Overview
All Animal Attendants and Trainers
-
$986 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
Dog Handlers and Trainers
-
1,100 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
59% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
48 hours Average full-time
-
40 years Average age
-
59% female Gender Share
Dog Handlers or Trainers teach dogs to obey commands and undertake specific tasks.
You can work as a Dog Handler or Trainer without formal qualifications, however, a Vocational Education and Training (VET) course in dog training may be useful.
Tasks
- Teaches animals to obey verbal and non-verbal commands and addresses behavioural problems.
- Trains animals to perform in competitions.
Prospects
The number of people working as Dog Handlers and Trainers (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 840 in 2011 to 1,100 in 2016.
Caution: The Australian jobs market is changing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These estimates do not take account of the impact of COVID-19. They may not reflect the current jobs market and should be used and interpreted with extreme caution.
- Size: This is a very small occupation.
- Location: Dog Handlers and Trainers work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Other Services; Public Administration and Safety; and Arts and Recreation Services.
- Full-time: More than half work full-time (59%, similar to the average of 66%), but there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 48 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 40 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 59% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Pathways
You can work as a Dog Handler or Trainer without formal qualifications, however, a Vocational Education and Training (VET) course in dog training may be useful.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Animal Care and Management VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Animal Attendants and Trainers who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Whole body coordination
Move your arms, legs, and body together.
-
Stamina
Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Giving expert advice
Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Coaching and developing others
Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
Influencing people
Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 39-2011.00 - Animal Trainers.
Work Environment
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Walking and running
Spend time walking and running.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Outdoors, under cover
Work outdoors, under cover (e.g., in an open shed).
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 39-2011.00 - Animal Trainers.
All Animal Attendants and Trainers
-
$986 Weekly Pay
-
Strong Future Growth
Dog Handlers and Trainers
-
1,100 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
59% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
48 hours Average full-time
-
40 years Average age
-
59% female Gender Share
Dog Handlers or Trainers teach dogs to obey commands and undertake specific tasks.
You can work as a Dog Handler or Trainer without formal qualifications, however, a Vocational Education and Training (VET) course in dog training may be useful.
Tasks
- Teaches animals to obey verbal and non-verbal commands and addresses behavioural problems.
- Trains animals to perform in competitions.
The number of people working as Dog Handlers and Trainers (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:
from 840 in 2011 to 1,100 in 2016.
Caution: The Australian jobs market is changing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These estimates do not take account of the impact of COVID-19. They may not reflect the current jobs market and should be used and interpreted with extreme caution.
- Size: This is a very small occupation.
- Location: Dog Handlers and Trainers work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Other Services; Public Administration and Safety; and Arts and Recreation Services.
- Full-time: More than half work full-time (59%, similar to the average of 66%), but there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 48 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 40 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 59% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
You can work as a Dog Handler or Trainer without formal qualifications, however, a Vocational Education and Training (VET) course in dog training may be useful.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Animal Care and Management VET training pathways.
Employers look for Animal Attendants and Trainers who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Biology
Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Whole body coordination
Move your arms, legs, and body together.
-
Stamina
Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Giving expert advice
Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Coaching and developing others
Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
Influencing people
Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.
-
Coming up with systems and processes
Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.
-
Documenting or recording information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 39-2011.00 - Animal Trainers.
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Outdoors, exposed to weather
Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Electronic mail
Use electronic mail.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Walking and running
Spend time walking and running.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Outdoors, under cover
Work outdoors, under cover (e.g., in an open shed).
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Very hot or cold temperatures
Work in very hot or cold temperatures.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 39-2011.00 - Animal Trainers.