Choosing the Right Dog Trainer

Behavior & Training

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Choosing the Right Dog Trainer

My own view is that the best dog training is solidly grounded in science and requires no force to develop desirable habits in place of undesirable ones, and of course, I’d like to steer you to trainers who share that view. Gail Fisher, the owner of All Dogs Gym in Manchester, N.H., has more than 30 years of professional training experience. An expert traditional-style trainer now wholeheartedly committed to clicker training, she says that “over the past 15 years, there has been a sea change in dog training philosophies. Trainers using positively oriented, dog-friendly techniques can be found virtually everywhere … And we are all the better for it.”

In conclusion, if someone who makes her living as a professional dog trainer avails herself of others’ expertise, the rest of us mortals should probably consider it, too. Many people don’t know where to start, or have a hard time translating the words they read into physical movements. Some just need encouragement. As for the dogs, even minimal training greatly increases their chances of staying in their home for life. Good training takes work, but it isn’t drudgery—it’s a joy. And out of joy grows love.

The Name Game
Generally, a trainer is someone who works on mannerly behavior (polite leash-walking, waiting at the door instead of barging out, ignoring that pork chop on the sidewalk), while behavioral counselors (or behavioral advisors, or behavior modification specialists or any of a number of variations) are the people you call when your dog barks and lunges at other dogs on-leash, or growls over her food bowl. Just as anyone can call himself a trainer, anyone can legally call himself a behaviorist. To be certified by the Animal Behavior Society, an individual must have a PhD, or a DVM with at least a two-year, university-approved residency in behavior, as well as three years of practice in applied animal behavior. Visit certifiedanimalbehaviorist.com for more on how to find a certified behaviorist in your area.

FAQs
Your initial contact with a potential trainer will most likely be over the telephone. The answers to a few quick questions can help you decide if the person to whom you’re speaking is a likely candidate. And remember, you have to be willing to fully participate in the process—your dog isn’t the only one being trained!—so check your own reactions to the candidate’s tone and attitudes.
1. Training philosophy and background?
2. Training specialties?
3. Size of classes? Are classes divided into ages/sizes of dogs?
4. Is it possible to observe a class or two before signing up?
5. Are references available?

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Source Code & Resources
Many trainers have a string of letters after their names, certifying their membership in professional organizations. To help you decode the alphabet soup, here’s a quick introduction to the meaning behind the letters. The Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers requires candidates to attest that they have several hundred training hours under their belt and provide recommendations from a veterinarian, a trainer holding the CPDT and a client, and then pass a written test. IAABC has a private certification program, probably more academically oriented than others’, and NADOI endorsement also requires substantial training experience and the passing of a written exam.

The IAABC subscribes to what it calls LIMA (least intrusive, minimally aversive) first, and TDF trainers eschew shock collars; many TDF trainers also avoid choke and prong collars. NADOI and IACP expressly do not. The APDT officially favors “dog-friendly training,” but any trainer, using any method, can join and be listed on the website.

No matter what database you get a name from, screen, screen, screen. Many “dog training academies” label their graduates “certified master dog trainers” and the like, but buyer beware. Dana C. Crevling, CPDT, is the director of Dogs of Course, which offers dog training and behavior seminars and also an instructors’ course. “We don’t ‘certify’ our graduates,” she says. “The public thinks a ‘certified’ trainer … is a qualified trainer, and for many students who go through instructor programs, that is often not true at the time of graduation.”

So, with this information under your belt, Google “dog trainer” and the name of your city or region to come up with at least a few names. You can also search the directories of professional organizations; following are places to start.

Professional Organizations
Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT)
International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC)
International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP)
National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI)
Truly Dog Friendly (TDF)

Training Programs
Dogs of Course (instructor training and educational seminars)
Peaceable Paws Intern & Apprentice Program
San Francisco SPCA Dog Training Academy

And if you’re interested in learning more about dog-training and behavior yourself, visit these websites:
Karen Pryor Clicker Training
Marin Humane
Puppy Works

Your local training center or animal shelter may also sponsor educational events.

Really got the bug? Consider attending the APDT or IAABC annual conference (info available on the web) or Clicker Expo, held twice yearly, generally once in the East and once in the West.

Training Book List
Before & After Getting Your Puppy By Ian Dunbar, DVM, PhD
Culture Clash By Jean Donaldson
Dog-Friendly Dog Training By Andrea Arden
Don’t Shoot the Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training By Karen Pryor
Good Owners, Great Dogs By Brian Kilcommons & Sarah Wilson
For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend By Patricia B. McConnell, PhD
Parenting Your Dog By Trish King
Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog By Pat Miller
Think Dog: An Owner’s Guide to Canine Psychology By John Fisher

All books available from dogwise.com.

This article first appeared in The Bark, Issue 39, Nov/Dec 2006

Illustration by Donna Grethen

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