08/27/2024
Excellent trainer with excellent suggestions. ❤️
I swear each day I wake up to find yet another dog being abused or mistreated in the hands of a dog trainer.
Someone that takes hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of dollars from people who need help getting their dog trained and they turn around and are starving these dogs, physically abusing them, allowing and encouraging them to unalive other dogs or animals, not giving them water, not taking them outside to relieve themselves, making them sit and lay in their own urine and f***s and so much more unspeakable and unfathomable things.
Unfortunately, dog training is not regulated and quite literally ANYONE can claim to be a dog trainer. There are many unqualified people claiming to be dog trainers and willing to take your money without a second thought, but there are just as many (if not more) trainers that have the necessary experience, truly care and want to see your dog succeed.
This post is to give some insight on what to look for and how to pick a dog trainer.
1. See where your dog will be staying.
If the trainer can’t show you where your dog will be sleeping, playing, going to the bathroom etc… walk away.
Granted - I don’t allow in person tours of our kennel area due to the type of dogs that we get in, but I will pop up my live feed camera back there at any second and we have a video tour available as well. If they can’t provide that, walk away.
2. Ask them to interact with their own dogs.
This one can get overlooked sometimes, but if their own dogs are skittish or afraid of them, RUN away. Even as a dog trainer, my dogs definitely are NOT the most well trained dogs out there but I can guarantee you they always love being around me.
3. If you’re doing an extended stay/overnight program, make sure you can regularly visit with your dog.
For some reason within the training community, there is a stigma that the owner should not see their dog while they’re in training. In 99% of cases, this is SUCH complete BS for so many reasons. I’m allowed to say this because I was also brain washed to think the owners shouldn’t see the dog during training, but I am now so completely against that.
2 years ago we changed our Board & Train programs to Monday-Friday. The owners come in on Friday to receive a lesson to go over what their dog learned that week, then their dog goes home with them so they can spend time with them and practice together. Swapping to this style of B&T program we have seen; happier dogs throughout the program, dogs that retain their training by tenfold after they leave and owners that are encouraged to upkeep and continue training. Overall this means that their investment into training wasn’t wasted.
In the very rare case that we are having engagement issues, I may keep the dog over the first weekend but I have never had to go longer than that. Now I’m not saying that having your dog stay the entire length is a red flag, because it’s not. The red flag is being denied to see your dog while they’re in training.
If you aren’t getting weekly lessons with YOUR dog while they’re in an extended program, don’t count on retaining the HEAPS of information you’ll receive at the very end of the program because it’s simply too much for one session. Follow-up lessons after your dog has completed the program would be the absolute minimum that you should accept.
If the trainer refuses to let you see your dog for ANY reason while they’re with them… RUN TF AWAY.
4. Pick a trainer that shows their dogs.
Another one that gets overlooked but is very important. As a dog trainer, our own dogs are our blank canvas and we can use them to create magnificent pieces of art. Showing our dogs (whether that’s in Conformation or sport/performance events such as; Rally Obedience, Agility, Scent Detection, Obedience, Field Trials, Barn Hunt, PSA, Dock Diving, IGP, French Ring, Mondio Ring, etc) gives us the opportunity to show case that masterpiece and receive judgment on how well WE as trainers are, as well as learn how to get better.
So even if YOU don’t care to do those things with your dog, it’s important to find a trainer that does.
5. Trust your gut.
Always meet in person with anyone you’re considering hiring and do NOT go solely off of a phone call or text. If you get bad vibes, there’s usually a reason.
6. Seek out someone that continues their education.
Dog training will forever be evolving. Finding someone that continuously adds to their knowledge whether that’s attending seminars, workshops, shadowing under other trainers etc is very important! Imagine if a Doctor or a Veterinarian never continued their education after school, what types of ground breaking medicines or practices would they lose out on?
I’m sure I’ll p**s off a lot of other dog trainers by sharing this but, that’s not my problem. At the end of the day if this post helps even one person not have to go through the traumatic experience as some of these other dog owners who get their dog back as skin and bones, wounds all over them or worse; never get to hug their dog again, then I’ve done my part. ✌️
