How to Choose a Dog Trainer
As with any service you need, there is seemingly an endless choice of dog trainers to choose from. It can be daunting trying to select the best trainer for you and your dog. Do you choose a local trainer who offers in-person classes? Or maybe someone further afield who teaches virtually? What exactly is value for money? How do you know if the trainer even knows what they’re doing? It’s a shopping list of questions that can be overwhelming, especially with all of the other things you need to think about when you have a dog.
So, let’s dive right in and try to streamline the process a little bit. Here are some things to think about and look for so you can find a quality trainer.
The dog training industry
The first thing you really need to know is that dog training as an industry is completely unregulated. This means that anybody is able to call themselves a dog trainer and take on clients without any minimum level of training, education, qualifications or experience. Unfortunately, as this isn’t a widely known fact, unqualified trainers often end up taking on unsuspecting clients and doing more harm than good.
Industry bodies
Now that you know not all trainers are created equal, let’s work out how to spot the good ones. While there isn’t any kind of central regulation in the industry, there are a number of membership organisations that dog trainers can join, which means that the dog training community as a whole almost regulates itself. That’s because these membership organisations have strict joining criteria, requiring members to demonstrate a minimum level of theoretical knowledge and practical proficiency. Organisations to look out for include:
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but looking for trainers who are accredited with or trained by these organisations is generally a good starting point.
Reward based training
The vast majority of modern dog trainers practice reward-based, positive, force-free training. This is widely seen as the most ethical and humane method of dog training, which is backed by scientific research. This means that they don’t use methods such as punishment (hitting, tapping, shouting), aversive equipment (shock collars, choke chains) or outdated dominance techniques (trying to be the alpha dog, growling at the dog, pinning the dog down). All of these things can be frightening and traumatic for a dog and can have long-lasting consequences.
Reward-based training involves (you guessed it) rewarding the dog when they do something we want them to do, setting them up for success by training behaviours in manageable layers and learning to read and respond appropriately to their needs via body language. A great breakdown of the basics of reward-based training can be found on the Dog’s Trust website.
When you’re searching for a trainer, read the language they use on their website. If they talk about using positive, ethical, force-free, reward-based methods, chances are they are worth exploring further. Some trainers use what is commonly referred to as ‘balanced methods’, meaning they employ both reward-based and punishment techniques. While in most cases, balance is something to aim for, that isn’t the case when it comes to dog training. Even when employed side-by-side with reward-based methods, all of the trauma and fall out that come from punishment still exist in balanced training. Celebrity dog trainer Victoria Stillwell explains the cons of balanced training perfectly in her blog.
Check out reviews
We live in a world where everybody reviews everything. Take a look at reviews on Facebook and Google to get a flavour of what people are saying about the dog trainer. Reach out to people directly and ask questions about their experience – social media is supposed to be social after all! Ask what kind of methods the trainer used, how many people were in their classes, how did they feel working with the trainer, was their dog comfortable, etc.
Every so often, you might happen across a new trainer who has recently started and maybe doesn’t have so many reviews yet. Don’t let this be a red flag in and of itself (we all start somewhere!). Instead, look out for some of the other criteria we’ve already talked about above.
Shadow classes
Any trainer worth their salt should have no issue with you coming along to observe a class before committing to training. This can be especially helpful in cases where a trainer might be new and not have so many reviews to go on. Things to look out for when you’re shadowing:
How many people are in the class? As a rule of thumb, 6-8 participants to a trainer is ideal. Any more than this, I would typically expect to see assistants helping as well.
Do the dogs seem comfortable? Do they have adequate space? Do they have access to water? (Most participants in a class usually bring their own, but I’d always expect water to be available just in case someone forgets).
Is anybody using aversive equipment such as choke chains, slip leads, anti-barking collars? An ethical trainer typically wouldn’t allow these items in a class and would have alternative equipment at the ready.
Are the trainer’s instructions clear? Do they offer equal support to everyone in the room? Are participants comfortable asking questions? Does the trainer read and respond to the dog’s body language and teach owners how to do the same?
Professionalism
Ultimately, dog training is a business and like all businesses, you’d expect the trainer to have done a certain amount of due diligence. Do they have the correct insurance in place? As a minimum you’d expect them to have public liability insurance, plus optional extras depending on the type of services they’re offering. Do they have a first-aid qualification, both human and canine? Have they prepared risk assessments to mitigate the possibility of any injuries?
Of course, you’d hope to never need to use a trainer’s insurance or first aid skills but having these things in place signals that they take their business seriously and understand that there are risks involved.
