Why do women dominate the dog training field?
Over on my blog I have started a series called "The Real Man's Guide to Dog Training." The intent of the series is to use how and why I began a dog trainer as a way to explain basic training concepts, juxtapose them with many common myths about dogs and dog behavior, and hopefully attract some men to dog-friendly dog training.
In the first chapter I brought up the fact women far outnumber men in the dog training field and how I find this rather puzzling. This question was interesting enough that one commenter expressed disappointment that I didn't try to answer it in the second post.
Problem is, I don't have an answer!
He suggested one possibility: dog training doesn't pay too well and it is easier for someone in a household that already has another stable income to pursue a less lucrative career. (Before anyone hunts the guy down, he admitted it's a sexist argument.)
I countered that I know of many very successful women, some "famous," others not, that are running thriving businesses. I had some ideas of my own:
- All things being equal, a woman's body language is more dog-friendly than a man's. Most men have to work harder to be equal handlers while women became better trainers faster and are more apt to stick with it.
- Girls are "allowed" to be more empathetic than boys. This makes them more open to careers like animal training that may not pay the bills as well, but are ultimately more rewarding.
- Men tend to gravitate toward Cesar's style of training and his ideas. Meanwhile, more than 90% of the people that seek out dog training help are women, and they will most likely prefer a women's methods.
It's the first half of that third argument that "The Real Man's Guide to Dog Training" is trying to address.
Anyway, I want to put the question to the Dog Star Daily audience: why are there so many more women than man in dog training?
