Animal Trainer Resume Template
A finished one-page animal trainer resume with the duties, tools and credentials employers look for. Download it as Word or PDF, print it, or change every line in the builder.
- Lead a team of 5 trainers teaching 14 group classes a week, from puppy kindergarten to advanced obedience.
- Assess new dogs for fear, reactivity and resource guarding and write step-by-step behavior plans.
- Run 6-week private reactive-dog programs; 88% of clients met their leash and visitor goals in 2024.
- Built a 2-week board-and-train program that added $140K in yearly revenue and holds a 5-month waitlist.
- Coach owners on marker training, management and body language so gains carry over at home.
- Taught 10 group classes a week and graduated 450+ dogs through basic and intermediate obedience.
- Prepared 120 dogs for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test with a 91% first-attempt pass rate.
- Handled daycare dogs in playgroups of 15–20, reading body language and splitting groups early.
- Logged training sessions, vaccine records and behavior notes for each dog in Gingr.
- Ran daily enrichment and basic cue sessions for 60+ shelter dogs to improve adoptability.
- Helped adopters with first-week plans for crate training, house training and loose-leash walking.
Names, employers and dates on the sample are invented. Duties and software come from O*NET 31.0; credentials were checked against the sources listed below.
Licenses and certifications
- Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers Optional, valued by employers
Sources: www.bls.gov
Licensing rules differ by state; check with your state board before you apply.
Skills to list
- Positive Reinforcement Training
- Behavior Assessment
- Obedience Training
- Animal Handling
- Species-Specific Care
- Client Coaching
- Training Program Design
- Safety Protocols
Software and tools
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Gingr
- Acuity Scheduling
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft Windows
Duties to describe on a animal trainer resume
- Cued or signaled animals during performances.
- Talked to or interacted with animals to familiarize them to human voices or contact.
- Conducted training programs to develop or maintain desired animal behaviors for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding, or related purposes.
- Fed or exercised animals or provided other general care, such as cleaning or maintaining holding or performance areas.
- Observed animals' physical conditions to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care.
- Evaluated animals to determine their temperaments, abilities, or aptitude for training.
Titles along the way
- Animal Trainer Assistant
- Animal Trainer
- Head Trainer
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