Today I had an experience that was both extremely gratifying and yet heart wrenching at the same time.

I met with a family that was literally in deep depression because they had previously met with a trainer that strongly advised them to put down their dog as "aggressive". After personally working with the dog for about an hour, I came to a very different conclusion. Yes, the dog had previously bitten and yes the dog was fearful of strangers. However, in working with the dog, in a non-confrontational manner and judging the commitment of the family to follow through with my recommendations, I feel very optimistic that today I have saved a dog's life and spared a family from the grief of putting down their very lovable family dog.

I am a darn good dog trainer/behaviorist. I have paid my dues by working in the trenches for over three decades with literally thousands of dogs. My learning experience has included being bitten, mauled and in the hardscrabble process of learning my craft, to pretty much think like a dog.

But I make no claim to being in any way unique. There are literally hundreds of trainers with similar backgrounds that go out every day and save dogs.

What is heart wrenching is that there are also thousands of young trainers who enrolled in a dog training "college", got a worthless certificate and now call themselves dog trainers or even the lofty sounding title of animal behaviorist. There are others that purchased a dog training franchise and went through a quickie course that might have been adequate for making hamburgers but was generally inadequate for dealing with the intricacies of canine bevhaior. Trust me, you don't learn dog handling by going to school or attending seminars with real dog trainers. I personally have a Bachelor of Science Degree and credits toward my Master's Degree. I am a published author on dog behavior. But what I do was learned by actually doing, not schooling.

Previously, dog training was learned by pleading and begging for an experienced dog trainer to take you under his wing as an apprentice. You spent as much time fetching coffee and sandwiches as you did actually working with dogs. You picked up poop, ran the family errands for your trainer and were generally treated with less respect than the dogs. However, you got a real education. Eventually, your trainer would let you handle progressively more difficult cases and evaluate your progress. The old trainers were a crusty bunch and generally your evaluations would begin with the word "moron" and conclude with the suggestion that maybe I should consider a career at MacDonalds. But this was how dog trainers were molded and it worked.

I don't criticize continuing education. I too, attend seminars and devour every new dog training book or theory that tackles some problem related to my profession.

Before you dismiss my experiences as simply the rambling of a dying breed. Let me share some dark secrets about my profession.

 

 1. There are no legal requirements to be a dog trainer. There is no such thing as a licensed dog trainer.

 2. There is really no such thing as a certified or master dog trainer. In fact, a trainer who touts his certifications is likely trying to gloss over a lack of practical experience. You will almost never hear of a top training professional (think Cesar Milan) state that he is a "certified" trainer.

3. Dogs training schools certify trainers for a fee, there are organizations that certify trainers for a fee, but the only common denominator is that the dog trainer has paid the certifying organization a very profitable amount of money.  

4. Just like all professions, some dog trainers are ethical and knowledgeable, while others are con artists that will try and extract your last dollar by using your love for your dog as leverage to pick your pocket.

5. Also, just like all professions, you will generally pay a premium for the services of a true professional. If one trainer charges $10 per hour and another charges $100 per hour, there is usually a very sound reason. Generally the reason is is that the ten dollar trainer may commit you to endless, worthless training whereas the true professional can often resolve the problem in one meaningful visit. Remember, penny-wise and pound foolish.

6. Dog training classes are useless for most dogs. Most dogs exhibit behavioral problems (jumping, nipping, etc.) as well as not obeying commands. The dog probably will behave differently in a class than in its home environment. You and your dog will be best served by individual instruction in your home. Private lessons are the wisest long term training investment.

So what do you do? You love your dog. You want to help your dog. How do you find that ethical and knowledgeable trainer that can literally save your dog's life?

I have talked about how things worked in the past. But our current age of technology offers a common sense approach. Just like you found this article on the internet, you can find reviews of every dog trainer and dog training service on the internet. Discount the reviews you read on the trainer's site. Be a skeptic. Visit Yahoo, The Better Business Bureau, Chicago CitySearch, Google reviews, Insider Pages..... there is a wealth of real people talking about real experiences with dog trainers and if it helped or hurt them. This will tell you much more about the trainer than any listing of seminars attended, certifications they paid for or how much they love their family.  

Many of my colleagues in dog training will send me the inevitable flood of nasty emails for my decidedly non politically correct views. However, if it saves me from hearing of some wannabe dog trainer advising a family to murder a dog that can and should be saved., I'll take the abuse with a smile.

Sandy

Perfect Manners Dog Training

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