Dog training is a profession that has taken off in the last decade or so.  Dog owners everywhere are spending more and more on their pets and a lot of those dollars make their way into the pockets of professional dog trainers.  Decades ago the dog that disobeyed was exiled to the back yard, now dog owners are willing to spend money to make sure that their best friend can fit happily into their household.

Because there is a greater demand than ever for dog trainers you can now find a huge variety of professional and ‘not so’ professional dog trainers plying their trade.  How are you, the dog owner, able to choose the right dog trainer for you?

There is no such thing as a ‘certified’ dog trainer

Okay, this isn’t exactly true, but I thought if I put it in bold letters it would get your attention.  Many dog trainers rely heavily on marketing that uses phrases such as ‘certified dog trainer’, ‘certified behaviorist’, ‘registered’, and who knows what else.  The fact of the matter is that these statements are misleading.

Doctors have state testing, lawyers get certified by the Bar exam, Realtors have to pass a qualifying test, etc.  There is no single, recognized body for certifying dog trainers.  There is just too much variety in dog training styles for one unifying body to say, “Okay, all dog trainers have to be certified through us in order to work.”  So what does that mean when you see that a dog trainer is ’certified’ or a member of ’such and such’ organization?  What it means is that specific dog trainer has the money in order to buy into an organization.  They pay their fee and now they are ‘certified’. 

Keep in mind, you will find several organizations that certify dog trainers.  Each one of them charge for entry.  Amongst their ranks you will find trainers that are excellent and trainers that are lousy.  Don’t use the term ‘certified’ as a yard stick for measuring trainers against one another.

Beware of name droppers

Now I have to tread carefully here so that I don’t act like a hypocrite.  I have trained dogs for some big name celebrities such as NBA and NFL superstars, politicians and CEO’s.  I make a brief reference to that in my marketing material.  Should you choose me as your dog trainer because I have trained a dog for an NBA player?  NO!  Big name people are just as capable as everyday people of buying lousy dog training services.  I happen to think that I offer the best dog training services around, however, and mentioning some of my past clientele serves more as a conversation topic rather than a selling point.

Buyer beware if your potential trainer tells you that because he trained ’so and so’s’ dog that you should use the same services. 

Choosing the right trainer

Choosing the right dog trainer requires effort on your part.  Search the internet, search the yellow pages, ask a few vets, etc.  When you do get some suitable candidates interview them for the job.  Find out where they learned to train.  Talk to their references.  See if they have any video demonstrations of their techniques.  When you really dig you will be surprised what you find.  I often ‘mystery shop’ my competition here in the local Utah market.  There are a few trainers that have solid training backgrounds.  There are others, however, to whom you would never want to give your money.  In fact the last dog trainer I mystery shopped admitted that he learned how to train dogs by watching episodes of the Dog Whisperer and that now he is charging big bucks to train other people’s dogs.  Why would anyone ever want to give their money to someone when they can just turn on the TV and learn what he knows?!  Do you research.  As I mentioned earlier, there is no certifying body for dog trainers.  What that means is that anyone who has read a book, watched a TV show, or feels like they are ‘good with dogs’ can claim to be a professional dog trainer and take your money in return for sub-par services.

If you do your research, though, you wont be disappointed.