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When you get a puppy or a rescue dog, you always hear, “find a goo dtrainer!” But what does that mean, “a good trainer?” Aren’t they al lalike?

The short answer is “no,” all trainers are not clones of each other. Methods and understanding of training, the learning process and behavior vary from person to person. In the dog training industry, anyone can hang their shingle and call themselves a dog trainer orbehaviorist. There are no standards; no “real” certification that will guarantee that the person you go to is a good trainer.

I am aCertified Dog Behavior Consultant, but does that mean I am a good one?(I am, but the average person may be “dazzled” by the “certified,”thinking it is some sort of guarantee. It isn’t.) Many of the “letters” you may see after a person’s name simply mean that the trainer passed a written test, however it doesn’t mean they can actually train their way out of a paper bag. Just like medical doctors, we are all different and all have a better (or worse) skill set. Even Veterinary Behaviorists with impressive degrees may lack sufficient knowledge of dogs and behavior! The Veterinary Behaviorist may wear a white coat, but remember, so does the Good Humor man.

Before picking out a trainer, you need to decide what you are looking for and what methodology you subscribe to. I know that for the novice (and not so novice) dog owner how hard it is to find the “right” information about training dogs. There are hundreds of dog training books on the market as well as a myriad of dog training shows on TVand the one thing that they all have in common is that they all have different ideas on what makes a dog tick and the best way to train them! The old joke, “ask 10 trainers one question and you’ll get 100 different answers” may be funny, but not helpful to the new dog owner that is trying to make some sense of training and do the best thing for their dog.

Training doesn’t have to be an “us” versus “them” mindset. Our dogs are not our enemies or a totally alien species out to “getus” (really!) so that we must dominate, threaten, coerce, intimidateor terrorize them just to get them to walk on a loose leash, not jump on guests or go potty outside. Even if your goal is to compete in the myriad of dog sports available, the “traditional” way is really not necessary.

Teaching our dogs should be a matter of building a bond, helping and gently guiding; breaking down complex behaviors into tiny pieces and not moving forward until he understands the previous step, rather thaninflicting pain or using intimidation in an attempt to force him to dowhat we want. You want to find a trainer that wants to help dogs learn and co-exist in our human world with a minimum of stress and stress related behaviors.

The most common punishments doled out to our unsuspecting canine companions; yanking and jerking the collar, helicoptering them in the air, ear pinches, shoving them in position, yelling, hitting, punching, kicking, spray bottles, shake cans with pennies in them, shock, prong, choke, citronella collars, cattle prods, etc. These are pretty severe. Many of the “wrongdoings” of our dogs are just simple mistakes or lack of understanding or motivation that you want them to walk nicely by your side, sit and down when asked or come when called. What may seem simple to us is very complex to our dogs.

Are these methods compassionate, civilized or humane? Do they teach the dog to be thrilled with learning something new and be a willing worker for you? Sure, there are some dogs that will take punishment better than others and many of the really successful traditional trainers go through quite a few dogs, always on the lookout for the dog that can withstand that kind of training.

How does one “find a good trainer” or even recognize what a good trainer is? First you need to decide what you are looking for in termsof training- are you looking to compete in competition obedience, tracking, Search and Rescue, Rally, agility or do you just want a good pet dog with nice house manners? You certainly want to ask any prospective trainer what their credentials are in those sports, however, just because they may have tons of ribbons or titles after their dogs name, doesn’t necessarily mean they are the trainer foryou. You can even avoid making the trip by asking a few pointed questions over the phone. I personally love it when prospective students ask me these types of questions, because it tells me that they are doing their homework and will make a great student and dogowner. If the person you talk to gives you a hard time about answering these types of questions, then by all means, say thank you and hang up.

There are a few places you can start your search for a good trainer. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com), International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (www.iaabc.org), or Truly Dog Friendly (www.trulydogfriendly.com) are good places to start. Besure to check any trainer’s references and observe in person their teaching methods. You may find a good trainer at PetsMartR and other such places, however, the amount of training those trainers receive is minimal (as in a mere two weeks). Stay away from anyone that offers aguarantee. One just can’t guarantee behavior; there are just too many factors involved. Owner compliance and consistent practice sessions(or lack thereof), handler sensitivity and understanding as well asother aspects, all contribute to success or failure. Let the buyer beware!

So what about Board and Train; where you drop your dog off and “in theory,” pick up a well-trained dog after a week or so? Dogs are not  like cars- you can get a mechanic to fix your car and it will run well for you, whether or not you know much about cars. Not so with dogs. Traditionally, board and train facilities do not utilize positive reinforcement methods. They are not helping you build a bond with yourdog and so you lose a great deal of “transfer;” the dog may work well for the trainer and not for you. The joy of owning a dog is also the joy of learning together.

I often get calls from people across the country looking for apositive trainer in their area. When reading websites to find the best trainer for them, it is hard sometimes, even for me, to separate the wheat from the chaff. If I am not sure, I may recommend a particular trainer, but with the proviso that they watch a few classes first.

There are many catch phrases you need to be aware of that help mask what methods the trainer really uses. If they truly use dog friendly positive methods, they will come right out and tell you (verbally or on their websites) in detailed specifics. If they couch their responses in ambiguous terms, then be aware that they are most likely a traditional trainer. No trainer is going to list on their websitethat they use force or coercion. Many of them have latched onto warmand fuzzy words to hide their methodology.

A few vague phrases or words to look out for;

*Tap ‘n tell, tapping, touch and tone, training collars or stimulation (these all relate to electric shock collars)

* Tools (but if they don’t spell out exactly what those tools are, be cautious)

* Balanced training, or one using “all quadrants of operant conditioning” (Means they use positive reinforcement as well aspositive punishment. A positive trainer will use positive reinforcement and negative punishment only)

* Instructive reprimands or motivational pops (That trainer uses punishment)

* Alpha, dominance (Indicative that the trainer uses punishment)

* Leadership (This one can go either way, it can mean being a leader in a dominating manner or it can be in a relationship “give-and-take”way)

A few questions you can ask a prospective trainer:

* What kind of equipment do you use? If they say, “prong, choke collars, shock collars, head halters and
the like,” say thank you and politely hang up. If you hear “Plain buckle collars or comfortable harnesses,” keep talking with them.

* If my dog won’t lie down, what would you recommend? If they say, “Pull their front legs out from under them or push downon their shoulders” or “step on the leash and force their head down,”or “you have a very dominant dog,” say thank you and politely hang up. If you hear “Lure him with a treat” or “make a tent of your legs andlure him underneath,” keep talking with them.

* If my dog won’t come, what should I do? If they say “go to him and drag him in while screaming, “I told you to  COME!” or “press the remote on the shock collar,” say thank you and politely hang up.

* If you hear, “Train the dog to know that “come” is a great thing” or “Don’t let your dog off leash until he has a better recall,” keeping talking to them.

* My dog pulls on leash, what would you recommend?If they say, “yank him back” or “keep the leash so short that they have no choice but to stay with you,” or “put this prong, choke or head halter on,” say thank you and politely hang up.If you hear, “Put your dog on a comfortable harness and a very longline and reinforce with a few treats or some toys every time he looks back at you, and then give him treats whenever he stays by your side,” keep talking with them.

* My dog jumps on every person he sees, what should I do?If they say, “knee him in the chest, squeeze his paws so hard that he screams, step on his back toes so hard that it hurts, yank him down,”say thank you and politely hang up.If you hear, “teach him that a person approaching is a cue to sit,” or  ”before the dog jumps, remind him to sit,” keep talking with them.

* (Optional) What is your background of education? Most of us are self-taught, go to many seminars by top trainers or arelucky enough to mentor with top trainers, read, read, read and read some more. Having a degree “may” be helpful, but is not an indication that the methodology is sound.

If you are at the class observing, (and you should watch many different trainers before deciding) look for these things and watchthe dogs and their owners conscientiously. Are the dogs happy and willing or are they confused and frustrated? Are the owners happy or frustrated? Listen to any advice that is given- is it gentle andnurturing and in line with making it more clear for the dog or is it avariation of the standard punishments listed above? You also don’twant to overlook how the trainers talk to and interact with the owners. Are they helpful, nice, encouraging, happy and enthusiastic?

I know how hard it is to find a good trainer that will work with you and your dog rather than against you. Go with your gut feeling and donot let anyone hurt your dog. You may have to drive over an hour to get to one. Do it. You and your new best friend are worth every pennyof gas and time spent for a lifetime of trust and respect.

Pamela Dennison, CDBC Website: http://www.positivedogs.com Email:pam@positivedogs.com

Author of: The Complete Idiots Guide to Positive Dog Training,Bringing Light to Shadow; A Dog Trainer’s Diary, How to Right a Dog Gone Wrong; A Roadmap For Rehabilitating Aggressive Dogs, Civilizingthe City Dog, Click Your Way to Rally Obedience and the TWO new DVDs; The Magic of Shaping; Explore the Possibilities and Training theWhistle Recall! (WINNER of the Maxwell Award in 2010 from DWAA!!!!)

“If you don’t have time to train your dog, get a stuffed animal”

See website for online classes: Managing the Multiple Dog Household,parts 1 and 2. Coming July 2011 – The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Positive Dog Training ONLINE class!

Click here to get your copy:

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