HOW TO CHOOSE A DOG TRAINER by 4 Paws University

Dog training is an unregulated industry. That means anyone, and we mean anyone, can advertise as a dog trainer and even aggression specialist. They do not have to have a special license, certification or any training whatsoever. It could be your neighbor who thinks they are good with dogs because they’ve owned two or three dogs that were relatively well-behaved. It could be a groomer who is an avid viewer of dog shows on television and seeks to emulate what they see.

We hope this guide will help dog owners find a professional who is right for them and their dog and avoid those trainers who are unethical and even dangerous.

Why It Matters

Many of my clients have worked with other trainers before coming to 4Paws. The following incidents by local trainers are based on their reports, as well as reports given to local shelters and humane societies:

• A 5 month-old puppy suffered tracheal damage from a prong/pinch collar by a boarding facility who claimed the puppy was very “dominant.” When the puppy returned for more training at 8 months old, it required medical treatment for burn marks to his neck from a shock collar.
• A dog was returned to its owner with a broken leg after being boarded for “doggie boot camp.” The same trainer was later in the news for losing a dog in his care.
• A popular group class instructor marched a fearful dog around the class, “correcting” it harshly with the leash while the dog screamed. She claimed the dog was “just being a baby.”
• The owner of an 8 week-old Beagle puppy was instructed to “correct” the puppy on a choke chain for barking.
• A dog was left in a crate the lobby of a boarding facility with a shock collar for “barrier aggression.” Any time a person passed by the crate, the dog would bark and receive shocks. The dog was observed to be exhibiting signs of extreme stress.
• A young dog returned to its owner with scabs left by a prong collar after being boarded for a “doggie boot camp.”

There are thousands of these stories being told to other professionals and humane societies throughout the country. Unfortunately, the vast majority of cases are never even investigated for animal cruelty. In all of the cases above, the trainers are still in business in the Sacramento area.

Trainers, Consultants and Behaviorists, Oh My!

The term “trainer” has become an umbrella for a wide range of professions and experience, not all of which are appropriate for all problems and not all trainers are knowledgeable in all areas of training and behavior.  You would not go to an optometrist for a heart condition, or a cardiologist for new corrective lenses, and yet they are both doctors.  Within each profession there are specialists and choosing the right specialist can make all the difference.

With the exception of veterinary behaviorists and specific certifications offered by professional organizations, there are few, if any regulations about who can call themselves a trainer or a behaviorist.  The following are the most commonly accepted titles by responsible professionals.

Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed and Knowledge & Skills Assessed
(CPDT-KA/CPDT-KSA): A CPDT-KA has met minimum requirements as an obedience instructor (including a minimum length of training experience), has passed a certifying examination on learning theory, instructor skills, husbandry and training equipment and is required to meet a minimum of continuing education every two years. A CPDT-KSA (Knowledge & Skills Assessed) has passed an additional certification process requiring evidence of training skills and is required to maintain additional continuing education credits. These requirements are set by theCertification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.

Scam Alert: “Certified professional dog trainer” without the KA or KSA designation is not recognized by any independent certifying body.

Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB):  This certification requires minimum standards of education, experience and ethics. Most certified behaviorists hold a PhD or other advanced degree in behavior. Many behaviorists work in universities and conduct the studies that provide the information trainers and behavior consultants need to understand canine behavior. There are fewer than 60 certified behaviorists in the US.

Veterinary Behaviorist (DACVB): To be a veterinary behaviorist one must be inducted into the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) which requires an approved residency training program in veterinary animal behavior, and a certifying examination. A veterinary behaviorist is often most helpful for dogs with neurological or other medical problems that may be causing or contributing to the behavior and/or when medications accompany a behavior modification program. Most veterinarians are not veterinary behaviorists and have received little, if any, formal training in behavior.

Scam Alert: “Behaviorist” as a general term is not indicative of education or experience.

Master Dog Trainer, dog psychologist, behaviorist, and behavioralist are all terms which anyone may apply to themselves without regulation.  CAUTION: Some dog trainers falsely advertise that they hold professional memberships and/or certifications. Certifications and memberships are easy to verify on the certifying organization’s website.

Types of Training

Now that we have broken down the types of training professionals, it is also important for dog owners to understand the types of training methods, as the wrong approach can be more damaging than no training at all.

Dominance. Dominance methods rely on the use of aversives such as choke chains (also known as training collars), prong collars, shock collars and “corrections” on flat collars. These trainers tend to use dominance as an explanation of and solution for problem behaviors and often claim to not use treats or “food bribery.”

Positive methods are based on operant conditioning, the science of how animals learn. Positive reinforcement trainers focus on prevention of problem behaviors while rewarding more desirable behaviors from the dog. Rewards can be food, play or affection, whatever the dog is motivated by.

Balanced. Some trainers claim to use a combination of methods as an attempt to appear more flexible, claiming they do not take a “one size fits all” approach to training. While this appeals to most dog owners (since no one wants to be closed-minded and balance is usually good), these trainers most often fall under the dominance category.

Sport/Specialized trainers are those that focus primarily on one sport, like agility, flyball, canine freestyle, herding, Schutzhund and working dogs like search and rescue or assistance dogs. These trainers are specialists in their field, although their knowledge and expertise does not always extend to behavior problems.

Read more about training methods

The Interview

No matter what the type of service or the methods and tools used, there are good and bad professionals everywhere. The tool or method is only as good as the operator and their ability to teach the dog owner how to use them effectively and humanely!

Personality differences can also create a problem in your training program. If you and your trainer do not communicate well or get along personally it could create problems down the line.

We recommend including the following questions in your interview:

• Where did you learn to be a trainer?
• What book(s) do you recommend?
• What certifications do you hold?
• What was the last seminar/workshop you attended?
• What is your training philosophy?

The trainer should be able and willing to answer these questions in a way that you can understand.

Red Flags

The following responses during the interview process might be cause for concern and require further examination:

Dominance/Leadership is cited as cause and/or solution.

Dominance has long been debunked as an accurate or effective definition of behavior problems, although it is still prevalent with trainers who have not furthered their education of behavior. “Establishing dominance” is often a euphemism for physical and sometimes harmful methods that temporarily suppress a problem behavior.

“Dog Psychology” is neither a method nor a science. It is a catchphrase popularized on a television show and is being picked up by dog trainers hoping to profit off of the show’s success. It is not proof of knowledge, skill or experience.

Refuses to answer or becomes argumentative/combative when asked about methods or training tools.

A reputable trainer has nothing to hide.  The fact is that there are no secrets when it comes to dog training, so a trainer or behavior consultant should be willing – and able – to explain what they do and how they do it.

Makes a determination about behavior problems and/or suggests punishment or euthanasia without seeing the dog in person.

Behavior problems in dogs are frequently misunderstood or mislabeled by owners and cannot be determined based on a description over the phone or internet.

Claims to use positive reinforcement but not food rewards.

Often a claim made by trainers who lack a basic working knowledge of positive methods. Some trainers are using the term positive reinforcement to describe the praise they use after they have used compulsive methods to get the dog to perform a behavior. What they are using is positive punishment and negative reinforcement, not positive reinforcement.

A good reward-based training program incorporates many types of rewards other than just food.  However, some dogs aren’t going to be motivated by play or praise.  On the other hand, I have also worked with some dogs that will turn down a hot dog if a tennis ball is an option and others that will snub the ball for an ear rub. If you mow my lawn and I give you a box of black licorice as payment, are you going to find that rewarding?  If you’re me (I love black licorice), you might.  But if you find the taste of black licorice to be absolutely disgusting, that’s not much of a reward, is it?  Being ready and willing to use the rewards preferred by the individual dog is true positive reinforcement.

Claims to specialize in difficult to train breeds or stubborn dogs.

While different breeds of dogs do vary in what motivates them, this claim indicates a lack of understanding of behavior and how to motivate a variety of breeds to work and an excuse for harsh, physical methods.

Only qualifications: Living with dogs

While some long-time dog enthusiasts do pick up valuable knowledge and techniques from being around dogs, this does not necessarily qualify them to address all training or behavior problems any more than being around humans your whole life qualifies you to address behavior problems in humans.  Further, one’s individual experience with a select number of dogs and breeds may not transfer to all breeds or situations.

Offers guarantees regarding the outcome of training.

Professional organizations such as the APDT, CCPDT and IAABC restrict their members from offering guarantees because there are too many factors to be able to guarantee the outcome. A dog’s genetics, early socialization, past experiences and duration of the behavior, plus the dog owner’s ability and willingness to comply with a training or behavior program all play a significant role in the success of a program. None of these factors can be controlled by the trainer and so to guarantee an outcome would be unethical.

Making Your Decision

When you finally make your decision, it should be based on the trainer’s methods, experience and knowledge.

Do not make your choice based on convenience, price or claims that the trainer knows or is just like a television personality or that there is no one else like them. There are no secrets in dog training or new, revolutionary methods, no matter what anyone says.

Final Note

You should have a basic understanding of the types of trainers, titles and training methods before choosing a trainer.  Because if things go wrong you will have little to no recourse, as there are no public agencies regulating the industry.

Doing a little research in the beginning will go a long way to helping you meet your training and behavior goals and protecting yourself and your dog.