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Pet therapy
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November 5, 2001: 6:29 a.m. ET
Healing doggie depression turns animal lovers into business owners.
By Staff Writer Meghan Collins
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NEW YORK (CNNmoney) - Pet therapy. The phrase sparks an image of a dog lying on a couch, paws in the air, barking about his owner's bad habits to a man in an oversized leather chair.
While pet therapists do deal with the behavior of dogs, they say the business focuses more on training and working with owners' frustrations than with pets' problems.
"The biggest part of training is training the pet owners," said Allan Bauman, president of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, an international forum claiming 2,500 trainers and pet therapists. "Most of the work actually goes back to dealing with the owners."
Many owners reach the breaking point before dragging their pets in for therapy or training. Some are worried about a depressed cat that hides in the closet and others about a rambunctious dog that knocks their toddler to the floor day after day. These frustrated owners often can't control or change the pet's bad habits, which is where working with the owner becomes so important, according to trainers. Often, the owners are the ones who need to learn to deal with their pets - not the other way around.
Dealing with discipline and depression
Pet therapy, in reality, is much akin to dog training. Most pet therapists are also dog trainers, but often also claim a background in animal behavior or psychology and a greater number of years in the business.
Generally, a pet therapist determines whether the problem needs the assessment of a therapist or if the dog can be sent directly to a trainer, says therapist Mary Lee Nitchke. Nitchke owns a practice in Portland, Ore., and also teaches psychology at Linfield College. Her role is to evaluate the pets and place them into custom training programs, which is where training becomes therapy, she said.
If your dog or cat bites, or shows signs of depression such as curling up in its cage, therapy may be required. Soiling the carpet or jumping on guests? Leave that to the standard training programs, says Nitchke.
She, like many other pet therapists, has a background steeped in not only a love for animals, but also years of education in psychology and animal behavior. Nitchke earned a masters degree in experimental psychology and behavior modification and a Ph.D. in comparative developmental psychology from Michigan State University.
"I'm trained in all species. I don't work with earthworms, but other than that, everything," Nitchke said.
Although one does not need an official license to practice pet therapy in the United States, most get their referral base from veterinarians, who like to see credentials. These can include anything from an advanced degree in animal behavior or zoology to certifications from video courses or weekend-long retreats.
Bauman, who owns Goldenbrook Kennels and Wholesome Pet Company in Wooster, Ohio, said he trains his dogs up to the therapy level. He found his love for dog training after he become involved in training and showing his own dog. After educating himself at W&W school in Wooster for several years, Bauman made the leap to launching his own facility.
Major wallet-lighteners: education and marketing
Bauman said the single most expensive step toward becoming a pet trainer and therapist is the cost of education. There are very few "train the trainer" schools, so many take apprenticeships under a well-known trainer for two to three years before striking out on their own. Prices to learn from someone on the job can range from working for free up to a hefty $5,000.
While trainers don't have to be licensed to work, more and more associations such as the APDT are working on establishing a formal credentialing process. The association is creating a program to certify trainers, which would require passing a written exam.
Trainers in training would have to accumulate 300 hours of training within a five-year period to even qualify for the exam, which costs $250 for members and $350 for non-members and covers learning theory, instruction skills, husbandry and equipment knowledge.
Bauman estimates that for 90 percent of dog trainers and pet therapists, the work is more of a hobby than a profession.
Most have to work up to doing pet therapy on a full time basis because, although many advertise their services, there is really nothing that brings in clients better than having a strong reputation in the field.
One can spend as little or as much as he wants on marketing, as in any business. Many estimate the average person spends from nothing to $7,000 a year on ads in the local newspaper on in the trusty yellow pages.
However, most of a pet therapist's or trainer's customer base comes from vet, groomer, and humane society referrals, and from word of mouth.
For a basic seven week course, a trainer could make from $85-to-$115 per dog for group sessions and up to $350 per dog for six private visits.
Location, location, location
According to Bauman and others in the field, the most difficult part of the business is finding an appropriate location. The various space people utilize ranges from the backyard to a former school gymnasium or church basement.
Sue Pearson, a fellow member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, said she pays $900 per month to rent a 2400 square foot building in Iowa City, Iowa. For an equivalent space in New York City she would pay much more. Of course, she would be able to charge more for the service also. Pearson said her $90 price for a six-week course would skyrocket to $200-to-$300 in the Big Apple.
Pearson started in her backyard, moving up to teach at a community college and work on building her reputation in the industry. After seven years, she decided to rent a building - splitting the charges with other area trainers to defray the cost.
For the love of the mutt
Most pet therapists and trainers will tell you that their love for pets, people and instruction lead them to into the field. Pearson educated children, including those with special needs, and taught swimming lessons for twenty years prior to shifting the focus of her instruction to pets. She said if she could combine her love for dogs with teaching she would "be in heaven."
Nitchke claims that the "best trainers have experience in early childcare," likening the two fields.
For virtually all involved in the field, the goal is to bring people and pets closer together - to see a relationship blossom.
"Seeing direct results where people and their pets become more comfortable with each other - for me it's the same benefit I get from teaching," Nichke explains. "It's very intense and immediate gratification when you see results." 
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