Did you know that anyone, and I mean anyone, can call herself a 'Dog Trainer?   The field is completely unregulated, with no licensure, educational or legal requirements: however, there are efforts to improve this, such as The Alliance for Professionalism in Dog Training.  This would be a huge step in the right direction, but until then, it is crucial that you carefully vet all trainers by ensuring they are ethical, educated and have the expertise and experience needed to address your specific goals.    

 

Pay attention to the language the trainers use, particularly the ones below.

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• Effectiveness is not enough:   I can hold a gun to your head and get you to do pretty much anything.  Very effective.  But is this ethical?  Electric Shock collars may serve to suppress behavior, but at a great physical and emotional cost to the dog and your relationship.  Every technique needs to be ethical - first and foremost.  Fortunately, gentle, humane and positive techniques are the most effective, for both your dog and relationship.

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• Certifications:    Anyone can say they are certified but by whom?  All these letters can be confusing - below are some of the most common internationally recognized certifications:

  • Council for Certified Professional Dog Training  offers dog training and behavior consultant certifications, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA

  • International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants  offers dog behavior certifications, CDBC. 

  • Animal Behavior Society offers doctoral level certifications, CAAB

  • American College of Veterinary Behaviorists   is the certifying board for behavior veterinarians, DACVB  

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• Educational Credentials:  Certifications should be evaluated along  with general education,  continuing education and areas of expertise such as separation anxiety, families with dogs, aggression, nutrition, etc. 

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• Look out for the language of the trainers, including:

  • Trainers who emphasize 'dominance' or being a 'pack leader' generally base their methods on discredited theories of dog behavior, serving to justify harsh training methods such as jerking on the leash ('corrections'), using choke, electric, vibrating, citronella or pronged collars, or other aversive equipment - which are not only cruel, but leave dogs stressed, fearful, and at greater risk of aggressive behaviors.  

  • Trainers that use the word "balanced" may sound gentle, but this is simply means that they rely on positive and negative techniques, as those mentioned above.  

  • Beware of trainers that put too much emphasis on 'breeds', rather than behavior.   Although genetic predispositions play a role in evaluating the dog, the the principles and laws of animal behavior apply to (you guessed it) all animals - humans included.  Therefore, be weary of trainers who suggest that the principles of animal behavior, or methods, somehow do not apply to certain breeds, such as German Sheppards or Pit Bulls.

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• Board and Train Programs:   Would you expect your child to be shipped off for a few weeks then come back trained?  Of course not,  so we cannot expect that of our dogs.   We are their guardians, and we need to learn how to interact kindly and effectively throughout our lives together.  Many (not all) board and train programs depend on aversive methods (shock collars, choke collars, etc.) - which serve only to suppress behaviors rather than identify and resolve the underlying cause of the behavior (fear, pain, boredom, ineffective training methods, etc.).  Learning is lifelong, and is ONLY achieved through humane and effective methods with their own guardians and in their own environments.