How to Choose a Dog Trainer
Consider More than Price when Choosing a dog trainer.
Before you make a decision based on pricing alone, consider this:
There are many dog trainers out there, with a wide range of philosophies, styles, personalities, and methods. Pricing ranges from the cheapest 'big-box' pet store classes to high end boot-camp style in-kennel training programs. With such a wide array of choices, how do you pick which trainer to use?
Do you choose by price alone? If you do, you may be missing out. Just like everything else in life, with dog training you get what you pay for. That doesn't mean that just because someone charges a lot they are good. But anything of value has a price attached to it. Different types of dog training operations have different pricing structures based on their operating costs, overhead, payroll, etc. Someone who is charging a low price and who is not making a living off of dog training may not be very experienced or knowledgeable. True Professional dog trainers are businesspeople who charge a fair price that covers their costs, as well as makes them a profit. If they don't make a profit, how can they stay in business, gain experience, and grow as a trainer?
There are a lot of so-called 'professional' trainers out there who are really amateurs. If you have to make a living by training dogs, then it is a profession. If your trainer does it part time, it may be a labor of love. But it may also be a trainer who does not have the investment in being a true professional.
Of course there are other variables. What mode of training does each trainer use? There are trainers who exclusively do group classes, those who only do in-home private training, there is in-kennel training, and private training conducted at the trainer's facility. There is not a correct answer to which mode of training works best for you. A good trainer offers a variety of options to suit your needs. Most dogs and owners get farther in private training than they do in a group setting. Even if a group class seems to be a better value than more expensive private training, consider the amount of one-on-one time you get with the trainer during the course of the training.
If a group class costs $80, and there are eight sessions, the cost is $10 per session. If there are 10 people in the class, during each one hour class you can potentially get six minutes of one-on-one time with a trainer. Over 8 sessions you get a total of 48 minutes of on-one-one time with a trainer, so you are paying approximately $100 per hour for less than one hour of real time with a dog trainer. If you go with a private trainer who charges $100 for one hour, you get a lot further in one session than you did spending eight hours over eight weeks. Which is the better value? Which gets you better results? Most pro-trainers do private training either in your home or at their location, as well as in-kennel training, and most offer group classes merely as a followup support tool for you to make use of after initial training is done.
Another big question when choosing a trainer is what is their training philosophy or method? There are a wide range of training philosophies and methodologies out there. I'll be blunt, most of them are misinformed, gimmicky, or incomplete. There are many trends in dog training today, and everyone makes a different claim, so how do you sort out which trainer has 'the right solution?' The answer is that there is not one correct solution or method that fits with every situation and every dog. Beware of anyone who uses only one technique, or who claims that all dogs can be trained with their 'revolutionary' new training method. Also beware of people who claim a scientific approach, but who do not get results quickly.
The truth is that the science shows that a balanced, integrative approach to training achieves the best results. What does that mean? It means that for over 100 years now science has done thousands of studies about different ways to get dogs to perform tasks for us and to fit into our lives well. Has your trainer read the actual scientific studies? Or has he or she just read the popular literature? The trend in dog training today is to use only 'positive' or 'clicker' training and to avoid any use of aversive methods. But the preponderance of evidence shows that a balanced philosophy using both appetitive and aversive methods gets the best results in the shortest period of time. Beware of trainers who put down any technique that they do not use. You want a trainer who is open to giving you the tools that are going to work in real time, now, for your dog. You don't want to get stuck with training for the future that does not give you the tools you need to manage your dog's behavior NOW.
So how do you sort out all this info and make a decision? You ask questions and you go with your gut. Which trainer did you 'click' with? Did they answer your questions on the phone? DId they seem professional? Did they seem knowledgeable? Did they have an open mind to different training techniques? Do they seem to like dogs? Did they seem honest, or like they were just trying to get your business? Do they only use one method or tool? Perhaps most imporant, do you think they can get you the results you need in the shortest period of time, maximizing your dog training investment?
A real pro trainer can get you results in a short period of time. They are skilled in a wide range of techniques, and can apply one that works for your dog, rather than trying to fit your dog to their technique. A real pro trainer can deal with MOST problems within five sessions. Beware of people who string you along and can't even give an estimate of how long it will take to achieve specific results. My first experience with a trainer was with a person who kept people coming back week after week for years at time at $45 a pop. She had a real racket going but didn't get results because she only used one method and tried to get everyones dog to perform using that one way.
A real professional trainer will also admit their limitations. They will also admit when a technique or method they chose is not working, and will change tack to try to bring the training back on course and get you the results you need. No one gets it right the first time or every time, and a good trainer knows this. They will not blame you if you are not getting results, they will seek a different way to approach the problem. A good trainer is a professional, and takes responsibility for everything that happens during the training session.
Finally, make sure you like the person. While you're not forming an intimate relationship, you need to be able to work with this person for several hours. You need to trust that they have not only the dog training skills, but also the people skills necessary to coach you how to get great results. They need to be patient and compassionate, and you need to trust them. If you have a gut feeling that something isn't right, go with it. Choose someone you feel comfortable with. Check references. Actually contact those references. And ask to see the trainer work their own dog. If their dog isn't highly trained, how are they going to train your dog? If they won't show you a demo of their dog in action, just pass them right by.
Did you know that you should try not to repeat commands? Learn from Comet Canine's dog training tips and advice in our online dog training articles.
