There is no license for dog trainers and anyone can print business cards claiming to be a dog trainer. Love of dogs is a good starting point, but not enough. To find the best dog trainer to teach house manners or to rehabilitate behavior problems, check with your veterinarian, with friends who have been satisfied with their experiences, and do an internet search. Then check the credentials of the trainer. A good place to start is with the trainer search at the Council for Certified Professional Dog Trainers. www.ccpdt.org. CPDT’s must have instructed over 300 hours, get references from a colleague, vet, and client and that’s just to take a rigorous exam. If they pass the test, they must earn Continuing Education Units to maintain their CPDT standing. It is this requirement to continue to study the science of dog training that differentiates the amateur from the professional. Scientists are studying dog behavior and learning fascinating information about how dogs, and other animals learn. Dog trainers should attend conferences, seminars, webinars, tele-courses and read books and watch video about how to handle the problems their clients present. They should consult with other trainers to bring the best possible solution to a dog training problem.
Another source for a trainer search is the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, the APDT. www.apdt.com. There is no requirement to join APDT such as the CPDT exam, but membership implies a certain commitment to learning. The APDT holds an annual conference. Take a look at some of the topics for this year’s conference in Atlanta. Both organizations are committed to both factual and experience-based learning. Ask a potential trainer what the last seminar was s/he attended. Ask what books they’ve been reading. And of course, ask for references.
Why should you care if all you want to do is teach your dog to stay or not beg from the table? Because HOW you teach him that can have negative repercussions later. If your dog develops very serious aggression or anxiety problems, you might need a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants http://www.iaabc.org. Or even a veterinary behaviorist, but there are only 50 of them. They are the most highly educated and can prescribe medications as well as a training protocol. Central Florida has two.
Email the Dog Training Examiner for their contact information.
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