It’s a question we all ask at some point during our time as dog owners. Maybe you’re looking for a puppy class to attend, a trainer or behaviorist who specializes in nervous dogs, some one-to-one support for your new rescue or some top-up training for your older dog. No matter what life stage your dog is at or what your particular training requirement is, you need to find someone who is the right fit for you and your dog.

When it comes to finding a dog trainer it’s definitely not a case of “one size fits all”, so it’s not as easy as finding your nearest trainer and booking in with them. There are many methods used by dog trainers – It is best to look for a trainer using reward-based training rather than someone who uses methods that rely on fear and pain. Sadly, there are no legal qualifications needed to become a dog trainer. This means anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, even if they don’t have the appropriate knowledge, skills or qualifications to advertise as one. This can result in behaviours not necessarily changing or improving and could even cause any existing issues to get worse rather than better.

So how do you know who might be a good fit for you? Using a trainer or behaviourist from The Animal Behaviour & Training Council (ABTC) can help. ABTC-registered trainers have been assessed as having the correct experience, skills, qualifications and knowledge to provide their services as a trainer or behaviourist and are regulated by qualified and experienced people. A full list of registered trainers can be found on their website – https://abtc.org.uk/practitioners/ .

When meeting with or talking to a trainer you wish to work with, here are a few things you should ask:

  • What, if any, qualifications do they hold?
  • What training methods do they use? Have they explained why they are using a method, what they expect to happen and why this will happen?
  • Are they insured?
  • Are they DBS checked?
  • What size classes do they have?
  • If the trainer is transporting your dog away from home to work with them, what is their transport set-up?
  • Are they Pet/Dog First Aid trained?
  • What sort of environment are they training your dog in?
  • Are you attending the training as well? A large part of the trainer’s job is to train the owner to continue the training when the trainer is not present.

When it comes to qualifications, insurance, first aid training and DBS checks, most trainers are more than happy to show proof of these where needed. Insurance policies should include public liability and professional indemnity. It is worth knowing that a DBS check states the trainers home address, so they may only provide proof of their check in the form of a photocopy with their address blanked out.

Some trainers hold taster sessions throughout the year, which are a really useful way to meet with the trainer – This will give you a much better idea of how the trainer works with the dogs and owners they are supporting on their training journey. If they do not have a taster session in the near future, you may be able to attend a session (without your dog) and observe from a distance. Although class sizes vary for each trainer, The APDT (UK) recommends no more than 8 puppies per instructor and assistant in each session. Sessions should be a calm experience, without lots of shouting or barking and you should get an overall feeling of it being a supportive environment.

As Pet Carers and Dog Walkers, although we are unable to offer training for your dog we are always happy to help reinforce any training you already have in place. For example, if your dog needs a little more practice sitting at the edge of the road before crossing, we can make sure we add this into our walks.