You’d Better Watch Out: Choosing a Dog Trainer in an Unregulated Industry

Whether you need help training a puppy or an adult dog, your “professional” options will run the gamut. photo: AdobeStock

Dog training's dirty little secret is that the field is entirely unregulated. No state or federal certifications are required, and literally anyone with a pulse can create a website, print up some business cards, and call themselves a dog trainer. Licensing and accreditation are required in most other professions, from electricians to psychologists, but in the world of "professional" dog training, it's a free for all.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are nearly 36,000 animal trainers in the United States. There are also hundreds of dog training schools and accreditation organizations, but there are no specific requirements to become a dog trainer. Someone calling themselves a "professional dog trainer" may have zero formal education in the field other than watching YouTube videos. They might have taken a six-week online course for a couple of hundred dollars, been mentored by an experienced trainer, or they might have graduated from a school like the Academy for Dog Trainers, a two-year course with a $7,500 tuition cost. The fact remains that there are no gatekeepers so buyer beware. 

While years of experience in one's chosen profession is often assumed to be an indicator of expertise, this is only sometimes true in a field like dog training, which has seen an explosion of research on how dogs learn in the last two decades. Old-school trainers using outdated methodologies from the 1980s and 1990s should not be considered industry experts. Dogs have not changed, but our understanding of how animals learn has. Proficiency takes years of experience in any profession, but steer clear of trainers whose only claim to expertise is that they've been in business for a long time and have trained thousands of dogs. Trainers who are not up-to-date on current science and studies are just as dangerous as those with no experience at all. 

There's No Such Thing as a "Dog Whisperer"

It takes many years and countless hours of practice to master any skill, whether it’s playing the violin, excelling at a sport, or training dogs. That’s why it’s important to beware of the cult of personality and to ditch the idea that certain people have some particular quirk of character that makes them a natural dog trainer. 

Although good dog training can look like magic, training any animal in new behaviors is a technical skill. In fact, it is more science than art. Compassion, patience, and a love for animals are certainly prerequisites, but a thorough understanding of the science behind how animals learn is a necessity.

The physical mechanics of dog training also take a lot of practice. Your dog responds enthusiastically to a professional trainer because good trainers are predictable, have clear expectations, good timing, a high rate of reinforcement, know how to read canine body language, and employ effective environmental management. 

Your dog will also respond quickly (but probably not enthusiastically) to a trainer who uses punishment, fear, or force. Aversive dog training methods do work to change behavior. For example, a shock or prong collar will decrease unwanted behaviors; but while aversive tools and techniques may show quick results, the fallout for you and your dog is well-documented and it isn’t good. By contrast, a preponderance of research and recent scientific studies show that reward-based training - without corrections or punishment - is effective, humane, and does not jeopardize your dog's physical or psychological welfare.

But if you don't have the time or interest to keep up with current science, at some point, you’ll have to decide which methods and training tools you feel ethically comfortable using with your dog. Are you okay with using pain or force if it means getting a better-behaved dog in the short term? While most of us would like to rely on knowledge and logic, for many, it’s an emotional and moral decision: do the ends justify the means when it comes to our companion animals?

Do Dog Training Methods Matter?

We love our dogs and want what's best for them. So naturally it can be frustrating, embarrassing, or even dangerous if your dog is misbehaving or causing problems. While many dog owners sign up for a puppy class or an introductory training course when they first get a dog, a good majority only reach out to a trainer once they're at the wit's end about their dog's behavior. Some don't care what training methods are used as long as they see results. Others may not know that there are vastly different approaches and just pick the trainer with the most Yelp reviews.

Currently, there is a raging debate in the dog training community between trainers who use positive reinforcement methods (training without punishment, force, fear, or pain) and "balanced trainers" who use corrections, punishment, and aversive tools like shock and prong collars but also give praise and treats. While there are plenty of outspoken "crossover trainers" (trainers who have switched from using aversive techniques to using only positive reinforcement), in the end, it may be the consumers who decide which direction the dog training field should take.

Trainers who rely on force, fear, or pain understand that dog owners are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with these methods. As a result, balanced trainers often use smoke and mirrors to hide that part of their protocol involves using punishment. They may advertise that they use positive reinforcement, but a deeper dive reveals that they also use punishment and force. 

Here are a few red flags and tell-tale phrases to watch out for when seeking a trainer:

• Focus on years of experience rather than education or credentials

• Pictures on their website or social media of dogs wearing prong collars or shock collars

• "Guaranteed results"

• “Boot camp” or “results in X number of weeks”

• Uses "all methods"

• "Alpha/pack leader/dominance/leadership/authority"

• "Every dog learns differently"

• "E-collar/training collar/stim/static shock/remote" 

• "Commands, leash corrections, obedience"

• Doesn’t use food or play in training or calls using food "bribery"

Similarly, here are some tools and methods used by “balanced trainers” that should alert you to their reliance on aversive training techniques: 

• Choke chains

• Prong collars

• Shock collars (also known as e-collars)

• Anti-bark collars (electrical, ultrasonic, or citronella)

• Electric fences

• Taste deterrents

• Scat mats

• Water spray bottles

• Cans filled with coins

• Alpha rolling

• Ear pinching

• Forcing or pushing a dog into a position

• Leash popping/leash corrections

Dog training is an unregulated and expansive field. There are many different approaches to training, but you are your dog's best and only advocate. The methods used might not matter to you, but they will definitely matter to your dog. It’s up to you to do due diligence before hiring a trainer.