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How to Find a Dog Trainer

Corey Childs

Updated: Jan 26

Just search for dog trainers near you and you will quickly realize that finding a good trainer can be more complicated than you would think. With so many options, with their own experience, offerings, and philosophy; where do you even begin?




What type of trainer do you need?


A simple starting point could be figuring out what TYPE of trainer you are looking for.


There are three primary titles you will hear: Trainer, Behaviorist, and Veterinary Behaviorist.  

  

Pretty much anyone can call themselves a trainer or behaviorist, and in many ways they are used interchangeably, or at least with very little consistency. You want to find someone accredited through a reputable organization, which I go through shortly, but these are going to be the right fit for the majority of people.  

  

Your other option is a veterinary behaviorist, which as the title implies, is a certified veterinarian with additional education in training and behavior modification. They are highly qualified to diagnose behavioral problems, and can also prescribe medication.  

  

Veterinary Behaviorist tend to be harder to find, and more expensive. Often they are consulted for more severe or abnormal cases, or ones where medicinal assistance may be helpful. Think severe anxiety, ocd, aggression, things like that. It's not uncommon for a trainer to refer clients to Veterinary Behaviorists if they think it's warranted, so when in doubt, you could consult with a qualified trainer first.


Like doctors, there are also trainers who specialize in specific issues such as aggression, separation anxiety, and others. If you have a specific issue, it's worth considering looking for a specialist in more extreme cases.


Let the search begin!


After you figure out what type of trainer you are looking for, the search can begin.


Checking that a trainer has accreditation through a reputable organization is an important next step in trusting their advice. Although it's not a guarantee of their expertise; it shows a certain baseline level of knowledge, skill, and experience. These organizations qualify trainers through testing and skill evaluations, and also hold them accountable to a "Least intrusive, minimally aversive" (LIMA) training philosophy. Which is to say that they should be using the least aversive methods possible for any given issue. They also provide an avenue for complaints if there are any issues.


Generally, trainers will list their credentials as a string of letters following their name. For me, that's: Corey Childs CPDT-KA, EATM. Each organization has at least one, and often multiple different accreditations. If you don't see that, check their website or social profiles.


All of these organizations should also have a searchable directory to both find trainers, as well as verify any claims. Many trainers work virtually as well as in-person, so you no longer have to limit yourself to your local area unless you are specifically looking for that in-person help.


What are reputable organizations and accreditations?


Common organizations and accreditations you may see include the include:


In the United States


Professional Dog Trainer


ACVB, Diplomat, PhD, DVM


AVSAB, PhD, DVM


CAAB: Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist


CATCH


CPDT-KA, CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA


IAABC-ADT


KPA CTP


PPAB, CTT-A, PCT-A, PCBC-A


In the United Kingdom


APBC, CAB, VB


TCBTS, CAB, ATI,


COAPE


CADT, CDT, SDT, PDTI, MPDTI


BIPDT


PPAB, CTT-A, PCT-A, PCBC-A


In Australia


ANZCVS, DVM, VB, AVB


PPAB, CTT-A, PCT-A, PCBC-A


DELTA, TAFE SA


It's important to note that this list may not be fully comprehensive. Rather, it reflects organizations which I'm either familiar with, or that come highly recommended by industry professionals.


There are also membership organizations related to training such as the United States branch of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). But there is no certification requirements (depending on the country) to be a member. Anyone can join. So while it shows interest in education and professionalism, it doesn't actually prove anything.


A good trainer should also feel comfortable referring you to, reaching out to, and working with other trainers and veterinarians when warranted.


The next step is asking good questions.


Once you find a trainer you are interest in, the next step is to look at their website and likely even reach out to them directly. You want to insure that trainers methods and ideology align with what you are comfortable with. For example, while I use a wide range of techniques, my philosophy is that they are free from pain, fear, or intimidation.

  

Some good questions to ask are:  

  

What are their formal education and credentials, and what sort of continuing education do they do?  

- Reputable accreditations require on-going and up to date education to keep it.

  

What happens if my dog gets something right? And what happens if my dog gets something wrong?

- While "what techniques do you use" is a little ambiguous and depends highly on the dog, you can instead ask questions like these.


What sort of equipment do you use?

- For me, prong collars, shock or e-collars, choke chains, or other such equipment are red flags.

  

You may ask what scientific evidence they have to support any specific claims made about behavior. Especially if you are hesitant about them.

- A reputable trainer should be able to easily talk about operant and classical conditioning, conditioned emotional responses, the quadrants of operant conditioning, and much more. Don't expect them to give you a seminar on behavior modification, but scientific knowledge is important. I also don't expect YOU to know what those things are! If anything, they should explain concepts they talk about if you are unfamiliar.

 

Do you have experience with my particular breed, issue, or training goals?

- It's by no means a requirement, but can help inform your decision depending on your needs. Especially if you have very specific issues or goals.


Always feel free to ask more questions, but don't expect a trainer to walk you through your issues without you actually hiring them, or to spend an hour on the phone or email without a consultation fee. It's an unrealistic expectation of them and not respectful of their time.

  

You may also ask if you are able to observe before committing. - Often, many trainers (especially if they have their own facility) will let you observe a class either for free or for a nominal fee.  


Watch out for red flags!



I firmly believe that any reputable trainer either has, or is at least working on obtaining, a professional certification from a reputable organization. Though some exceptions can be made if they are teaching specific courses or apprenticing with the oversight of a fully fledged trainer. After all, even obtaining accreditation requires hundreds of hours actually working with clients.


It's proof that they understand the science behind behavior modification, that they have experience, and that they are always continuing their education as new information is coming out. For me, their absence shows either a lack of knowledge or experience, a lack of professionalism and dedication, OR (and it's a big one) that their training techniques aren't allowed by those organizations. Which means at best they have no real scientific bases, and at worst, are abusive.


Now that's not to say that there aren't amazing unaccredited trainers, and of course the aforementioned apprentices, but it's generally the easiest to spot and biggest red flag.


Remember, either their name should be followed by a string of letters (verifiable with the above organizations) or at least their website should list their qualifications.


If they talk a lot about their experience but don't have any credentials to prove their knowledge, that's a red flag too. You can do something very badly, for a very long time. Experience does not equate skill. It's great to see experience, but that alone doesn't really prove anything.

 

The next red flag is the use of pain, fear, or intimidation; and the use of tools that cause them. That's prong collars, shock collars (also called e-collars), choke chains, leash corrections or pops, alpha rolls, or anything else that falls into that camp.


The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviorists, The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, along with every reputable organization certifying trainers, uses or recommends a form of least Intrusive, minimally aversive methodology; recommending generally against the use of pain, fear, or intimidation in training. And if it MUST be used at all, it's after all other approaches have failed. Never as a go to method.


The next set of red flags is talking about becoming the alpha, being the dominant, being the pack leader, demanding respect, or forcing dogs to submit. Now, the devil is in the details. Dominance is absolutely a behavioral phenomenon worth discussing, and you DO want to be a fair and consistent leader, know how to tell your dog no, and set fair boundaries. BUT the vast majority of trainers who use that terminology do so at best because they are uneducated, and at worst as justification for blatant abuse.


Up next we have, demanding money without answering your questions. Earlier, we went over some good questions you can ask a prospective trainer and I said not to expect a seminar from them, but that they should be able to answer you.


As a trainer, it's a delicate balance. I can give you my overall approach, but without knowing your dog, you, your home, etc... I can't tell you exactly what the techniques will be. There are numerous approaches to train anything. In the same vein, trainers are generally not going to spend an hour on the phone with you if you aren't even an active client with them. But, they should be able to give you a general approach and be able to talk about the science backing up their techniques if needed.


If they are asking for money up front without any communication with you, especially for very expensive packages, that's a huge red flag.


Our next one is not allowing other family members, or only allowing one person to attend.


This one is highly dependent on what exactly you are doing. If it's an educational course without your dog, an online training webinar, something like that; it's fairly reasonable that it's per person. But if it's them working directly with you, especially in a private session, that's usually a red flag.


If possible, I want the whole family to be involved, or at least everyone who will be working with the dog. Of course there are potential issues with very young or disruptive children, or for group classes where if everyone brought their entire family it would be a room of 8 dogs and 40 people. In general though, most group classes allow at least 2 people.


A big one for me is also trainers that are dismissive of your questions, ignore your limitations or goals, or otherwise just aren't listening to you. They should be there to help you and your dog with YOUR goals. Which may not be competition level obedience. And while they may have advice, direction, or criticism (sometimes that may even contradict what you think or do, and that's why they are there) it should always be a respectful two sided conversation.


The last red flag is ANYTHING that makes you feel off or uncomfortable. There's really something to be said about trusting your gut instinct. Sometimes it's hard to say exactly what makes you feel uneasy. It could be the language they use, the way they treat you or your dog, anything really.


If you aren't comfortable, you should either ask clarifying questions, or look for a different trainer.


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