Dog Advice Topic: How to Choose a Trainer

Bella,
I'm about to get a dog and started researching trainers because I know how important it is to start training right away but there are so many and there doesn't seem to be any sort of standard to judge how good a trainer is. What should I look for?
-Overwhelmed in Oak Park

OiOP,
Well, my personal opinion is that the best trainer is the one that gives me the most treats and belly rubs but I don't really have an objective point of view so I'm going to throw this one over to Lisa.

Thanks, Bella. OiOP, you are right. It is very daunting to start searching for a trainer. There isn't a widely accepted standard of learning that someone has to go through to call themselves a dog trainer. Basically anyone can say it. The certification I have requires many hours of experience in both group classes and individual behavioral work, references from clients and colleagues and culminates in a day long test. The CPDT is probably the most widely accepted certification but again it is nowhere near a standard compared to what other professions such as doctors, accountants and lawyers have.

The best way to judge a trainer is to talk to them and observe their training techniques. Ask them about their experience. Don't expect them to give you free advice but they should be able to give you a little time to explain where they come from and how long they have been training. Go observe one night of a class. If they don't allow that then do not train with them. See how you feel about their techniques. Look at how the other students are responding to the class. If they don't look happy and like they are having fun then you don't want to train there. The dogs should be responding well and the people should not look stressed. Dog training can be fun! Also ask some of the students before or after class what they think. People and dogs do have random bad days but in general they should be happy with the training.

You can ask other animal professionals (vets, breeders, groomers...) who they recommend but take it with a grain of salt. Often these people don't investigate the facilities on their own. They may have referred to the same person for many years even though that person is now very outdated in their techniques. Before I got started training as a profession I asked my vet (one of the largest in the city) for a recommendation of a trainer. I went to this person for quite a few sessions before realizing that I left every meeting literally wanting to cry. She got ok results with my dogs but that is usually the easy part. A good pet dog trainer realizes that they are training the people to train the dogs so they need people skills in addition to dog skills.

The bottom line is that all the certifications, degrees and years of experience won't help if you feel bad after each session and therefore don't follow through on the training. If you feel comfortable with a trainer as a person and also with the results they get with your dog then they are a good trainer so trust yourself!

And that's the bark on the street!
Bark up!
Bella

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