05/11/2026
"Oh, we aren't going to hire a trainer- we've had bad luck with them."
Let's talk about that for a moment, shall we? Because I'm hearing it far too frequently these days.
I went to go pick up my dogs' food and supplements from a local shop and there was an elderly couple standing at the register, asking the cashier about calming treats for their dog. They asked me some questions about my dogs based on what I was buying, and when they saw that I was getting a CBD supplement, asked me if I had an aggressive dog.
I do not... but one of my dogs does have some anxious behaviors and the CBD helps him to actually use his brain instead of just spin out like a hamster on a wheel.
I told them that I use it for my dog's anxiety and asked them about their dog.
Treeing Walker Coonhound; a rescue that they've had for five years.
Apparently, the dog has what they described as "aggression" but what was actually reactivity and resource-guarding behavior.
I asked them if they had worked with a trainer with this dog and they initially told me that they had not, but that the dog was on thyroid medication..... and then they asked me if I had any tips for them.
I told them to hire a trainer, preferably a balanced trainer that was experienced with resource guarding and reactivity, and one that worked with them as the owners on how to handle and train the dog as an individual, not a One Size Fits All trainer.
The husband scoffed, rolled his eyes, and stuck his hand out at me.
The wife said "Oh, we aren't going to hire a trainer- we've had bad luck with them."
I told them that if they weren't going to hire a trainer then their only other choices were to live with the behaviors or medicate their dog- neither of which was fair or humane to the dog or to them.
That calming chews and treats won't fix the behavior, but are only a band-aid to the bigger problem.
Meanwhile, the clerk is nodding her head to every single thing I was saying; even those on the outside peripherals of the dog training industry understand.
I told the couple that there are a lot of bad trainers out there, and a lot of inexperienced ones that happen to be good at marketing. I advised again to seek professional help from a qualified and experienced trainer, wished them luck, grabbed my items and left.
I no longer train for a living- my business has been inactive since November 2024- but as I stood there in the store talking with this elderly couple that desperately needed someone who knew what they were doing to step in and help them, but were adamantly against hiring professional help and instead turned to calming treats and potentially vet-prescribed medication to mask the behavioral issues at hand, it reaffirmed why I still pay attention to what is going on within the industry.
And what I've seen lately has not been good.
There is more division than ever amongst trainers, more drama, and more ego... and in the end it's the owners and the dogs that suffer as a result.
When you have training organizations that have Board Members using their platforms as their personal launch pad for views, Presidents involved in lawsuits, and members leaving in droves because of unprofessional behavior, it's easy to see why finding a credible trainer is difficult to impossible these days.
When you have individual trainers pointing fingers at others, creating controversy and reaction-videos, it's a bad look.
Dog owners- you deserve better, and I am sorry that you are caught in the crosshairs of the Dog Trainer Wars, Methodology Wars, and Ego-driven Drama.
The dogs deserve better, as well.
Owners shouldn't have to choose a side in a battle they don't fully understand just to get quality help for their dogs. All of the in-fighting and drama isn't helping anyone- it is hurting the dogs that we are supposed to care about... because when people need help but all they see is finger-pointing, cancel culture, and superiority complexes, they end up not seeking the help they desperately need and turn to other alternatives instead.
I am not returning to the training industry, as my journey is taking me down the path to Veterinary Medicine, but I could not stay silent on this.
Want to know what to look for in a reputable trainer?
Resource in the comments.
