Finding and Picking a Dog Trainer
When picking a dog trainer, there is so much you have to filter through. For the average owner, I imagine that it can be a very overwhelming process. There is so much you have to think about when looking for a trainer and it can be such a huge decision.
What questions should I ask? What should I be looking for? How much should I be paying?
I will prepare you, this is a pretty long blog post, but this is all of the information that I think would be helpful for you in the process of finding a trainer. And hopefully, this will help you whittle down your choices early on in the process. I promise it’s worth the read!
Here are some of the things you may look for when choosing a trainer;
Prices. How much should I be paying for training?
Program types. Should I do a board and train, or are private lessons better for me? Group lessons?
Types of training. Some trainers say you have to use corrections in training, others say corrections are never necessary.
What kind of boundaries should I be using? Some trainers say getting on the couch and bed is fine. Others say you should NEVER let your dog get onto furniture.
Should I use treats? Some trainers say you should always have treats on you. Others say treats are nothing more than bribery.
What about a training guarantee?
Outings during training?
Where are dog’s kenneled when staying with the trainer?
Every trainer is going to do and offer something a little different than the next. You will never find two trainers who are identical in everything that they do. Although this can make finding a trainer tricky, it also offers such a wide variety of options for you to choose from.
That is why doing your own research is always SUPER important. Personal research will help you figure out how you would like to train and what kind of trainer you may want to seek out. Blindly working with a trainer without asking the right questions may set you up with someone who is not a good fit for you or your dog. The more educated you are on the topic, the more able you are to weed out any automatic “never in a million years'' trainers.
What else can you do to figure out if a trainer is the right pick for you?
For starters, come up with a list of questions you may have for the trainer. Here are some you could always ask.
Experience / background (remember that certifications are great to have but they don’t always trump over experience)
How do they punish your dog for unwanted behaviors
Where do the dogs stay if you are doing a day training or board and train program
Do they do outings in public
What all comes with specific programs (if I do a board and train, do I get any refreshers or private lessons after)
What vaccines does my dog need to have to train with you?
How do you train/methods used
How many dogs are in your care per trainer at a time
You could always ask whatever questions you would feel necessary, but these are just some to give you some ideas.
I want to start out by going over my personal beliefs and ideologies as a trainer, as well as some of the decisions I make for my business. While I won’t go into extensive detail on everything, hopefully you will be able to get a good picture on how we train here at BBK9 and hopefully this will give you a baseline in what to look for in the trainer you choose.
Prices
I know this can play a role in what trainer you may or may not pick, so I wanted to give you some insight on why some trainers seem to cost so much. My prices are a reflection of my experience, time spent with your dog, time and money spent on outings, money spent on training supplies, and the competitive market around me. My business is a full time job for me, so just like so many other business owners, I must also charge enough to keep the lights on. Unlike trainers who house dogs at a facility, I spend 24/7 with your pup. They are in my constant care and I am currently my only employee. Meaning every time they eat, go to the bathroom, make a mess, get training, need water, need extra potty breaks, or go outside to play I am involved. While your dog is with me for training, I do not go home and forget about them until the next day. Throughout the first few days of every dog's stay, I often check on them throughout the night to make sure they are comfortable and safe in their kennels.
I am also putting myself at great risk working with behavioral cases, which is why they tend to cost much more than regular training cases. Even the most cautious trainers get bit, and one bad bite could put me out of work.
You can also think of the time and money that goes into schooling and earning certifications. Good dog trainers aren’t cheap, and cheap dog trainers usually aren’t very good.
Program Types
Although I do offer multiple other options, the main programs I offer as a trainer are board and trains. This is because board and train programs are personally my favorite. I feel as though I can make so much more progress with my board and trains than I can during a private or group lesson. I personally do not want to plan my day around traveling to and from multiple private lessons either.
Many times, people argue that board and train programs are a bad idea because it leaves the owner out of the training process. This is not a concern of mine. I spend ample time with owners and give them multiple opportunities during and after training to work with me free of charge. Anytime you take a dog to a board and train type program, I personally believe that they should include 1-2 private lessons after your dogs stay free of charge. (that should not include your go home or halfway lesson)
Although private lessons and group lessons are a good option for some owners, many people do not have the time, patience, or finances to keep up with the consistency and skill level needed in the beginning stages of training. Now this doesn’t mean that owners get their dog back after training and never have to work with them again. Just like working out, you have to continue to work with your dog to keep their “brain muscles” strong. If you stop working with your dog after training, odds are they will resort right back to their old behavior problems.
What type of trainer am I?
I am a balanced trainer who uses corrections when they become necessary. I am not the type of trainer who is going to throw a prong or e-collar on every dog and I will take the time to teach your dog what the correction means. I have to have a reason to use a corrective collar, whether is is to benefit you or your dog.
I use treats for every dog that comes into my care, but we do work towards not needing to use them all the time. I will always encourage owners to use rewards of any kind for your dog all throughout their life, but I do not want your dog reliant on having a reward to listen. The way I look at it is, you go to work every day but only get paid every week or two. There is not a paycheck physically in your bank account every day after you go to work. You have to work towards your paycheck. Same goes for dogs and their rewards as we progress in training. Although you're not seeing a reward right now, that doesn’t mean you will never get one.
At the same time, I am not a permissive trainer. I do not allow your dog to get away with unruly or dangerous behaviors.
I am not a positive reinforcement based trainer. For context, what is a positive reinforcement based trainer?
Other names for these types of trainers are fear free, reward based, science based, and many others. These are trainers who do not believe in using corrections or aversives with dogs.
Why do I feel the need to bring these types of trainers up?
Most science based trainers are completely against the use of any aversive tools, and tend to resort to medication, isolation, or euthanasia to deal with some problematic or difficult behavioral problems. Many of them tend to be very uneducated on balanced trainers and their methods. You will also see them often use scare tactics to exaggerate how balanced trainers actually train by using lots of emotional language and anthropomorphizing of dogs. This is done as an attempt to deter you away from balanced trainers since they personally feel as though our methods are barbaric. So I feel it is appropriate to discuss how I train and why reward based training may or may not be a good fit for you. Certain methods work better and faster for certain dogs, and I do not want you to feel guilt tripped into picking a method that doesn’t work well for you, your dog, or your lifestyle.
Now hear me out, I do not care if you choose to go the positive reinforcement based route. If you have the time, finances, patience and type of dog that works for this training type, by all means go for it. There is nothing wrong with this as long as you find a good trainer and are ok with any lifestyle changes that may come from this. The only style of training I will ever tell you to always stay away from is compulsion based training.
But let me make this very clear. There is no scientific consensus on whether aversions actually cause physiological damage to your dog. All living beings go through some kind of negative experiences in their life. Consequences give every living thing a reason to not do something, and sometimes natural consequences are not enough to deter a behavior, especially those that are self rewarding. Consequences are a natural part of life.
Experiencing stress is also a natural part of life. Learning to work through stress in a healthy way is a huge part of growing and learning. Imagine if you never pushed yourself or your kid to do things that caused them to feel uncomfortable or a little stressed. You are failing them (and yourself) by not preparing them for the real world. No matter how hard you try, you will never remove stress from the world.
If you find a balanced trainer who truly knows what they are talking about and doing, you will not see them with a dog who is stressed due to handling.
Here is a good way to look at corrections. Is it better to have a few, quick uncomfortable moments in your life, or is it better to live in a prolonged state of anxiousness and uncertainty. And if using a specific tool allows you and your dog to live a better lifestyle with more peace of mind, why would you be against it.
What is a compulsive trainer?
A compulsive trainer is a trainer who does not consider the emotions of the dog, and who jumps to using corrections. They do not use corrections in a appropriate manner, and base their training more off of fear and compliance rather than actually teaching the dog what we want them to do. This method can also be called dominance training, alpha training, or yank and crank dog training. You may notice that a lot of them tend to not use treats since many of them believe food is just bribery. I will never recommend that anyone take their dog to these types of trainers and I will do everything in my power to deter you as far away from them as possible. But how do you tell that someone is a compulsion trainer?
For example, let’s say you take your dog to someone to work on leash pulling. If the first thing they do is put a prong collar on your dog and start yanking them around instead of using food and guidance, run far away. This is a compulsive based trainer. A trainer should be establishing a fair and clear foundation before resorting to correcting the dog.
While dog training doesn’t always look pretty, there is never an excuse to jerk a dog around and bully them.
What kind of boundaries do I recommend?
I am not the type of trainer who will tell you to never allow your dog on the couch or on your bed unless there is a behavioral reason. I understand that your dog is a part of your family and you want to treat them as such. I also acknowledge that your dog getting on the bed, getting on the couch, pulling on the leash, or jumping on you is not because they are trying to dominate you. Very few dogs are actually dominant towards people and they display dominant behaviors in a much different fashion. Some trainers will claim this is dominance because they do not have a good understanding of actual dog behavior.
Do you offer a training guarantee?
If you ever go to a trainer who 100% guarantees that your dog will be behaving in a specific way in a specific time frame, run very far away from them. This is especially true for behavioral cases.
Behavior is not something we can put on a time frame. We can give you our best guess from experience as to where your dog will be, but there should never be any guarantees. This is why I (and some other trainers) have the option of adding on extra time if we do not get our desired results in time.
Training can only be 100% guaranteed in a specific time if you push the dog too hard and rely on excessive aversions to force the dog to comply. This type of training will never last and your dog will probably start displaying problem behaviors very quickly once they get back home.
Going on outings.
Personally, I believe that every trainer should be taking their client dogs on outings during board and train stays. Without removing them from their facility, we are not generalizing the behaviors we are teaching. This could mean that once the owner gets their dog back, the dog may not act appropriately at home or in public. How could we expect them to if we never prepared them for it?
Where are dogs’ kenneled while staying with you?
For me personally, I have a large detached garage outside of my home that I keep all dogs kenneled separately in. It is heated, cooled, and we keep multiple fans running to create air circulation. On top of that, we constantly run an air filter to cut down on dust and dander. This is where all training dogs stay at night, unless there is a reason for them to stay inside of my home. Throughout the day, the dogs spend a lot of time inside with me even when we are not actively training. This helps build expectations for how I expect them to act in their own home.
Why do I not keep dogs in my house?
I have a couple of personal reasons for this. My main reason for this is to give me a separation between home life and business. My secondary reason is to give my personal pets a break and to ensure their safety. I have some personal pets that training dogs might not be friendly with or might endanger. I own two parrots and two cats that live 24/7 in my home. I will never allow my own animals to feel in danger or constantly stressed in the safety of their own home.
Want to learn more about us and how we training? Click the box below.
So how do you go about finding and picking out a trainer?
A big part of finding a good trainer for you and your dog comes down to how you would prefer to train your dog and the behaviors you are wanting to fix.
What are some things you can look for?
All of the stuff I listed above are things you could ask a trainer. One big question I will always tell you to ask is “Can I come see your facility?”. No trainer should ever have an issue with this. If they seem the least bit hesitant, I would recommend crossing them off your list and finding someone different. But if they do allow you to come see their facility, what should you be looking for?
One of the big things to look for is cleanliness. Are they cleaning kennels between every dog? Does the facility and animals within it look well taken care of? Are the dogs kenneled separately or together? (dogs, even from the same home, should never be in the same kennel) If it is a large facility, how well are they staffed? How often are the dogs kenneled throughout the day? (your dog should not constantly be in the kennel if they are not actively being trained throughout their whole stay)
Ask them what kind of vaccines your dog will need to have when they come for training. Rabies, bordetella, negative fecal, negative heartworm test, up to date on preventatives, and DHPP are the big ones they should be requiring (be sure to think age appropriate). Remember that your dog will probably be around other dogs and you don’t want them exposed to diseases. A quality trainer will not house or train dogs who are not up to date.
This one may be a personal opinion, but I would like to see training videos on social media. Especially before and after videos. I want to see dogs who look like they are enjoying the training. (Be mindful that this isn’t always the case for more anxious dogs.) I want to see dogs open up while in the care of the trainer and I want to see positive behavior changes. I don’t want to see a prong collar or e-collar on every single dog. If you do see an training collar on every dog in their care, I would ask them why they use them on every dog.
How do they reward desired behaviors? All trainers should be using rewards throughout the training process. Rewards are anything your dog finds motivating such as food, toys, or affection. It can be anything the dog wants to work for. When implemented correctly, rewards should not be bribes for desired behaviors.
Ask them how they correct dogs for unwanted behaviors. The goal of a correction is not to scare or hurt your dog. The goal is to make the behavior less desirable by making performing that behavior uncomfortable. If a trainer uses bonkers (usually a rolled up towel used to hit your dog), penny cans, hitting, kicking, alpha rolling, or any other unnecessary methods, run far away. This goes for the incorrect usage of prong collars, e-collars, harnesses, slip leads, flat collars, martingales, or head-halti’s as well. If your dog is yelping, peeing themselves, or shutting down when being corrected by a tool, it is not being used properly. Always remember that the tool isn’t doing the abusing, the person holding the leash is.
Do they offer updates? Updates are a good way to keep track of how your dog is behaving, progressing, and doing overall. I personally send photo and video updates at least 3-5 times a week. I do text updates daily to every other day. Visible (photos and videos) updates of your dog are good because you are able to see if your dog is losing an unhealthy amount of weight, if they are being kept decently clean, and allows you to see how your dog is acting during training sessions.
Do they use rewards for training? If a trainer tells you that they do not use rewards for training, do not use them for a training service. It is not fair to expect our dogs to constantly work for no reason, especially in the beginning stages. Would you go to work for free?
How do you know what type of program would be good for you and your dog?
Although I know that not everyone can afford the price of a board and train program, they are often a good pick for many behaviors and owners. But there are some behaviors that can be helped through group or private lessons. Here are a couple of things to think about when picking a program type;
How long has the behavior been able to be performed
How severe/dangerous is the behavior
How in depth is the training process going to be
Are you prepared to handle all of the training process
What type of behavior are we fixing
Personally, I do not do private or group lessons for reactivity, any type of aggression, or if the dog has multiple problem behaviors that need to be dealt with. I do not feel as though you can properly give the appropriate information, specific enough for the owner and their pets in group lessons for most reactivity and aggression cases.
For private and group lessons, I will work on behaviors such as leash pulling, nuisance or demand barking, cooperative handling, basic obedience, puppy behaviors, and destructive behaviors. (think simple and not dangerous behaviors)
Which program I recommend to an owner will come down to owner preference and how difficult the behavior is going to be to fix. You can make the decision yourself by thinking about how much time you have to do the initial training, if you truly think you are prepared to work with the behavior problem your dog is facing with just an hour or so of weekly guidance, as well as how financially prepared you are. You also have to plan for the fact that many trainers are not going to deal with certain behavior problems in group or private lessons.
Although board and train prices can be a lot up front, you may end up paying more in the long run for private lessons with less progress. No matter what program you end up choosing, remember that you will always have to keep up with maintenance training.
How do you pick what style of training would fit you best?
In the end, this will be a deciding factor that you have to make yourself through doing personal research. Everyone has different opinions on how they would like their dogs to be handled and treated. I personally am a believer that balanced training is the better choice for most owners. Balanced training creates a much clearer picture for the dog, and many times the owners. Although incorrectly timed and performed corrections can negatively impact your dog, a quality trainer will spend time with you to teach you how to correctly implement corrections in an appropriate manner. Keep in mind that rewarding your dog incorrectly can also reinforce the wrong behavior.
Reward based training often takes longer to see behavior change, so you may need to be more prepared financially and have ample time and patience for training. Remember, just because something takes longer to pick up or understand doesn’t necessarily mean it is going to be retained any better.
A good difference to think about is that using corrections gives your dog a reason to think about not performing a behavior and by rewarding our desired behavior we increase the likelihood of the dog making the right decision. There is a balance.
With reward based training, the dog doesn’t understand what we don’t want them to do because we never tell them “hey, don’t do that”, they only understand what gets them rewarded and what doesn’t. For some dogs, that's more than enough. They are so motivated to earn a reward that they don’t think about making the wrong decision. For others, it is not enough to only tell them “yes” and you may find yourself in a constant battle of finding a higher motivator or avoiding triggering situations to keep them from performing the undesired behavior such as reacting. This is also why I say that positive reinforcement based training tends to take much more maintenance.
What kind of training does this trainer specialize in?
Many people don’t realize that trainers can specialize in different avenues of dog training. There is such a plethora of types of dog trainers that it is easy to lump them into one. Some trainers do and can successfully specialize in different areas of training, but it’s never a bad idea to ask about their speciality.
For example, these are all different types of training specialties:
Pet Obedience
Competitive Obedience/Rally
Agility
Scent Work
Service Dogs
Behavior Modification
Extreme Behavior Modification
Frisbee
Trick Training
Tracking/Trailing
Therapy Dogs
Seeing Eye Dogs
Protection Training
Field Dogs
Retrieving
Conformation Showing
Dock Diving
Puppy Training
Search and Rescue
Many trainers specialize in multiple areas of training. For example, I specialize in obedience, puppies, behavior modification, and service work. I feel confident training obedience for all ages, training dogs for service work, and doing moderate to severe behavior modification. At this time, you will not see me take on any extremely severe behavior cases such as human aggression. This is because I am not yet equipped or experienced enough to handle this extreme of a dog. And by accepting that, I can do what is right by my clients and send them to a trainer who can properly help them.
If you take your reactive dog to a trick trainer, odds are they aren’t going to be much help to you if they don’t specialize in that behavior.
Do they offer consultations before training?
Although this may not seem like an important step, this is a vital part of the process. Consultations not only give you and the trainer a chance to meet before actual training begins, but it gives your trainer a chance to meet your dog and see the behaviors they are presenting as well. This will help make sure your dog is getting placed in the appropriate program for the behaviors they are struggling with. This may not be as important for younger puppies, but if you dog is displaying any kind of severe or dangerous behavior problems, you should always have a consult before training. Often times, phone call consultations give us as trainers enough information to know if we will need an in-person consultation or not.
It’s ok to take reviews with a grain of salt.
Although I am SO thankful to everyone who leaves me reviews, there is nothing wrong with still wanting to ask questions. Good reviews are the perfect start to finding a good and trustworthy trainer, but it does not mean they would make a good fit for you! Everyone probably can think of a time where they did business with someone who had impeccable reviews, but you felt as though the service you received was subpar. This is because every person has different values and goals. What one person may see as perfect training or care may not be good enough for you. And that is ok. That is why it is so important to find someone who fits you well and to do research.
Remember that dog training is an unregulated industry. This means anyone with any amount of knowledge could open a dog training business. Since there are no strict regulations on how dogs must be housed or cared for, you always want to check out the facility you are leaving your pup at. Always trust your gut. If you get the instinct that something feels off, don’t feel the need to continue to work with that trainer.
Now I want to note that I didn’t make this post to scare you, overwhelm you, or deter you from reaching out and getting training help. I did want to open your eyes to the world of dog training and give you a good place to start when looking for a trainer in your area. Knowledge is power, and the utmost care should be taken when dealing with a living creature.
I hope this post was able to help you gain some confidence in making the right decision!
Want to start your own research? I recommend your first step to be to figure out what style of trainer you would like to work with. This will help you weed out unwanted trainers much faster!
To give my above statements some credibility (and to help you decide), here are two other blog posts regarding training methods. These are both pretty in-depth reads, but may be interesting to those who enjoy this topic.
