finding a balance in this line of work is easier said than done, and prioritizing self reset feels impossible most days, and the underlying reality is, that dog trainers- who are also dog owners; will ALWAYS, have to take their work home with them.
My dogs deserve the same attention that I spend all day giving everyone else’s. Even when my feet are sore and my eyes weight 100 pounds, I have to show up for them, and myself, and the responsibilities of life that don’t go away even when there’s nothing left to give.
And when the night has concluded and I lay my head down on my pillow, I still think about my clients, I imagine the same way a therapist might. Because it’s my job to help them have a better relationship with their dog, and even when I’m off the clock, my brain is constantly running game plans on how I can help them have a better training, than the one before.
Reminding myself even, that a bad day with a clients dog, should not reflect on the relationship I have with my dogs at home… a simple setback should not become explosive, and that even when I’m drained, I am forever lucky to come home to tails that wag at the sight of me.
This one is for all my dog trainers, who are dog trainers, more than they are people.
I see you 🫶🏼 and I support you.