10 TIPS ON FINDING A GREAT DOG TRAINER

Training is a fun part of having dogs in your life! I encourage people not to see training your dog as something to tick off a list as done. Our dogs’ needs and behaviours change throughout their lives as they grow older and the world around them changes. Make it fun for everyone, and you won’t want to stop!

Playing training games together is one of the best ways to build and maintain your relationship with them. It’s an important part of being a responsible dog parent / guardian / owner, as well as providing brilliant mental stimulation. By making training games part of daily life, you can have a calm and happy dog at the heart of your family.

Take the time to find the right trainer for you and your dog or puppy.

1. To start off  – do you need a dog trainer or a vet behaviourist?

You can think of a dog trainer as a teacher or a coach. They can help identify the problems you’re having, teaching you the skills you need, and coaching you through what you need to do.

A vet behaviourist is more like us seeing a therapist. This may be required for more complex behavioural issues.

There are dog trainers like me, that work on behaviour issues, including dog and human reactivity, general anxiety, abnormal repetitive behaviours, and separation issues. Do research and ask what their experience is of the areas that you are looking for help with.

2. Do I like them?

Most trainers will be happy to have a brief chat with you about how they work and whether they are right for you. Do you like their style? Does it ‘feel’ right?

You will be trusting their skills in helping you with a member of your household/family. Who you chose is an important choice to make.

If they won’t talk to you before booking, or you don’t ‘gel’ with them when you do talk, I’d walk away and talk to other trainers until you find one that feels right.

3. Are they qualified?

The industry is currently unregulated; anyone can call themselves a dog trainer. There are many different courses that dog trainers can study, many offering great training. Do some research and find out what training they have undertaken. Have they done any studying in the last few years? What we know about dogs is changing all the time.

What experience do they have and is it relevant to what you are looking for (puppy training or help with a nervous rescue dog)? All dogs are different, but knowing if they’ve worked with lots of puppies, or sighthounds or herding breeds, for example might be what you are looking for.

What do other people say about them? Look at their reviews on Google or Facebook from recent clients. Or ask for recommendations from other doggy people that you trust.

4. What methods do they use?

There are too many stories of pup parents unwittingly going to trainers who use out-of-date or harsh training methods. This includes all forms of punishment or aversive training (this includes prong collars and shock collars, citronella sprays, alpha rolls, rattle cans etc.).

Dogs can be scared into changing their behaviours, but this can be very damaging to your relationship with them. It might stop them barking and lunging in the moment, but it hasn’t changed the way that a dog feels.

Please ensure only kind and positive training methods are used.

5. How do they teach?

With the pandemic, many new alternatives to in-person training are now open to you. Think about how you like to learn and what your budget is.

1-2-1 training is obviously more expensive than a group or class session. But 1-2-1 training can be completely tailored to you and what you want to get out of it. Ask about how big the in-person classes are? Generally classes of 6 to 8 dogs are plenty big enough.

6. Have you thought about on-line training?

If you haven’t considered on-line training, it can be very effective via video conferencing platforms like zoom. The trainer can demonstrate with their dog or show you videos as they explain the training. You should also be able to try the training yourself and get feedback on how it’s working for you and your dog.

On-line training can work just like an in-person session. But you have the added advantage of learning in an environment that isn’t full of distractions. This is really beneficial for puppies and dogs that find group classes or public spaces exciting or scary. Another plus is not being hampered in bad weather!

On-line training can also be recorded so that you can rewatch the session or share it with other people in your household so that everyone can be consistent with your dog.

Stay and train holidays can be a great option. You can combine a holiday in a lovely location with dog training that’s tailored to you. I’ve used Devon Dogs and had brilliant experiences every time.

Mention my name – Niki French – if you get in touch, you may get something extra! https://www.devondogs.co.uk/

There is also residential training, where your dog goes to stay and is trained by professional over a period of days or weeks. Do remember that this isn’t ‘quick fix’. If your dog reacts to certain situations in and around where you live, when they are with you, the new training won’t necessarily change how they respond once they are back in familiar surroundings.

7. Staying in touch?

Does your trainer encourage you to give them updates and come back to them with any queries? All dogs are different, and training normally needs to be tailored to each dog (and their human) and how they respond to the training.

The trainer may be happy for you to send them videos of how your training is progressing to give you feedback. I certainly love getting these updates from my clients.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. There is no such thing as a silly question if you don’t know the answer.

Other useful information

8. Is the whole family on board?

Consistency in dog training is important. Your dog is learning all the time, whether you are in ‘I’m training them’ mode or not.

Assuming not all of the family can take part in the training sessions, it’s a good idea to teach them what you have learned to make sure the dog’s training can involve the whole household.

9. Is it too late to start training my adult dog?

You absolutely can ‘teach an old dog new tricks’. Whether you’ve rehomed or rescued an older dog, or you want some help with training your existing adult dog, rest assured, with the right training, all dogs can learn, at any age.

It’s actually really helpful to keep training something new to keep your dog’s brain active as they become older ‘senior’ dogs. Like us, the phrase ‘use it or lose it’ applies.

10. Could there be an underlying medical issue?

Please note: If there are any sudden changes in your dog’s behaviour a vet check is always advised to rule out any medical issues before you commence a new training plan. There could be pain or discomfort that is causing a change in behaviour.

I work with people on-line all over the world. You can book a FREE 15-minute discovery call with me to see if 1-2-1 training or my membership can help you get the calm and happy pup that you dreamed of.

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=18730091&appointmentType=17828172

If you’re looking for direct support that’s affordable, Pup Talk The Pack is for you. This is my membership programme for dog lovers who want to be part of a community where they support each another through the wins and the wobbles. You also get regular live Zoom Q&A sessions to chat directly with me about your specific challenges. Plus, expert sessions, extensive library of training games and loads more.

You can find out more here – https://pup-talk.mykajabi.com/the-pack