Dog training is a unique profession. Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, regardless of their level of
experience, methods, or skill. Search online for dog trainers and you'll find a wide and confusing
assortment of certified pet dog trainers, master dog trainers, behavior specialists, behaviorists, and other
canine experts.
So what does it all mean? How can you choose the best trainer for your dog?
First of all, no trainer is required to be certified in any way to be a dog trainer. A "certified" trainer is not
necessarily better or more experienced than a trainer who has no certification. Someone who's been
training for 20 years isn't necessarily better than someone just starting out. After all, they may have been
making the same mistakes for 20 years. On the flip side, a "newbie" trainer should not be handling
aggression or other serious behavior problems where the dog's life could literally be on the line without
previous professional experience in handling such cases.
How do trainers learn? Is there a school for dog trainers?
Many trainers acquire their knowledge the old-fashioned way through hands-on internships or
apprenticeships with established trainers. Some trainers learn by working in animal shelters, doggie
daycares, or boarding kennels. Most reputable trainers then further their education by attending seminars
and conferences and networking with other trainers.
There are several organizations that offer certification for trainers who meet experience qualifications
and/or pass an examination but becoming certified through these organizations is completely voluntary.
There are actual "schools for dog trainers" around the country but these vary widely in methods and quality.
Finally, there are "study-at-home" programs that offer "certification" in as little as 6 weeks, but these
programs are not nationally recognized and only reflect the methods and quality of the schools themselves.
Titles and certifications? What do they mean?
A trainer can pretty much call themselves whatever they want with the exception of the term "behaviorist"
and some titles offered by certifying organizations (such as "Certified Pet Dog Trainer").
The term "behaviorist" means the person is actually a veterinarian who has completed a residency in
veterinary animal behavior. Most veterinarians are not veterinary behaviorists. Watch out! Some dog
trainers actually use this term to describe themselves which is very misleading and wrong.
If a trainer is certified, ask about the certifying organization. Some require minimum years experience
and/or the passing of an examination; others offer "certification" at the completion of a couple week
course.
Choose a trainer that trains what you want.
If you are looking to teach your puppy not to jump on you and not to piddle in the house, a trainer who
specializes in police and protection dogs may not be a good match. If you want to compete in agility,
asking a trainer who's never even competed in the sport to evaluate your dog is not a good match.
Ask the trainer you are interested in what he/she specializes in - pet dogs, puppies, aggression, dog
sports, protection work, etc. Then choose a trainer whose speciality meets your needs.
Do research and ask questions! Don't be afraid - this is your dog. You have to live with him/her
everyday and correcting mistakes from choosing a bad trainer can be very difficult.
 | Look for a trainer who uses positive reinforcement training and rewards dogs for doing the right | |
| thing rather than punishing incorrect responses. Beware of trainers who claim to employ positive methods but use corrections such as collar or leash jerks, physically pushing dogs into position, or considers using treats "bribery". |
| Look for a trainer with a solid knowledge of positive reinforcement methods as well as behavior | |
| modification techniques like counterconditioning and desensitization and can explain how to apply these techniques in your dog's situation. Using vague terms like dominance or dog psychology to explain behavior problems generally points to a lack of solid behavior knowledge. Watch out for trainers who become argumentative, defensive, or evasive when asked about their methods. |
| Look for a trainer who has the ability to work with difficult dogs. If a trainer has only worked with | |
| puppies or "easy dogs" she may not be able work with a dog who is difficult to motivate or able to handle a tough case of separation anxiety, housetraining issues, or aggression. A good trainer should be persistent and will try different approaches if one method doesn't seem to work with a particular dog. |
| Ask about the trainer's experience. How long has she been training? What memberships or | |
| certifications does she have? Ideally, a trainer has years of professional hands-on experience and is a member of several training organizations. Watch out for trainers whose only experience is being around dogs their whole lives or training their own dogs. This hardly qualifies someone to offer behavior advice. |
| A good trainer will give you an honest assessment of your dog and will refer you to another trainer if | |
| she feels she is not qualified to handle your dog's case. |
| An ethical trainer will never give an assessment of or a determination about a dog's behavior over | |
| the phone or email. Behavior is often misunderstood or misinterpreted by owners and trainers need to evaluate dogs in person to make a sound assessment. Likewise, no reputable trainer should recommend euthanasia without seeing the dog. |
| When calling around for a trainer, do not expect trainers to give out detailed free advice over the | |
| phone. After all, we trainers need to make a living! But, a trainer should be willing to give you a general idea of how she would address your dog's issue, the types of skills she would teach your dog, and if she has successfully worked with similar issues in the past. |
| Observe a group class before signing up. Do the dogs and owners look like they are having a good | |
| time? Do you like how the trainer handles the class? Talk to a few students about their experiences. If you are not allowed to watch a class before enrolling, this is a red flag - don't sign up and look elsewhere! Also look at the student to instructor ratio. Avoid classes that are too full - 8 or more students per instructor or assistant - or classes that are in so small a space you cannot get more than 4 feet from another dog. |
| Don't be afraid to tell a trainer to stop if she is doing something you don't like to your dog. Before | |
| working with your dog herself, a trainer should always throughly explain what she will be doing. |
| Avoid trainers who guarantee specific results. A dog is not a toaster or a vacuum - he is a living | |
| breathing being and no one, not a even a great trainer, can guarantee the results of her training. So many factors influence behavior: genetics, environment, health, owner's consistency with training, owner's training ability, stress levels, and breed traits to name a few. A trainer who offers guarantees either doesn't understand the complexity of canine behavior or chooses to ignore it. |
| Also avoid trainers who offer "quick fixes" for serious behavior problems. Although there are | |
| occasionally simple things you can do to improve your dog's behavior, in the long run quick fixes usually don't work. |
| Good trainers should not be "breedists". While most trainers have a favorite breed or two, it should | |
| not affect the way the trainer feels about your dog's breed or the way she works with your dog. Avoid trainers who refuse to work with a dog based on breed alone, who make broad (often negative) generalizations about breeds such as "all Pit Bulls are dangerous" or "all Jack Russells are hyper" or who consistently single out a specific breed in class for praise and attention. |
| Look for a trainer who is friendly and approachable. You should feel comfortable talking to the | |
| trainer and asking questions. Good trainers should treat both dogs and humans with respect. Avoid trainers who take an "I'm the boss" attitude with dogs, who talk down to you or are demeaning, or try to confuse you with tons of technical behavior jargon. |
| Look for a trainer who has a genuine interest in your situation, asks lots of questions, and who | |
| enjoys petting and interacting with your dog (the exception to the latter is when working with an aggression case or a fearful dog). |
| Avoid trainers who use E-collars (electric shock collars - and watch out for euphemisms such as | |
| "stim" or "tap" or "remote training"). Using this equipment means you are SHOCKING your dog. Avoid trainers who consider food rewards to be bribery. At Pawsitive Results, we are aware that with some tools it is not necessarily the tool themselves but how they are used (or misused) that is the problem. Nonetheless we are not fans of, nor do we use, choke chain collars or prong/pinch collars in our training. |
| Training should be fun and should NEVER include methods that inflict pain or fear such as Alpha | |
| rolls, scruff shakes, hanging, finger poking, yelling, kicking, leash jerks and corrections, or hitting. |
| How do you feel about the training? You probably don't have the training experience, handling | |
| skills, or knowledge of canine behavior that the trainer has but does what the trainer is saying or doing make sense to you? Does anything the trainer suggest make you feel uncomfortable? If so, ask questions - a lot of questions! How do you feel, on a gut level, about the methods the trainer is showing you? If your dog responds but you don't like what you have to do to him/her to get that response, don't do it! Don't do anything to your dog that may jeopardize the relationship you share. |
