Imagine having a calm and obedient dog. He doesn’t scream with every little noise or bite you hard because he “thinks” you are playing with him. He’s also friendly, but respectful, and can basically understand what you need to do each day. Oh, the sheer happiness of it all! Now imagine that you were able to bestow this excellent behavior on your beloved pet and those of many others every day. That’s what Tyson Kilmer does. To make a living. For celebrities.
Tyson, 37, has loved animals since the day he was born. It is no wonder that he has plunged into an animal race. Growing up on a farm, this famous dog trainer learned to talk to animals and helped them understand their place in the home. “Basically, you’re taking an animal out of its natural habitat and putting it into our world,” says Tyson. “We are responsible for teaching you to survive and giving you the tools to stay happy in life.”
Tyson began modeling before diving into his animal career as a dog trainer. “The fashion business approached me when I was a kid and I went off track,” he says. “But I always knew that he would go back to working with animals and that he would never leave me.” His yearning for an animal career eventually won out over him and he realized that, at the age of 25, fashion was time-consuming and traveling would take away his devotion to his animals. And so his career as a dog trainer officially began.
An animal career does not necessarily require a degree, as Tyson has no formal training. But it is something that is available and useful to anyone who is considering an animal career. Bachelor’s degrees and specialized certification programs for animal trainers would be helpful in providing you with the experience you need to become a successful dog trainer. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the animal care profession had about 172,000 jobs in 2004 and three out of five animal trainers were self-employed. In May 2004, the median hourly wage for animal trainers was $ 10.60.
Tyson’s first famous dog, as he remembers it, belonged to SHERYL CROW. The role of celebrity comes into play as Tyson lives in the Hollywood area. His career in fashion also helped him increase his ability to network and make a name for himself. Tyson’s business, as he puts it, “sells itself.” Since celebrities are more vulnerable to being sued, they “turn to me for help to take control.”
Although Tyson has been able to be the dog trainer for such a large celebrity base, including MIKE TYSON, JONI MITCHELL, and AARON CARTER, he enjoys helping everyone he can and his successes are extremely rewarding. “When I meet people for the first time, they cannot see the way out of the problems they are having. [with their dog] but in the end they achieve a freedom they never dreamed of, “says Tyson with great joy.” That’s why I do it and I enjoy working with each person. “
As for the duration of the process, Tyson emphasizes, “training is a continuum.” With “The Tyson Method,” he uses a few phases to teach basic commands and says that most dogs train with him for at least a year. Not only is he a dog trainer, but Tyson also owns a dog and has trained his French Mastiff and American Pit Bull Terrier to walk, off-leash, around Beverly Hills and even at Gucci.
So what do you need to work successfully as a dog trainer? Of course, you must have patience and a deep love for animals. But, in addition, “this is a career for people who are passionate about making changes,” he says. Specifically, he continues, it is for those who can provide solutions to the frustrations of homeowners who don’t know how to do it right.
You too can teach a dog proper behavior. So find a career with animals today, perhaps as a dog trainer, and start teaching dogs to walk calmly through Gucci too. Well, maybe not Gucci, but you get the idea.