Hey there... I was wondering how you would go about becoming a dog trainer or handler. I'm young and just trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. I love dogs so much so I thought that would be a good choice for me. I would love to be an obedience trainer, or a groomer or what have you... then one day maybe be able to show dogs like these people! That would be amazing. Does anyone know the direction to point me in? Do I need to go to school? I'm pretty clueless about it all and I'm just looking into options right now. Thanks very much for any help or tips you can give! Much appreciated!

Do you have a dog now?

I've also thought about becoming a dog handler... so if anyone has any tips that would be great!

My best words to get you headed in the right direction coming from a Groomer/trainer/owner-handler would be to find your local dog club in your area and go there and watch and learn go to dog shows and walk around talk to people. Handleing a dog is fun remember that if you remember anything because you lose much more then you win but if you go there and have fun with your dog then it is worth every second. As far as the grooming goes There are many schools all over the country and same goes for training Good luck and maybe someday we will meet in the ring somewhere

You need to continue with you're education in HS and college. I would recommend a Business degree for college.
You can start learning about dog shows by actually the shows as often as possible. Decide which breed of dogs you are interested in then start talking to the breeders and handlers of those dogs. It takes many years to get to the point of a handler at Westminster.
They have Junior Showmanship at dog shows. Try to locate a local training/handling class where you live and start there.
What you see on TV has taken those handlers and breeders years to acquire the experience of handling a dog correctly.
Many aspects one needs to learn about correctly showing a dog. This you can learn from training classes with local breed clubs.
Hope this helps.

Your local 4-H Dog club is another avenue to start you on the road to the available careers in the dog world. It will also help you decide if this is really an area for you or if it is something you wish to keep as a hobby.

I show my dog, for fun, so I will fill you in to what I know.

Its not easy. It is a very competitive and cliquey(sp?) field and you have to be able to take critisim. No matter how well it goes someone will have something to say, either about you or your dog. That is not easy to get used to so you will need some thick skin.

You'll also need to look on the net or call around and look for classes. Most local kennel clubs offer some kind of classes and these serve two purposes. The first is to learn. There are a lot of little things to learn and a good trainer can do wonders. Secondly, it's a great place to meet people in the field. I would advice puppy classes for this. Usually even experienced handlers go to these just to get the pup used to other dogs and just generally going through the shpill.

After a little while of this I'd say find a local show and give it a try. What can it hurt right? If you lose then at least you got some practice. If you really want it...keep at it. It takes time for both you and your dog to get the hang of it. Also, some dogs are more cut out for it than others so watch your dog and if he or she is not enjoying it then I suggest either getting another dog or changing up your training. There's nothing worse than an unhappy dog.

Best of luck!