Finding the right trainer can be difficult. Not only are you trusting this professional with one of your most valued treasures (your pup) but you are trusting that the professional knows what he or she is doing. Today I was talking to a lady about her mid size dog. She has owned this dog for 2 years. She stated that the problems were as follows; her dog counter surfs, it barks when people come to the door, and it gets “protective” in her car. She described this behavior as her dog barking when people approach close to the car. She said that she has had a trainer come to her home and do 6 one on ones with her over the last two months. Each one on one was a minimum of an hour and a half. According to this lady she has paid the trainer over one thousand dollars in fees and the dog is no different now then when they started training. The first thing I asked her was “did you follow what this trainer was telling you?” She responded in the affirmative, that she “followed everything to the letter”.
Do you see anything wrong with this picture?
Let’s look at the problems first.
The three issues she listed usually are not difficult issues to deal with. With a few simple techniques, some counter conditioning, consistency and some basic behavior modification, these issues are fairly simple to fix. One could question why it would take a trainer six one on ones with each one on one lasting at least an hour and a half to deal with these issues.
I believe that this thought process is fair. If these are the issues that are being faced, the solutions should be readily presented and set up in anywhere between one and two visits.
One could suggest that maybe the lady was not following through with things and therefore it was taking longer to deal with. I would also agree with this but I still do not think this gets the trainer off the hook. I believe that as a trainer you have a responsibility to the client to point out if they are not following through on things and if that continues to let them know that the sessions are over. A trainer needs to recognize that maybe their instruction process is not working and that it is time for the client to try something else. To continue to take money from a client when things are at an impasse like this is, in my opinion, irresponsible.
So what are some of the things people should consider when researching a trainer?
- Look at the trainer’s qualifications and experience. What is their background? What is their training? Where do they work? How experienced are they? One should look for a trainer who has some kind of background in psychology, animal behavior preferred. The person should be well versed in both obedience and behavior modification. They should work for a reputable business preferably for a number of years.
- What types of training does the trainer offer? Look at what they teach. Things like obedience, tracking, flyball, etc. Is the training based in positive reinforcement methodology? Are there supplementary activities that the trainer offers that will reinforce the training they are giving you. Does this type of training mesh with your thought process and beliefs?
- Ask for references. A trainer should be able to readily produce people they have worked with, preferably ones that are facing issues similar to the ones you are facing. Those people should be able to giving glowing references for the trainer.
- Does the trainer practice what they preach? This can be a more difficult one to grasp but if I am going to look for somebody to help me with an issue in life, I want that person well versed in the issue and be able to offer me living proof that they can deal with the issue. Some ways to analyze if your trainer is that type of person is to ask if the trainer owns dogs themselves. Are these dogs that had their own issues? Does the trainer work closely with rescues and different groups? Will the trainer bring his or her own dogs with them to help with your dog? What type of hands on practical help will the trainer offer you?
Do not be afraid to ask questions. Ask for references, check out the trainer’s website. All this information should be readily available to you. If it is not, it is a good indication that the person is probably not the right trainer for you.
At the end of the conversation I had with this lady, she did ask me most of these questions. She also asked how long it would take for me to fix the issues. I responded that I was not going to be the one to fix her dog, that is her responsibility but that I could show her how. I explained that if what she is saying is accurate and that these problems were the only issues and that if she followed through on everything I said, that it should take one or two visits and she will be well on the road to changing things around. I assured her that while the issues would not be “fixed” with the visits, that the ground work would be set for her to see changes and she would see progress. She seemed pleased with this and we have a one on one set up for next week. I will let you know how it goes.
Update:
This was written three weeks ago. We had our initial consult and visit. We set up a behavior modification plan based on the issues she described and which were readily seen during the visit. I am happy to report that she told me the counter surfing has stopped, the barking at the door has ended and while the car issue is still an issue, it is getting much better and she is actually enjoying car rides with her dog