Quote: Michael_Wise

I made a bad call.

It's because I never went to college and my reading comprehension skills suffered because of it.

Had I been as succient and to the point as Katie was, it would have been much easier to catch. Fault is all mine... too long winded as always.

Hopefully, the advice, given by several older, wiser, experienced folks will perhaps bear some consideration.

In my case, much older.

 Quote: Barbara Schuler

 Quote: Michael_Wise

I made a bad call.

It's because I never went to college and my reading comprehension skills suffered because of it.

Had I been as succient and to the point as Katie was, it would have been much easier to catch. Fault is all mine... too long winded as always.

I kind of buried mine too...

But I guess Katie deserved the win. She is the recent grad - and as such she knows how to communicate in a very clear and concise manner

 Quote: Michael_Wise

 Quote: Katie Finlay

Go to school and get a business degree. You're going to need it if you want to run your own business.

This.

Katie wins today.

See, I DID learn something in college

Thanks everyone I'll take it!

I read your post this morning, Barbara and wished I'd gotten your excellent advice when I was 20.

Doubt I would have listened at 20, however.

No one is a loser here...

Edited by Meredith Hamilton (12/20/2010 01:54 PM)
Edit reason: to finish a thought

No Meredith!! This is MY moment!!

Okay, I guess I'll share the win. If I must :wink:

Everyone gave good advice here. And Barbara, I do read and enjoy your winded posts!

I'm going to chime in here on the concept of dream fulfillment. I keep thinking of all the Disney movies I watched as a child, that taught me, if I persevere, no matter how irrational my vision, I will achieve my 'dream' and be happy for ever after. I agree with the posters who advise rolling up your sleeves and putting in one year of solid effort on volunteering, and involving yourself in all things dog. Do not do it for pay, do it for love, and see how far that will take you. If you make it through, and you still want to pursue your 'dream', you will have accomplished many things. You will:

1. Proven your commitment and passion for the work to yourself and that will give you confidence to continue your pursuit despite setbacks, naysayers, and lack of financial security;
2. Have identified areas that you definitely want to pursue in the dog world economy, and things you don't want to touch with a ten foot pole;
3. Have built up a network of relationships with people who have seen you are capable of hard work and commitment with dogs, who want to help you succeed in your endeavours;
4. Establish an alternate income stream (McDs, whatever) to support yourself as you invest many, many years in building your reputation, your connections, and your particular field of interest;
5. Figure out exactly what education you need, and where you want to get it, to further your knowledge and skills working with dogs;
6. Prepared yourself mentally and physically for making a commitment to your own education, to make sure you 'get the most for your money', rather than complaining 'this was a waste of time'.

I am turning 55 in January, and I have had many dreams that I have explored over the decades. It is only by looking back that I can see what my passions were, the things I pursued despite the difficulties.

I wish someone had given me this advice when I was 20! Good for you for asking! Lucky you for all the wisdom of this thread! Go forth and conquer!

hah well that took me quite some time to read through, i guess thats what i get for posting something and forgetting to check on it. well, first off i'd like to thank you all for the advise i really appreciate it. second, im aware that this isn't all going to happen over night. hell, i'd be surprised if it happened in 10 years. point is it's going to happen and i will do anything i have to to get to that point. im still debating the college thing. my main problem is the money. come up with the money, go to school, and thennnn pay off loans for years. great, that's totally helping. its not something i wont think about though.

Great to hear you've really thought this through, hopefully you can find something to get you started and see your dream come true one day. One other thing, the ONLY thing I hated about working as a dog trainer, the owners of the dogs! I'm really not a people person and this made it very hard for me, so remember to also practice your people skills, after all it's these idiots forking over the $$$$'s. Good Luck!!

 Quote: Brad Higgs

Great to hear you've really thought this through, hopefully you can find something to get you started and see your dream come true one day. One other thing, the ONLY thing I hated about working as a dog trainer, the owners of the dogs! I'm really not a people person and this made it very hard for me, so remember to also practice your people skills, after all it's these idiots forking over the $$$$'s. Good Luck!!

So true!

Maybe a certificate in business and/or accounting may serve you well here too. Most local community colleges have them and they only teach the major, so no english, math, science, ect and it is way cheaper than a full out degree; the only downfall is the job market....some jobs require a 2+yr degree. Even with that said, I think that is what I'm going to do, I started going for an Accounting degree so at least a certificate is better than nothing (I just wish I didnt take both English 1 & 2 already...lol) . Good Luck!