Dog Handler
Extensive training, studying, and experience are the prerequisites for this career. Love of dogs, excitement, hard work, and travel are also needed. A handler must build his reputation slowly and carefully. Careful selection of dogs that you will handle can help you attain success. Merely handling for the "fee" can damage a reputation.

To be a successful handler, it is helpful to have a personality which is pleasing to clients as well as to their dogs.

When handling is combined with other lucrative projects, such as grooming and boarding, it is possible to earn a comfortable living. However, the work is hard and demanding, the hours long and erratic, and the stresses and strains continuous. Winning is a great thrill and the competitions are always challenging, which makes this a great field for the dedicated.

Dog Breeder
This is a most difficult field in which to start an exclusive career. So much depends on luck and timing as well as reputation and the public's changing tastes; as a result, it is best to combine breeding with another doggy enterprise. By so doing, it is possible to develop good stock, and a reputation without being totally dependent on early success.

Breeding is truly hard work. A knowledge of all the factors that go into producing fine dogs must be acquired; this demands study as well as experience. Then follows the actual physical work—caring for the brood bitches, feeding, keeping the kennels clean, assisting during whelping, giving up sleep whenever necessary, caring for puppies, etc. Then, selling the puppies often involves correspondence, phone calls, and visitors—all time-consuming work.

Selecting a breed of dog which will sell and prove to be popular over the years is the first step hi this business venture. Secondly, it is wise to use a breed that has a fairly good-sized litter and that whelps easily. A good breeding program requires using the best stock; thus, building up an outstanding group of bitches is essential. Growing slowly and weeding out those dogs which are not adding to the kennel are good practices.

It may take years before one sees any real return on an investment in breeding; that is why combining it with another enterprise is suggested.

Dog Boarding
Starting a boarding kennel involves a major investment since land and an attractive building are needed in order to make this a successful business venture. A proper site must be located which is convenient for clients and which is sufficiently isolated so that neighbors will not be annoyed by barking. Operating a boarding kennel is hard work; however, it usually makes an excellent return on the investment.

If you wish to combine a boarding kennel with a breeding kennel, the two sections must be separated. Boarding rates should be sufficiently high so that they cover the cost of feeding and caring for the dog as well as allowing for a good profit. A wise business practice is to request board payment in advance, if possible.

While being boarded, the dogs must be fed a good quality diet, their living facilities must be kept clean, and they must be groomed regularly. Employees to perform these functions must be found, unless the kennel owner is willing and able to undertake all these chores himself.

Dog Grooming Shops
A well-located grooming establishment can be a most lucrative enterprise since most dog owners today want to keep their pets looking their best and are willing to pay well for this service. To begin, advertising is needed in order to acquire clients. Once a reputation is made and there is a following of satisfied customers, word of mouth will create more than enough business. Clean, neat, and attractive facilities, kindness and consideration to the dogs, and competent work will insure success. Of vital importance is the ability and knowledge in grooming the dog in the correct manner as prescribed by the standard for that breed.

A grooming business can be the exclusive business of a shop or it can be in conjunction with other related activities. This is a vocation which requires you to be on your feet most of the day; it involves physical labor and stamina.

Dog Sales
Retail—The Pet Store
Selling puppies can be a profitable business, but it should be conducted honestly and carefully. Puppies should be sold at a fair price; they should be in good health, and, if pure bred, the pedigree and registration papers should be available at the time of the sale. Keeping the puppies clean, healthy, and sweet smelling until they are sold is quite a job. Handling puppies means that both facilities and care must be available. An important aspect of this puppy trade is to have a good source of supply from breeders.

Dog supplies can be sold in conjunction with the sale of puppies, in a grooming or boarding establishment, or as the exclusive purpose of a shop. When a good line of products, well displayed, is offered, business can be quite good. A wide variety of dog products in addition to dog books, make it possible to provide customers with everything they could possibly need for their pet's care. Of course, intelligent business practices are needed in this field as in any other business venture.

Dog Wholesale
A wholesaler who supplies local pet stores with all their needs is another good business enterprise. Ingenuity and wise and prudent management can spell success.

Pet Cemetery
Providing a burial spot and all the necessary services can be a most lucrative business and certainly a service to the bereaved pet owner. Many communities do not have pet cemeteries, thus, an intelligent business man can find ample opportunity to start a profitable enterprise.

Dog Writing
People are always interested in reading about dogs. Fiction and non-fiction material about our four-footed friends is one of the more popular fields of writing. Most newspapers have a regular column devoted to information and advice on dog care. Many magazines maintain a dog section; there are numerous magazines devoted exclusively to dogs and there are always new dog books. Thus, a good writer who is knowledgeable in the dog field can usually find an outlet for his creative endeavor.

Dog Photography
Dog ownership is, in itself, a luxury, and most dog owners will indulge themselves in much, much more than the mere possession of a dog. Many dog owners desire pictures of their dogs, either for advertising purposes or merely for pleasure. The talented photographer, who is able to truly capture a dog with expression and good form, will rapidly make a reputation for himself. Taking fine pictures of show dogs can, in itself, be a full-time occupation.
Advertising in the dog journals, displaying work at dog shows, and offering "special rates" to dog clubs will give the photographer a good start. Once a reputation is made, referrals should follow. However, starting out can be a very slow process, and instant success, even for the most talented, is rare.

Dog Portrait Painting
Painting dog portraits can be an enjoyable as well as lucrative endeavor. An individual possessing artistic talent and ability, as well as a love of dogs could work this into quite a good business. Displaying paint-ings at local art fairs and at dog shows would be a way to start. Advertising in some of the dog magazines would also aid in giving the young artist more exposure. Some artists do their portraits from a photograph which means that the dog does not have to be available for a "special" sitting. Good dog portraits are always in demand and in the dog fancy a reputation can grow by word of mouth. So if you do work of merit, keep your charges within reason and a long and happy career is assured.

Dog Judging
Active participants in the dog world may eventually become involved in judging. Often handlers will gravitate toward this line of work. Their familiarity with several breeds will have prepared them for this career. As their judging proficiency grows, they will often increase the number of breeds they are licensed to judge.

The professional all-breed judge gets a good per day salary, plus all expenses. The work is arduous though; it involves a great deal of traveling throughout the year, standing on one's feet most of the day, and making decisions which inevitably make someone unhappy.

Dog Training
Dog training is a growing field. Trainers may train dogs for obedience contests; they may take problem dogs and cure their bad habits, or they train dogs for special needs. Training may be conducted in classes with the owner participating, it may be "privately" conducted in the owner's home, or it may be in conjunction with a training program with the dog being boarded at the training kennel for a specific period of time.

Obedience training classes exist nearly everywhere. Many such classes are offered in conjunction with other adult education programs. Group classes normally have 25 to 30 dogs and owners present; they meet once a week for about ten weeks, and the owner is generally charged a fee for this instruction.

In addition to obedience training, there are many other specialized fields. Dogs are being trained as guards, watch dogs, police dogs, army dogs, messengers, guide dogs, trackers, hunting dogs, for bench shows and for field trials. These specialized areas require a trainer who is experienced and competent. Becoming a professional requires years of apprenticeship and a great deal of dedication and hard work.

Manufacturing
There is a fantastic number of products manufactured for the use and consumption of the canine population. This is a multi-million dollar field which ranges from dog food, dog equipment, dog medicine, to dog toys. It is big business which offers well-paying jobs for people in all areas—sales, production, research, advertising, and management.

Dog Walking
Don't laugh, this is good temporary type work for an individual desiring extra income in his free time. Dog-owning apartment dwellers who work make excellent clients; in a large building, there may be more than enough dogs to keep one dog walker busy. An enterprising person might even hire others to handle other buildings and develop a thriving enterprise. In New York, for a variety of reasons, dog walking has become quite a successful business. Other metropolitan areas should also present such a business opportunity. Requirements for such an occupation: enjoyment of outdoor work in all weather conditions, a liking for dogs, reliability, and honesty. Here is a career that could be handled by a capable person of any age, teenager to senior citizen.

Typing Dog Pedigrees
Here we have a career that makes very few demands as far as commitment to dogs. For the person who can type neatly and accurately, typing pedigrees can be a profitable sideline. Virtually all breeders present their puppies to their new owners with a nicely completed pedigree, and most breeders don't have the time to do this laborious chore themselves. By advertising in magazines such as Dog World or Popular Dogs, you may be able to start a modest endeavor.