If you’ve just got a dog and its been years since you’ve owned a dog or you just want professional help to get started on the right foot in building a better relationship with your dog you will search for a dog trainer. If your dog barks at other dogs on a walk, is snapping and growling with toys or you are having issues with potty training or housebreaking, you will look for a dog trainer, as you desperately need help.
Your dog is a member of your family, a loved one, and you should use due diligence in selecting a dog trainer to assist you in building a better relationship between you and your dog. You need to ensure that your dog trainer is worthy of your trust and confidence. Before you spend a dime of your hard-earned money on your precious pet, do your research to determine if a potential trainer is the right fit for you and your dog.
Dog training is an unregulated industry. Unfortunately, anyone can print business cards, hang out a shingle and call himself or herself a dog trainer, so the nearest dog trainer may not be the “best” dog trainer. The cheapest dog trainer is usually not the best dog trainer, since great dog trainers regularly attend continuing education workshops and seminars to stay proficient and likely have spent tens of thousands of dollars on their education and certification as a dog trainer, and YOU are reaping the benefit of their investment.
You need to ask yourself what you need from a dog trainer and be clear on what you want your dog to learn, so that you can set appropriate goals and expectations. A dog is not an “appliance” that is being taken to a dog trainer to be “fixed”. Every dog is unique and be wary of trainers or big box stores that use a one-size-fits-all or “cookie-cutter” approach to dog training. In most cases, the dogs have developed bad habits that need to be changed through positive interactions and consistency on the part of the human. For these reasons, I prefer dog trainers that use a balanced relationship-based approach to dog training.
Look for a trainer who provides more than just the basic training techniques. Dogs and humans have different ways of looking at the world, and the more you understand your dog’s perceptions, the better prepared you will be to meet their needs and build a positive and healthy relationship with your dog. Dog training lessons should include information about dog behavior, dog communication, and most importantly how dogs learn.
You should ask open-ended interview type questions so that trainers can explain their methods, tools and philosophies, and at a minimum, you should ask:
- What is your educational background and experience in the area of dog training?
- What are your credentials and do you have any professional certifications?
- Do you belong to any professional associations and do you attend their educational conferences?
Find an International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) Approved Dog Trainer:
https://www.canineprofessionals.com/find-a-professional
- Will you provide me with a list of references?
- What kind of follow-up do you provide to your clients?
- What services do you provide pet owners? (i.e. Canine Good Citizen evaluation; Therapy dog certification; Nutrition and wellness counseling)
After ensuring that the dog trainer is competent and qualified, then next, and possibly the most important element of picking a good dog trainer comes from your gut. Make sure you are comfortable with the trainer’s philosophy and their approach. Speak to the trainer and get a feel for their personality and people skills before making a decision. Ask yourself, are they ethical and trustworthy and do I feel comfortable with the trainer? You need to trust that the dog trainer you select will be the right teacher for you, your dog, and your dog’s individual needs. Great trainers understand that their job is to teach you to train your dog. First-rate dog trainers understand the importance of getting the whole family involved in training the dog and “on board” for consistency. This includes the whole family speaking the same language (cues or commands) to the dog and being clear on what behavior they are seeking from their dog, otherwise the dog will be confused and that is unfair to your dog. Great dog trainers understand that YOU are vital in the training process and insist that you as an awesome owner understand that you will need to be a benevolent leader to your dog, by being fair, consistent and persistent.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. Something needs to change and dog training is the way to shape new positive and desirable behaviors in your dog. Your job is to reinforce those behaviors until they become a new habit or a way of life.
An excellent trainer is a wise investment of your time and money to ensure that you have a lifetime of happy and harmonious living with a well-behaved dog. I have seen all too many clients that have gone to three or four different trainers before me, and all have failed to get the desired results. This is a considerable waste of time and money and at ExFed Dog Training, we certainly are not the cheapest dog trainer’s around, but we are competent and passionate about providing the highest quality ethical dog training on Cape Cod in the Greater Boston Metropolitan area.
If we accept you as a client, we guarantee that your dog will not forget the cues or commands that we teach them for the life of the dog. Dog training is a collaborative effort and YOU need to follow through and do YOUR part in this important partnership, our good name will be associated with your dog and we want each of you to be our “ideal client” and follow through with training to bring out the best in your dog and enhance your relationship. Remember, dogs are a lot like, kids, they will test you, and if you give them an inch, they may just try and take a mile. Through our mutual partnership and with your benevolent leadership, we will help you meet your goals and expectations for your dog. If ExFed Dog Training trains your dog, you have the opportunity to become part of the ExFed Dog Training Family where we are committed to improving the positive relationship between you and your dog with balanced dog training.