The Animal Trainer job function is to train animals for riding, harness, security, performance, or obedience, or assisting persons with disabilities. The Animal Trainer also accustoms animals to human voice and contact; and conditions animals to respond to commands. They train animals according to prescribed standards for show or competition. They also may train animals to carry pack loads or work as part of pack team.
Duties:
The Animal Trainer observes animals’ physical conditions in order to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care. The Animal Trainer is responsible cues or signals animals during performances in order to get them to go through their paces. The Animal Trainer administers prescribed medications to animals. The Animal Trainer evaluates animals in order to determine their temperaments, abilities, and aptitude for training. The Animal Trainer feeds and exercises animals, and provides other general care such as cleaning and maintaining holding and performance areas. The Animal Trainer talks to and interacts with animals in order to familiarize them to human voices and contact. The Animal Trainer conducts training programs in order to develop and maintain desired animal behaviors for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding and related areas. The Animal Trainer keeps records documenting animal health, diet, and behavior. The Animal Trainer advises animal owners regarding the purchase of specific animals. The Animal Trainer trains horses or other equines for riding, harness, show, racing, or other work, using knowledge of breed characteristics, training methods, performance standards, and the peculiarities of each animals.
Skills:
The Animal Trainer needs the skill to teach others how to do something in relation to training animals or taking care of them properly. The Animal Trainer needs the skill to talk to others to convey information effectively. The Animal Trainer gives full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. The Animal Trainer monitors performance of you, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. The Animal Trainer needs the skill to be aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do. The Animal Trainer selects and uses training methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things. The Animal Trainer needs the skill to consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. The Animal Trainer uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. The Animal Trainer understands the implications of new information for both current and future problem solving and decision making. The Animal Trainer needs the skill to adjust actions in relation to others’ actions.
Abilities:
The Animal Trainer needs the ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. The Animal Trainer needs the ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. The Animal Trainer needs the ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. The Animal Trainer needs the ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. The Animal Trainer needs the ability to see details at a distance. The Animal Trainer needs the ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic, the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity.
The Animal Trainer needs the ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events. The Animal Trainer needs the ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules such as numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations. The Animal Trainer needs the ability to see details at close range. The Animal Trainer needs the ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. The Animal Trainer performs physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving the whole body. The Animal Trainer needs the ability to analyze information and evaluate results too choose the best solution and solve problems.