How to Pick a Good Dog Trainer

With all the information on how to train your dog online, how do you know where to start?

New dog or puppy? Knowing how to pick a dog trainer can be a struggle.

There is so much information out there, especially online, that it can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to training your dog or hiring someone to help! 

Then, add to the confusion that dog training is an unregulated industry. What does that mean for you as a pet parent? It means that anyone can call themselves a dog trainer and it is up to you to be an educated consumer and advocate for your dog! You want what’s best for them, so your dog trainer should, too. 

Before I get into how to choose a dog trainer, I want to do a quick overview of some common language you’ll see when dog training is being discussed, both here in this blog and elsewhere online:

• Positive reinforcement is one of four quadrants involved in learning. In positive reinforcement dog training, something is added (the “positive” means to add) that reinforces the learner, your dog. This “something” is usually food (treats) which is a primary reinforcer to the dog, as food is necessary to their survival.

  As side note, positive reinforcement training is the only training method that is recommended by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

• Reinforcer means anything the dog finds reinforcing! Treats, kibble, a toy, playtime. Each dog will have an individual reinforcement scale that suits their preferences.

• A cue is otherwise known as a “command,” but as the way people have shifted their thinking about dog behavior has changed, so has the lingo. We like to look at what we are asking of the dog as a cue, rather than a “command,” since the word “command” carries with it the idea that the dog better do something right, or else.

• Balanced training means that multiple approaches are used to train a dog—both rewards and aversives.

• An aversive is something unpleasant that is used to suppress or diminish an unwanted behavior. Oftentimes this is a physical correction with a training collar or other means of punishment.

• Punishment comes in two forms in dog training. Positive punishment means adding (the “positive” means to add) something the dog finds unpleasant (an aversive) to punish the dog and decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening in the future. Negative Punishment means removing (the “negative” means to remove) something after the dog does an undesirable behavior. Both forms of punishment are used to make behaviors less likely in the future.

• Corrections are part of the old-school way of training and are punishing the dog through physical or other means for incorrect responses to commands or undesirable behaviors.

Allie is learning a “touch” behavior using a clicker. No punishment for getting it wrong, just reinforcement when she gets it right!

So with all that information out there, how do you choose a dog trainer?

When choosing a dog trainer for your dog, I recommend that you interview the trainer(s) and ask the following questions:

1. What will happen to my dog when he does something right?

2. What will happen to my dog when he does something wrong? 

3. What professional organizations are you a member of?

4. What tool(s) do you use for training?

Let’s dive into these questions a bit more.

Question 1: What will happen to my dog when he does something right? 

What to look for in a trainer: 

Look for a trainer who uses a marker word or clicker to indicate to the dog they’ve done something right, then reinforces the dog with a treat or toy. This technique is the bread and butter of positive reinforcement.

When used properly, positive reinforcement dog training sets up your dog for success by training in steps that your dog can understand as you work towards final behaviors. Most importantly, positive reinforcement training creates an engaged, confident learner and strengthens the human-dog bond! 

What to avoid: 

Avoid trainers who won’t use treats or other rewards in their training plans. Chances are instead of reinforcing what your dog does right, they are punishing what your dog does wrong, which at best can lead to confusion while your dog is trying to learn. At worst it breaks down your relationship with your dog and can be the cause of aggression.

Question 2: What will happen to my dog when he does something wrong? 

What to look for in a trainer: 

Look for a trainer who understands your dog’s mistakes are information and they take it as such instead of punishing them. In teaching a cue, this may mean that the dog didn’t have a good foundation, so you need to back up a step and solidify their foundation. In working with a reactive dog, this may mean that you reached their threshold. Either way, this is information that your trainer needs to take into account and modify your training plan accordingly. 

What to avoid:  

Avoid trainers who use punishment to “correct” a dog when they’ve done something wrong. Punishment comes in many forms, but red flags that are often obvious are the use of training collars (prong collars, choke chains, shock or electronic collars). You also want to avoid trainers who talk about being “alpha” and “dominant” as their methods of training are likely rooted in outdated alpha dog theories. This kind of training only causes fear, anxiety and stress to your dog.

Think of it this way: 

Would you punish a child for not being able to read when you never taught them letters so they could build words or put together sentences? Probably not.You’d go back and teach them foundations from the beginning. Dog training should be no different, yet punishment based trainers often skip teaching foundations and go straight to “correcting” the dog for making the wrong choices.

Question 3: What professional organizations are you a member of?

What to look for in a trainer: 

Look for a trainer who has active memberships in organizations that promote humane, science-based, training methods. Some such organizations are the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers®, and the Pet Professional Guild.  

What to avoid: 

Avoid trainers who are members of organizations that condone the use of aversives.

question 4: What tool(s) do you use for training? 

What to look for in a trainer: 

Look for a trainer whose tool box includes a clicker or marker word, treats, and a treat pouch! The more skilled a trainer is, the less tools they need. 

What to avoid: 

Avoid trainers who use prong collars, choke chains/collars, and shock collars (often referred to as “e-collars,” “electronic collars,”  “TENS collars,” or even “training collars”). These tools work by providing painful feedback to your dog when they do something wrong, so your dog is actively working to avoid pain instead of being an engaged learner.

Allie is lured into a sit. She gets a click to mark the behavior as the right thing to do, and a treat to reinforce the behavior! No physical force necessary.

In short, do your homework and advocate for your dog.

I am an advocate for positive reinforcement dog training for many reasons. The top few being: 

1. It’s backed by science. Multiple studies have shown higher obedience in dogs trained with reward based methods than dogs trained with aversive methods (see AVSAB Position Statement on Humane Dog Training). 

2. It’s a humane way to train. You do not need to apply fear, force, pain, or intimidation to train a dog.  

3. It’s fun and builds your bond with your dog!

Are you looking for a positive reinforcement trainer in Northern Virginia? Contact me to get started training your Wonderdog!