Calling All Guys! Dog Training Needs You!
I’m repeating a post from 2024, because I am 1) truly interested in whether things have improved, even a bit, related to the male/female ratio of dog trainers and dog training seminar in current times, and 2) I’m updating The Puppy Primer and spending pretty much all my waking hours on it. Just asked my poor, bored dogs. The new edition comes out in October, and I can’t wait! The last version came out in 2008, and doesn’t mention event markers, interrupters, teaching Touch, and on and on. It’s being published by Little Creek Press in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, right next door, and I couldn’t be happier about it. Stay tuned!
I’ve been to a lot of dog-related seminars, and, at every one, the female/male ratio is something like 90/10. Or 95/5. I thought it would be different at the Im-PECK-able seminar put on by K9 Behavior Consortium, thinking of all the guys I’ve run into over the years with law enforcement dogs, especially drug and bomb dogs. But nope. Mostly women again. I asked a colleague if this was typical for other scent discrimination training seminars, and the answer was yes.
So. Why so few men in dog training seminars? The U.S. population is about 50/50 male/female. (With slightly more women, and less than half of one percent non-binary.) However, like many professions, dog training doesn’t reflect the country’s demographics. According to Zippia, 61% of dog trainers are female, 39% male. That number surprised me, because in my area, it feels like the skew toward women trainers is much higher than that.
But if the percentage of professional dog trainers is about 60/40, then why isn’t that reflected in seminar audiences? I am asking this respectively, especially to the men reading this blog, who I very much hope will chime in. There could be lots of reasons why men are less likely to go to seminars than women.
Before going much further, it was time to consult my resident expert on men: Jim. After I asked him why he thought more women than men went to dog training seminars, he said, initially, “Men think they already know how.” He said it, not me. But this led to a much deeper discussion–Jim noted that in years past, before dogs were house pets and considered members of the family, most dogs were working dogs, trained by men whose duties and hobbies included hunting with dogs. I added that once dogs more commonly began living in the home, we know whose job it was to teach the “youngsters” manners. Women.
It does feel that, recently, as men became more involved in child care, they also became more likely to go to dog training classes. (Anyone agree? I’m just speculating.) But going to classes is one thing, becoming a professional dog trainer who goes to seminars is another. The glaring exception to this is the demographics of seminar presenters. Look at all the men who are doing a fabulous job training us to train dogs?
I am not the first person to speculate about why so few men go to dog training seminars, or become dog trainers for that matter. Stanley Coren wrote an insightful article for Psychology Today in 2016 about this very topic, titled “Are Women Better Dog Trainers Than Men?”
Whether they are better at it or not was not my primary question, it’s why more men aren’t more interested in learning from others in this field. (Could they be related? Is it easier for women?) There are lots of possible reasons, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Here’s just one, to get us started: If women currently dominate the field, would men be uncomfortable showing up? Like going to a beauty salon and feeling out of place?
Let’s brainstorm about how to encourage more men to get involved in dog training, to go to the best of the best, and learn how to be better at what you do, if you’re already in the business. There’s a reason for this, one I think is more important than understanding interesting demographics. It’s the powerful effect of watching a member of your own gender performing a skill. I’ll never forget the first time, after two years in undergraduate college (in my 40’s), that I saw a women lecture on the stage at UW-Madison. (Karen Steudel, who passed away in 2021.) Everyone I had listened to and learned from up to that point had been male. Seeing a women was transformational. Truly. The effect it had on me was shocking. Wait? I could do this too?
According to one site, 71% of men from age 18 to 44 own a dog in the U.S. You can find lots of data that mess around with different figures, but the fact is that a gazillion men own dogs, and those men need role models to teach them how to train dogs in the most effective, efficient, and compassionate way possible.
What can we do to encourage more men to be involved? Chime in, but please, keep it constructive and respectful. I need it for my sanity in this day and age.
Moving forward to 2026: Has anything changed? What I’ve noticed lately is that many more men, in terms of percentages, come to my talks about Away To Me. Hmmm. Interesting. I do truly hope that this is changing, that more men are teaching force-free family dog training classes for example. Make my day and tell me it’s true.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Well, it’s been awhile. Feels like a lot has happened.
I got a T-shirt.
The flowers here have been the light of my life (excluding Jim and the dogs of course). The daylily garden was ridiculous with color, like a painter’s pallette, and now lots of the prairie flowers are blooming, from Culver’s root to tall bellflower, to these coneflowers. Luscious.
We had the first local corn of the summer. It had just been picked, within the hour, and it was like eating candy.
(I wasn’t going to use the photo below because I look idiotically insane, but I thought we could all use a laugh .) A few weeks ago I got to spend most of a day with the great sheepdog trainer, Patrick Shannahan. It is Patrick that connected us with Maggie about eleven years ago, so, of course, I adore him. Also because he’s a great teacher and a remarkably kind man.
Luckily, the clinic (thank you for hosting Janet and Paul!) snuck in between air quality alert days. Like many people all over the country, my lungs struggle on good days enough as it is. Because of the smoke from wild fires, I stayed inside for days, feeling like a prisoner, only venturing out to a doctor’s appointment with a N95 mask on. Here’s a shot I got on the way to the clinic, and it was on one of the “better” days. My heart goes to all–so many–who are suffering directly from the fires all over North America, Europe, and beyond.
Last Saturday I had the joy of speaking at the Minocqua Public Library, and have never felt so spoiled as an author. Check out Library Director Kelly Raddatz and Adult Programming Director Brigette Anich holding cookies–YES! THOSE ARE COOKIES!–that they had made with a copy of the novel’s cover embedded in the icing. Brigette arranged that. OMG. Seriously. Plus the “simple” dog bone cookies, which were crazy good and a little like pouring pure sugar into your mouth.
The audience was great, and we all had a fun time talking books and dogs and more books. Truly, it was a great time.
Maggie and Skip had a great time too. We squeezed our drive up and back (Minocqua is in northern WI, we are in southern) before the latest heat dome from hell descended. We stayed at the Cobblestone in Rhinelander–a great place to stay with a dog. Lots of grass to sniff, run, and play on. Also, WI is blessed with some wonderful rest areas that have actual trails on which to walk your dogs. Both dogs seem to love road trips, and were all shiny-eyed much of the time.
Here they are at home, having brought the sheep down before the worst of heat and humidity to where they can lounge in the barn; it’s the coolest place on the farm. The lower part of the barn is half-underground, and Jim set up a fan for them). There’s nothing I can do to protect them, or any other animal, wild or domestic, who lives outside, from the smoke, so I think about them a lot.
There will be no sheep work now, you could fry an egg on our driveway. (I tried that once in Arizona. Yeah, you really can.). Please take care of yourself and your critters, it’s dangerous out there. And if you live where it is cool and dry, count your blessings!
Take care, friends, I hope you have lots of opportunities to experience joy in the next few weeks. “Talking” with you all is one of mine–thank you!!!
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About the Author
Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, CAAB Emeritus is an applied animal behaviorist who has been working with, studying, and writing about dogs for over twenty-five years. She encourages your participation, believing that your voice adds greatly to its value. She enjoys reading every comment, and adds her own responses when she can.
LEARN MORE FROM PATRICIA’S BOOKS & DVDs!
Patricia is known the world over for her clear and engaging books and DVDs on dog training and canine behavior problems. You can also “meet” Patricia in person on her seminar DVDs, from The Art & Science of Canine Behavior to Treating Dog-Dog Reactivity.
Let’s own it! Yes, we’re better at it! More attuned, less ham-handed, better at reading the room, more coordinated (usually), greater vocal range, more loving to the dogs. I find it often true of my clients, too. Sorry men. I once had an apprentice who didn’t work out because he was 6′ 4″ and the dogs found him too big and scary even though he was a gentle man.
Love the T-shirt!
I come from a professional performing background, including classical ballet where women also dominate. That’s now true of medical professions, the veterinary world – and parliament – at least in the UK. What tends to also be true in these instances is that men then dominate the senior positions. Be careful what you wish for!
I think we need to address grass roots social conditions to address this issue in such a way as to ensure that women don’t get pushed out again by just privileging men as a minority. We may be a social species but I think women are more like dogs (mostly sociable) and men are more like cats (mostly sociable when it suits them). I don’t want to be biologically determinist, but again, there are evolutionary reasons for this.
Where I would love to have the magic wand is when it affects compliance with behaviour modification and training because it is often women who struggle with the problem behaviour or even basic training and who are left to attempt to apply solutions without support from other household members and sometimes with active opposition.
I agree Charlotte that much of it relates to social conditions. Dog trainers don’t get paid much, as was true for a long time for nurses, teachers, etc., jobs traditionally held by woman. Nor did/do they have much status. I’m going to tell a story at CANIS about how, at an animal behavior conference, I was held up as an example of people who failed because I’d become a “dog trainer.” I know that is changing to some extent, but yay all the women in medical professions now! Love hearing you had a career performing, especially classical ballet!
I can’t comment on why more men don’t attend the seminars. Just wanted to say there is a man in my area who is an awesome dog trainer. I watched tons of his videos before approaching him for help with my dog, just to be sure of his methods.
Yes! There are so many men who are super trainers!
I’m a woman, so I can’t really help with the “why aren’t more men involved in dog training”, but I will say that I’ve noticed something very similar in equestrian sports. At the lower levels, it’s almost all women. Female trainers, female students. I did hunter/jumpers for years, and it was almost 100% women, aside from the occasional father who would show up. And yet, at the highest competitive levels of the sport, you see lots of men!
I’ve taken training classes with my dog, and we also do dog sports (nosework and agility primarily). Pretty much all the trainers I’ve worked with or heard about in my area are women. The exception is my nosework trainer, who also does more general dog training with the certifications to match, and he is force free. He’s absolutely amazing! He’s great with training people AND dogs. Actually, just a few weeks ago, we were both talking about how we’re huge fans of your work and that “The Other End of the Leash” should be mandatory reading for all new dog owners.
The other students in my dog training class are also predominantly women. At trials, again, it’s predominantly women. I imagine there are some dog sports that maybe lean more heavily towards men (bite sports maybe?), similar to how I think the male to female ratio is higher in western horse riding compared to English.
The funny thing is when I’m going on hikes with my dog or taking my dog for walks, I run into lots of men walking their dogs, probably more men than women, so those stats about percentages of men owning dogs really don’t surprise me.
Interesting Sarah about so many dog walkers being men. Living in the country, I don’t see that many people walking their dogs, I wonder if others see the same.
Yes, upon thinking about it I have encountered many female dog trainers, but the person who evaluated my dog for her CGC was male. And the ex-police who were safety officers at the hospitals I worked in had large well trained German shepherds, beautiful but fierce! Thinking about many of the rescues I have been involved with, the dogs are much more fearful of men than of women…sadly! I appreciated Jim’s answer. Your coneflowers are magnificent! And I too have spent many days indoors related to the smoke in SE MI, the hottest weather, and I have not had a salad in weeks. So sorry I did not grow my own lettuce. Things just keep getting stranger!
Hi! I a male who is new to dog training – at least in a professional capacity – I have trained my own dogs in basic obedience and agility for the last 20 years. I compete in AKC agility which is a female dominated dog sport. Recently at a trial there were 5 men with their dogs lined up in a row to go into the ring for their runs. One guy commented that it was a historic occasion. I started teaching others to do agility with their dogs in a professional capacity 2 years ago. I must say it has been a very rewarding experience. I have enjoyed being a teacher and working with great humans and their dogs. I hope to continue in this capacity for the foreseeable future. My classes have grown in those 2 years from 20 teams to 32 teams – with 2 beginner agility classes and the need for more. I do have 3 males who are taking classes or private lessons – so I see that as encouraging.
Yay Andrew!!! Wonderful to hear!!! And the more men teach, the more men will join. I honestly think it’s as simple as that.
Thanks for the post and update. Appreciate all the thoughtful comments and especially when Jim chimes in!
Love the t-shirt. My t-shirt would say, “Who gave the dog a piece of my cookie? Oh…I did. How could I resist?”
Such a great question – this could be a great seminar in Human/Non-Human Animal Behavior class at a University!
My thoughts as a married woman of 30+ years…
First, a question, are the seminars required as continuing education credits? Perhaps this generation of men, new to the field, may be choosing to learn online – as it may feel less vulnerable.
I think it comes back to what Jim said, not so much that men think they already know it, but that they are socially conditioned to not be questioned for their opinions. We all function in a society that was built on hierarchy, patriarchy, colonialism, etc. And this had led, unfortunately, to continue to accept the male as both the expert and the example of a species – the male of the species is considered the “norm” in a lot of research.
Ancecdote: How many times have I walked into a doctor’s office and the anatomical poster is a white man? Sigh. On one visit, I was asking about menopause – which I’m well into and was given no information from my primary care female physician. The nurse practitioner, who I now see, explained that medical schools do not have it as a requirement or a class. A full 30 to 50 years of a woman’s life, deemed non-essential by the research establishment.
Much of the common wisdom of who “discovered” or “influenced” – our understanding in animal (human/nonhuman) behavior is predominantly based on the male story/perspective.
An amazing and downright fun read, if you’re interested in a different story of both the behaviors of the females/nonbinary of the species but also the groundbreaking women scientists of the world is Bitch, On The Female Of The Species, by Lucy Cooke.
Here’s an excellent intro:
For decades, writes British science writer Cooke, “studies of intrasexual competition focused on male competition for mates, and the combative potential of females was largely ignored by science. The resulting data gap on females then masqueraded as knowledge. It’s assumed females aren’t competitive, and theories are based upon that understanding—when the truth is we just haven’t been paying attention.” The author emphasizes that it was only at the end of the 20th century that women began to enter biology in large numbers. Many turned their attention to female animals, heretofore considered too boring to bother to study, and discovered that “true till-death-do-us-part sexual monogamy…proved to be extremely rare, found in less than 7 percent of known species.” A skilled journalist, Cooke has traveled the world to interview experts, most of them women, who have performed groundbreaking research and are unafraid to confront skeptical male colleagues. Despite deploring his Victorian sensibilities, Cooke remains a Darwin enthusiast, but she maintains that his later (and lesser known) theory of sexual selection deserves equal status with natural selection. Readers will receive a superb education in the evolution and mechanics of animal sex as well as countless colorful anecdotes describing bizarre reproductive behavior.” — Kirkus
And as many readers of this blog would attest, we need more wise, older women held up as role models. On that note, Dr. Tricia, you have been transformational in the lives of many of us, myself included, as a woman researcher, educator, business owner and writer. Thank you.
Maya, thanks for the reference! I haven’t seen it (love the title), but it tracks exactly what I learned studying animal behavior. Until Shirely Strum and Jeanne Altmann started working with baboons, all the focus was on males. Period. And then, oh, wait! Look at the criticdal role that females play in social structure. Look at how important cooperation is in who gets the power? And, yes, I do agree 100% that much of the difference we see in dog training is cultural and historic.
Wonderful post. Thank you!
I don’t chime in on this blog because I am “Jim”, but your points are right on the bullseye. 🎯 While women have proven themselves over and over again there is still that ‘glass ceiling’ out there. Another existing example is the restaurant industry. Every day millions of women prepare wonderful meals for others, yet it seems that most of the ‘great’ chefs we hear about are male. Why? Perhaps the need to dominate plays a role (and sadly in many cases, especially in politics) not with good results.
Jim B: Hear hear!
I haven’t read all the comments. I have a less than complimentary feeling
Men don’t like learning from women.
And they learn a little and think they have nothing left to learn.
Thanks for chiming in Brenda. I wouldn’t put it that way myself, but there’s no doubt that there’s a kernel of truth there about some men, if not many.
I don’t have a comment about men and training, but I did want to compliment you on the wonderful book (“Away to me”) which I read on vacation recently. I loved it and can’t wait for the sequel. You have so many talents and work so hard.
Judith
Judith, music to my ears! I truly appreciate your kind words about my novel. Can’t wait to get back to working on the next one!
I think Jim hit the nail on the head! Not commenting on seminar attendance, but I worked as a trainer for close to 20 years and of the few men that did sign up for classes (huge majority were women) a large percentage of them weren’t really there to learn! Many would literally argue with me about what I was trying to show them. I always wondered why they signed up for a class at all. Guessing maybe wife/partner pressure because of an out of control pup in the house?
I’d like to add a funny story about a man in class who finally came around. He was older, 75-80 I think (this was probably 15 years ago or so) who had a rescued Corgi named Cliffy. We were working on recalls and I was explaining how tone of voice mattered and how using a higher pitched/happy voice in early training was so important. We’d work one dog at a time and I had each class member calling each others dogs. Each time, Cliffy would happily come running to the other (female) class members using their happiest voices, but his Dad continued to use a very low pitch and Cliff would just ignore him. After encouraging him over and over to use a higher pitch, he belted out an incredibly exaggerated high pitched “CLIFFY!” and the dog happily raced right to him. The whole class laughed and cheered. Of course, I let him know that he didn’t have to go to an extreme that could ultimately cost him his voice, lol, but congratulated him up and down for his success.
Regarding the distribution of men in both equestrian and dog sports, my sister once commented that the men are most visible where there is money involved… e.g. horse racing, high-level show jumping, rodeo …
I think men have a hard time with the idea that it’s counterproductive to force the dog to do what you want. (You can substitute “child” for “dog” in that statement.) Training by rewarding desired behavior is kind of foreign, and for most men patience is not their strong suit either. Why lure Fang into a sit when you can just swat him on the rump?
I believe it is mostly about money. There are more female human doctors and veterinarians which I believe again is about income and possibly them being “caring” fields. No matter how liberated we feel our society has become there is still a lot of pressure for men to be the bread winners. I am a retired veterinarian and I know it would have impossible to raise a family on my income (unless I owned a practice). I can only imagine that this would be even more true for a trainer.
So love your tee-shirt!!
I have always found your books/posts/articles valuable, but I am old and tired, and now have just one very sweet little, old Speagle.
I love this question, Trisha. In my experience, women are logisticians who take care of buying the groceries and dog food and caring for the creatures in the house, whether human, canine, feline, bovine, or otherwise. We have a lot of experience house training kids and dogs. We clean up poop and pee and barf and crusty socks left on the floor. In most settings, we are the caretakers, even in egalitarian households.
That said, I have amazing men in my life – my husband, my grown son, my dad, and the many dog dads (with dog moms) who have adopted my foster dogs…they all are passionate about dogs. Could it be that the version of recruiting more men for dog training is akin to the STEM program for women? Or maybe we just need more 6’ 2” men to volunteer to help dogs who are scared of big men? Or men who give the dog a bath after the poor baby has had explosive diarrhea?
Wait! I have another addendum to my earlier comment. I wrote it from the perspective of a foster dog mom who works with “last ditch” dogs in shelters. I am not a professional trainer. Which you could probably have deduced, LOL. But it’s still a valid question, even in a shelter setting.
Tricia, I hope that the tornado wasn’t in your area!!
Edie Rens
Edie, we were lucky and are unscathed. 🙂
I’ve been a reward-based trainer for 20 years. I worked with children and families for 25 years before that. Perhaps I have a unique perspective on this issue given that: a) I chose two careers in which women far outnumbered men; b) I’m a guy. Pretty sure I have been all my life.
These are observations. I have no empirical data to support them. So here goes. I’m a nurturer and so connecting with children and dogs comes naturally. Probably not true of most guys.
Secondly, I think there is a convenient social virtue placed on professions that require nurturing. Tell people you’re a teacher or a child care professional and you hear “wow, that’s so wonderful that you do that! It must be so rewarding!” (and it is!) Ask an engineer how often “he” hears that (note the masculine pronoun). I think many men choose jobs based on upward mobility and salary/benefit packages. “I became a dog trainer for the money and company benefits,” said no trainer. Ever. Women, perhaps because they are more highly evolved than their club carrying counterparts, are more likely to seek and accept jobs with this social virtue. Hey dudes, making a difference matters!
Thirdly (my last observation — I’ll shut up now), Men know that dog training, teaching, child care, nursing, etc are professions mostly comprised (I’ll avoid using “dominated” – not gonna go there!) of women. Frankly, I think they are threatened by it and may feel they will be symbolically neutered if they join the ranks. I my early years, I admit to feeling a bit awkward sitting in a room at a conference where I was the only or one of the few men. One positive — there was never a line at the restroom!
Women seem to have a different take on entering professions where men are more common. Maybe the proverbial chip on the shoulder and bit of an attitude. I get it. Good for you!
I have learned to accept, and, to this day, take pride in the uniqueness that I bring to the table. For the most part, my mentors (in which Paticia is one!) have been women. My career has been enriched by these people and I am grateful for their contributions to my professional development. So guys, get over yourself. We need you. The profession needs you,
Okay, I’m done now. Thanks for indulging me.
Tim, yayayayayayayayayayay! And, I have thought about what it must feel like to be in a room with 100 women and 5 men. I think we women need to be sure to be welcoming and supportive, because people truly are influenced by the gender of the trainer–the men in classes are going to be more comfortable copying the actions of a male trainer. So, again YAYAYAYAYAYAY!
One quick question, Doc. I volunteer with a local therapy animal organization in Topeka, KS. We host a seminar each year in the fall. I’m sure you’re booked solid for the remainder of this year but would like to know how one schedules you as a speaker! We’re not Wisconsin but Kansas can be very picturesque in the fall! Thanks!
You are so kind to ask Tim! I’m taking a bit of a break for awhile so that I can work on my next novel. But thank you for asking!
I’m glad that Andrew, Jim (!) and Tim have commented. I have opinions on the subject, but being a Christina rather than a Christopher, I appreciate hearing directly from the guys. It’s also interesting to hear what other commenters have to say, but big thanks to the men for speaking up.
Looks like you have a brief break from the summer heat for the next few days – enjoy!
When I first started attending competitive obedience classes in 1977, all the instructors and over half the students and competitors were men. Dog training then was all about “alpha wolf rollovers,” hanging dogs by choke collars, and teaching the dog “who was boss.” The instructors were nearly all military-trained ex-K-9 handlers.
By the end of the 80s, you started seeing more “soft” breeds (Goldens) vs. “working” breeds (GSDs, Dobermans) in the obedience ring, and they were winning over the traditional breeds. These “soft” breeds were mostly being shown by women. I think this corresponded with more women working outside the home and having expendable income.
When clicker training came out ~1995, I noticed dog sports VERY quickly went to about 95% women in competition classes, seminars, competitions, and working as instructors. But then and now, men tend to dominate the more lucrative fields of e-collar training for protection and hunting dogs.
Over decades of competing and going to seminars around the world, I noticed a big difference between male and female trainers:
– Women admit there’s always more to learn, strive to improve, and go to seminars. Most (not all) tend to use positive training methods. They prioritize sharing their knowledge over making money. They teach agility for free in exchange for an hour of ring rental a week for their own dogs. And because of this, women’s experience is so undervalued that it’s almost impossible for them to earn any actual income as trainers.
I know female competitors who have placed (or won) agility national and European championships that still teach for free. I stopped just short of a PhD in Zoology/Animal Behavior at UW, have earned over 150 titles in a dozen sports with my dogs, was a semi-finalist on “Got Talent,” have put on sheep herding seminars abroad, and had one of the fastest and most accurate agility dogs in the U.S. I still would not be hirable at an agility facility, because other women with similar experience have shown they are willing to teach for free.
Meanwhile…
– Most male trainers seem to not want to show any weakness. They want to appear as the experts, there’s nothing they don’t already know. They have hunting dogs imported from the UK; or protection dogs imported from the Czech Republic. They were police handlers, military handlers. They once handled a bomb sniffing dog on a military base, so now they are automatically experts on obedience, scentwork, tracking, and agility. They vastly tend to use e-collars and work for chains like Sit Means Sit. Their time and expertise is “valuable.” Their students must sign contracts for thousands of dollars in training.
Obviously, these are huge generalizations. I know male positive trainers in the U.S. and abroad, but they are rarities. Luckily, one of them showed up at the right time:
When I got married 8 years ago, my husband decided to try agility with our dogs, one of whom already had a MACH, and one who had never competed. The only class that fit his work schedule was a male instructor who used positive methods! My husband took several classes with this excellent teacher, then went on to have a successful career getting agility titles with both dogs. If my husband had instead been in an all female class with a female instructor, I wonder if he would have stuck with it long enough to actually compete. Seeing this male instructor competing at high levels showed him that “even men can do dog sports well!” (LOL!)