Finding the Right Dog Trainer—Every Owner’s Ultimate Guide

Practically anyone can claim to be a dog trainer, but not everyone can meet your expectations and your money’s worth. When you hire a dog trainer online, you’re practically unsure of what s/he can do for your pet. If you can’t seem to train your pooch on your own, and you think you need help, you should only get a dog trainer based on the qualifications below.

Experience

While this isn’t really necessary, experience does count a lot especially when you’re dealing with a stranger. Make sure that the dog trainer you plan to hire has enough significant experience in the field. If the dog trainer was referred to you by a neighbor, observe how the neighbor’s dog behaves. If s/he still shows a lot of aggression problems, or if s/he still breaks away from the leash every time they’re having a walk, it could reflect very badly on the neighbor.

Be wary of dog trainers that claim to “train with the stars”. This is a common tagline for dog trainers online. Naturally, people would want their dogs trained by someone who actually taught show dogs. However, it’s actually more impressive if you can employ someone who trains police dogs. They’re usually better especially when it comes to teaching your pooch to behave.

Good communication skills

Before employing a particular dog trainer, you should try to talk to him/her first. A trainer who’s too timid or quiet might not be a good trainer for your pooch especially if your pet is slightly aggressive and/or cunning. Choose a trainer who has good communication skills.

Of course, some people are better with dogs than they are with people. If you want to be sure, you can make the dog trainer meet with you and your pet first. If your dog’s reacting positively to the dog trainer’s presence, then it could be a good sign. If s/he’s not getting any respect from your pet, s/he’s probably not the right trainer for your needs.   

Love for dogs

A good trainer would naturally emanate a love for dogs, no matter what breed. This means that before the money or the publicity, your trainer should be interested in your pet first. When the trainer seems to be charging way more than the other trainers, you should think twice about hiring him/her. There’s nothing wrong with making money, but you want your pooch in the hands of someone who’s doing this for the sheer love of training dogs.

If your trainer seems to be a better salesman than he is a trainer, you should be on the look out too. Some trainers oversell themselves and their capabilities. If your trainer is already pulling efforts to network with your and your friends, beware. Good trainers let their show prove their worth first. They don’t usually start off with the big talk.

Certification

Every state or region has its own pet training associations. If you’re still unsure about your choice of dog trainers, you can check with these associations. If your trainer is affiliated with any credible organization of this kind, it’s always a plus point. This just means that s/he cares about his/her job enough to continue studying about it.