How To Choose a Dog Trainer
Get Your Background Information
Unfortunately, the dog behavior field is still unregulated (though there is movement to change that) and anyone can call themselves a dog trainer or whisperer or whatever other title they think sounds good and charge money for services. Before you start your search, here is some excellent background information to keep in mind:
American Veterinary Society on Animal Behavior’s Position Statement on Humane Dog Training
“Evidence supports the use of reward based methods for all canine training. AVSAB promotes interactions with animals based on compassion, respect, and scientific evidence. Based on these factors, reward-based learning offers the most advantages and least harm to the learner’s welfare. Research supports the efficacy of reward-based training to address unwanted and challenging behaviors. There is no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behavior modification.”
Fear Free Pets: How to Choose a Trainer Who Won’t Harm Your Pet
“Anyone can call themselves an animal trainer, and some claim to have credentials that aren’t worth the website they’re printed on. What can a pet owner do? In this video, you’ll learn how to spot the red flags that mean a trainer is likely to harm your pet and even damage the relationship between you and your pet. You’ll also get tips on how to find a qualified trainer who uses scientifically-based and compassionate methods.”
Jean Donaldson Illustrated by Lili Chin: Be a Smart Dog Training Consumer
“Ask: What exactly will happen to my dog if my dog gets it right? What exactly will happen to my dog if my dog gets it wrong? Are there less invasive/aversive alternatives to what you propose? If you don’t get clear, concrete answers or are at all uncomfortable, keep shopping.”
Still want more? Check out Ethics in Animal Care’s collection of research, position statements from experts and leadership bodies, and well written explanations of methods and more. This post on red flag language to look for is also a worthwhile read.
Qualifications
This should be your jumping off point when kicking off your search for a trainer to work with you and your dog. You want a trainer with respected industry standard credentials at a level that meets your dog’s behavior needs. If you are looking for basic training and help with lower level behavior issues, a certified dog trainer might be a great fit. If your dog has more serious behavior issues, look for a certified dog behavior consultant or potentially even a board certified veterinary behaviorist. We also recommend working with a CSAT specialist for moderate to severe separation anxiety issues due to the nature of the support needed for that behavior. Where do you find these credentialed professionals?
CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE TAKEN FORCE FREE PLEDGES
CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE TAKEN LIMA BASED PLEDGES
VETERINARY BEHAVIORISTS
SEPARATION ANXIETY SPECIALISTS
Relationship
The final piece of the puzzle is making sure you and your dog work well with the trainer you choose and that the trainer seems ethical in their communication and practices. While you don’t have to be best friends with your dog trainer, you also don’t want a working relationship that feels like oil and water. As with all of our relationships, sometimes we don’t click well with someone else and that’s okay! You should feel comfortable being honest with your trainer and working in partnership with them on your dog’s behavior.
You should also feel that your trainer is being honest with you and compassionate towards you and your dog. They should be able to explain what they recommend and why. They should be honest about expectations and the work it will take to meet them. An honest, educated, ethical trainer knows better than to offer guarantees or minimize behaviors. But even when the conversations are tough, the communication should be respectful. And when things are going well, even with those tough behaviors, training should be fun and make you feel good about your dog!
