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Find a Dog TrainerFind a Dog TrainerThe whole point of this website and these articles are to teach you how to train and educate your own dog. Having said that, sometimes the job is best left to the pros. But which pros? How can you tell if you are getting a good trainer? Well, let me tell you how to find a dog trainer. It is my sad experience that too often the best dog trainers out there happen to be the worst businesspeople. Conversely, some of the worst trainers happen to be the best businesspeople. What is the net effect? Dog owners often end up going to several trainers before they are able to find a dog trainer that suits their needs. They are often enchanted by a great sales pitch that doesn�t carry sound training principles behind it. Or they may find a dog trainer who doesn't know what he is doing, not get great results, and pin the blame on the dog or on themselves. Lets avoid that. Find a dog trainer that knows how to get results the first time and you will be much happier. When you go to pick a doctor, lawyer, accountant or other professional you often take it for granted that the person you are visiting is qualified. The good news is that at some level you are right. Hundreds of thousands of professionals must past certain state and federal tests, go through continuing education, meet certain requirements, have a clean criminal record, and so on before they can ply their trade on John Q. Public. This doesn�t mean that they are going to do a good job for you but at least they have shown a certain level of aptitude for their job. Ok, here�s the bad news. There is no government qualifying for dog trainers. There are some private organizations that claim to pre-qualify trainers and can provide you with the name of a good one. Personally, I do not put much stock in these organizations. Often they will recommend anyone who will pay their fees. Others that I have found tend to endorse trainers that only fit into the mold of �fluff� trainers (see my article on fluff training). I know some of you may be saying, �Well, there might not be government oversight, but certainly dog trainers have to have proper training before calling themselves a dog trainer.� Wrong. Sorry. Just about anyone (and believe me when I say anyone) can call themselves a dog trainer and accept money in exchange for their services. I have seen some very large pet supply stores advertise for dog trainers. Under the section for qualifications you will often see �No experience necessary.� No experience necessary! It�s almost criminal, I know. These stores think that with a few weeks of book learning and on the job training that they are now professionals. They believe they can find a dog trainer from among the ranks of cashiers and stock boys. I think not. There are several dog training schools out there that do a great job. Schools such as Tom Rose School of Dog Training, Triple Crown Dog Training Academy, and Tarheel Training do a nice job of preparing students for what lies ahead of them in their careers as trainers. There are also several correspondence courses for dog trainers. These obviously leave much to be desired as the real expertise with dog training comes mostly from actually working with dogs. Let it be known, however, that graduation from any dog training school does not equal expertise just as there have been many a lousy lawyer that has graduated from many a great law school. What about trainers that haven�t attended any school? This is actually the majority of dog trainers. And to be honest the majority of the top trainers in this country haven�t attended any type of dog training school. I personally never attended any dog training school and I happen to be the best dog trainer in the room right now (Ok, I happen to be alone, but I�m pretty good nonetheless). Most trainers learn on the job through apprenticeships, training clubs, and such. When I was a young boy I was able to find a dog trainer who was amazing and begged him to let me learn from him. I was only 14 at the time but he was kind enough to take me under his wing and teach me for several years. When it comes down to it, the �how� isn�t important when it comes to the source of learning for a trainer. What is important is his or her level of expertise and their ability to transfer that expertise to you. That begs the question of where to start to find a dog trainer? Your first resource should be friends or family that have had professional training. First off, observe their dog. Is their dog well behaved? If so how long has it been since they attended training? Is their dog out of control? If so, this is not necessarily a reflection of their trainer. When it comes down to it, the success of training is going to depend on the owner. The trainer can give the best information and instruction in the world, but if there isn�t any follow-through on the part of the owner, the training is going to fail. Ask as many of your dog owning friends as possible about their trainers so you can have several people to interview. If you can�t find a dog trainer through this method or just want a bigger pool to interview ask your vet or groomer who they recommend. Your last effort should be to check the yellow pages and internet listings to find a dog trainer.
Once you have your pool of interviewees get to work. There are two ways to interview, by phone or in person. If possible, interview in person so you can see how the trainer relates with your dog and possibly see some of the trainers personal dogs and the level of training they have. Then, get out your pen and paper, ask questions, and take notes. There are several questions that I like to ask.
Use whatever questions you can to gauge who this person is, why they train, why they are good, and why they are going to get real results. Don�t choose a trainer based on the lowest price. Don�t choose a trainer based on a beautiful website. Don�t choose a trainer because he talks a good game. Choose a trainer because you feel that he or she has the experience and expertise and is skilled enough to transfer that knowledge to you.
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