At the animal shelter in Kaiserslautern, you can now train to become a dog specialist. The further training of the IHK could help the animal shelter to place problem dogs better.
It is one of the most pressing problems in animal shelters: the number of dogs with abnormal behavior is increasing. The chances of adopting these animals are slim. It requires professional care and training. The required, qualified trainers are now being trained at the animal shelter in Kaiserslautern via the new further training course “Hundefachwirt IHK” in cooperation with the “Professional Association of Dog Educators (BHV)”.
Opportunity for dogs with problematic behavior
Sam the Pomeranian, small, white and fluffy, comes running happily. “Please don’t pet him, even if he tries to make contact,” says his trainer Christiane Backes. Sam’s mood can change quickly, he has bitten in the past. Dogs with problematic behavior often end up here, at the animal shelter in Kaiserslautern. They need special care and trained staff. For Anne Knauber, manager of the animal shelter, a cooperation with the IHK and the BHV was therefore obvious.
Happy ending for Sam?
For Sam, who has been training for two months, the Kaiserlautern animal shelter and the specific training could be the chance to find a new home. Around 20 dogs are currently waiting. Finding suitable people who are also willing to train with the dogs and get involved with them is unfortunately rare, explains Anne Knauber.
Further training as IHK dog specialist in Kaiserslautern
The training to become a dog specialist was developed at the Potsdam Chamber of Industry and Commerce in cooperation with the BHV. It is the only way in Germany to acquire a further IHK degree at Bachelor level for the animal service industry. The theoretical part of the training takes place online, the participants have to come to Potsdam for face-to-face events, the practical part of the training takes place in the animal shelter in Kaiserslautern.
The further training is currently limited to 24 participants per year and lasts a total of around two and a half years. The requirements to be able to take part in the further training are high. A completed vocational training and at least four years of work as a dog trainer are mandatory.
Professions for dog professionals
As a dog specialist, there are many career opportunities. In addition to working as a trainer with problem dogs, it would also be possible to work in or manage a dog school or animal boarding house – as well as the production, marketing or sale of food or accessories. An IHK spokeswoman explains that experts are always wanted in local and city administration.
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