How to choose a dog trainer

Choosing the right trainer for you and your dog

You love your dog. You want the best for them—the healthiest food, the tastiest treats, the softest beds. 

You want the best dog trainer, too, but with so much conflicting information and advice swirling around out there, how do you choose? Especially if you have a dog that's been labeled "difficult", you've worked with one or two trainers already, and didn't see the results you hoped for... If this is you, I promise you're not alone.

2 things you should know 

1. Dog training is an unregulated industry 

Unlike your doctor, lawyer, and CPA, dog trainers have no official regulating body. That means no required education, no enforced best practices, and no ethics oversight. The dog training industry hasn’t yet matured out of its Wild West phase.

The results are vast variations in dog trainers’ skills, knowledge, and methodologies–and a confusing chaos of advice. (Think doctors before the medical board existed to ban leeches, or attorneys before the bar formed to hold professionals accountable for ethics violations.)

2. Welfare-first training matters

If the trainer does not consider your dog's welfare first (and yours, of course!) in their approach to changing behavior, they are not the jedi (erm, I mean, behavior professional...) you're looking for. A lot of trainers will put a metaphorical bandaid on a behavioral wound that needs stitches.

If a trainer intentionally inflicts pain or discomfort on a dog--especially as a first resort--to change their behavior, be wary. Behavior does not disappear when it is suppressed--it shows up in other ways. Some of them moderate and unproblematic (for the human...), and others that are extremely inconvenient and/or unpleasant for both human and dog.

The sad truth is that these "bandaid" solutions are so widely implemented that people assume they do no harm when the opposite couldn't be more true. You're looking for a well-educated trainer that looks at the whole dog: who they are as an individual and what they need to live their best life with you.

3 tips for screening a professional dog trainer

1. Listen to language

In an unregulated industry, language matters. Hire a dog trainer who considers your dog as a unique individual with species and breed-specific needs. Beware of words like "alpha" and "dominance". Well-educated trainers know that so-called "alpha theory" was debunked long ago (read an article about that here: https://news.asu.edu/20210805-discoveries-myth-alpha-dog) and it's okay for our communication with dogs to go two ways--they listen to us sometimes, and we're allowed to listen to them without worrying that we're "giving in" or letting them become "dominant".

2. Beware training guarantees--especially in complex behavior cases

While dog training has great capacity to change dog and human lives for the better, and lots of progress can be made more often than not, guarantees for behavioral outcomes without knowing the full extent of a dog's circumstances and capabilities show that a trainer does not see dogs as the complex creatures that they are. Many trainers make guarantees for no other reason than that they want to sell their services. Look for a dog trainer that wants to help their clients and not just sell services.

3. Look for credentials

Professional learning isn’t yet required, but true professional dog trainers seek it out—because you and your dog deserve effective methods that also do no harm. 

Dog trainers graduated from places like Karen Pryor Academy (look for the label KPA-CTP) have completed a cutting edge course of study covering canine learning theory, training protocols, mechanical skills, and behavioral problem solving. And the best pro trainers commit themselves to ongoing professional development, seeking each year to keep their skills and knowledge current--in fact, most independent certifying bodies require it!

And 1 more thing…

Your dog trainer should be dog and people-friendly

You deserve to feel comfortable, heard, and supported by your dog trainer—never criticized or judged. Your dog trainer should be actively engaged with you and your dog, and as invested in your training success as you are. 

And though dog training takes time and effort, you and your dog should both enjoy the process. Training can—and should be—fun.

In short, if the relationship doesn’t feel right, trust your gut and keep looking.

Ready to take your next step toward finding the right trainer?

If you’re ready for a professional dog trainer dedicated to the best possible results for you and your dog, I can't wait to hear from you.

Click here if you're ready for the right dog trainer!