Finding a Trainer
Choosing the right trainer for you and your canine companion can be a daunting and often difficult task. Dog training is an unregulated industry, meaning anyone can call themselves a dog trainer regardless of their education or experience.
Both the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) and the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) have created guidelines to help you choose the right trainer.
Along with the AVSAB and the ACVB, we only recommend trainers who exclusively use positive reinforcement training methods. These have proven to be the safest and most effective. Comparatively, aversive training techniques have shown to increase fear, anxiety, and aggression in dogs as well as have a negative effect on the human-animal bond.
One easy way to begin assessing a trainer is to look at their website and look for some of the keywords, certifications, and affiliations listed below:
Certification and Affiliations To Look For
- The Pet Professional Guild
- Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner: KPA CTP
- Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed: CPDT KA
- Association of Professional Dog Trainers: APDT
- Pat Miller Certified Dog Trainer: PMDT
- Animal Behavior College Certified Dog Trainer: ABC-CDT
- Fear Free or Fear Free Certified
Keywords To Look For
- Positive-reinforcement
- Force-free
- Reward-based
- Fear-Free
Keywords to Avoid
- Correction- based training
- Dominance
- Alpha
- Statements that the trainer does not use treat/reward based training
Questions to Ask A Trainer Before Hiring
- What training techniques do you use?
- What are your vaccine requirements?
- What types of classes do you offer?
- What is your experience or personal area of interest as a dog trainer?
- If you are looking for help with a specific behavioral problem: describe the problem to the trainer and see if they have experience with it.
Recommended Local Trainers
- Canine Character
- FitHound
- Peaceable Paws
- Unleashed Joy
- GR8K9s
- Happy Hound Training
- Attapup!
- List of Region Trainers
Pet/Animal Behaviorists
Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorists
Online Resources
- Family Paws Parent Education
- The Association of Professional Dog Trainers Resource Center
- Fear Free for Pet Owners
- American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
- Find a Fear Free Certified Trainer
- The Academy for Dog Trainers
- Karen Pryor Academy Certified Dog Trainer
- Pet Professional Guild
- Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers
- Animal Behavior Society
- American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
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