Why is it that just anybody can call themselves a dog trainer?

Question

I have been mentoring for 6 years with a dog trainer who has been teaching and training dogs for forty years and I still have a lot to learn. My mentor has so much knowledge(judges, teaches, knows all the AKC rules and standards and runs obedience programs) but still does not claim to be an expert. I do not understand why with all of the aggression problems and behavioral problems that we see in dogs today why a test or at least some kind of formal education is not required before someone can label themselves a trainer. I think it is crazy that one can just order a correspondence course and in under 6 months brag of certification as a dog trainer.

I only ask because I was at a petsmart and a woman was there trying to get her dog to sit. The dog (not a puppy)was jumping up on people as they walked by(scratched a little girl in the face) and all she did was to repeat sit, sit, sit, so I got tired of watching and I told her that if she wanted the dog to listen to her she needed to give the command once and if he did not do it to help him do it with a pop on the collar and a push on the rump. Well you would have thought I told her to beat the dog, she told me her trainer(petsmart employee) who has been training her dog for six months does not recommend such harsh methods, they use positive reinforcement only and that most people frown on abuse. All I could say is good luck and tell her I hope next time your dog hurts somebody"s child due to your lack of control they do not hurt your dog or you.

Answer 1

"she told me her trainer(petsmart employee) who has been training her dog for six months does not recommend such harsh methods, they use positive reinforcement only"

That is the problem with many trainers these days, they know next to nothing about dogs and behavior and have fully bought into the furbaby training philosophy. You have the force only trainers and the bribe-with-a-treat-never-say-no trainers and so few moderate ones. I don't know why some fail to understand that dogs are individuals. Some dogs will fall apart with harsh methods, and some would just as soon bite as take a treat. I have a very 'soft' girl I have trained offlead with a handful of treats, but I have also worked with many aggressive dogs and to train them with the furbaby methods is, IMO, dangerous.

Petsmart ONLY hires people who don't know anything about training dogs so that they can just tell them how they want it done. They are doing a huge disservice to owners of problem dogs who will likely go home and think "well, we tried THAT".

The problem with licensing is that it would surely be hijacked by HSUS or a similar group, and then the only people allowed to do it would be the furbaby trainers. Like anything else, people need to research before purchasing classes, just as they should before purchasing a puppy or a car.

The trainers with a 'formal education' are usually the crappy trainers and the certificates/diplomas are a joke among many serious obedience people. What matters is years of experience with many different kinds of dogs (although some people are just naturally gifted), titles, the ability to 'read' dogs, and a classful of happy owners!


Lolasmom - "they get a cute doggy (in a sweater) on a gentle leader.......for the rest of it's life"

LOL!!! I couldn't agree with you more! Great post!

Sad for the poor unsuspecting owners who don't know any better though.

I have subbed for a couple furbaby trainers before, and the students were so grateful I could hardly get out the door! Their week 8 was like my week 2!

Fairlyerica must be in the beg and bribe furbaby catagory.

Answer 2

What do you expect from Petsmart?????? Petsmarts hires people without or with very little dog training experience to be trainers. They are put though a Petsmart in house training program for 80 hours at the end of the 80 hours they are tested and awarded the title of 'Pet Trainer"......hence, EXPERTS. I know from first hand (very bad)experience. Any method other than the Petsmart way is bad, very bad. Any one who has trained another method is Bad. You are a real evil one if you have ever trained an obedience ring dog.

The Petsmart method uses no other correction other than a verbal...you know the sound. Collar pops.....don't even bring that up at Petsmart......bad. You will have flaming arrows shot at you if you even say the word PRONG in that place. They don't have a clue that postive training also includes correction. Proofing and correcting......flys right over.

Yes, I agree with you some dogs trained at that place can be accidents waiting to happen. But you have to realize that the customers that train and those places have no clue to what a highly trained dog is really like......they see a 'trainer' in the store with a dog on a gentle leader and think it's wonderful...that's what they want and that's what they get a cute doggy (in a sweater) on a gentle leader.......for the rest of it's life. Whatever.

The first time I went into a Petsmart was to practice. I was heeling.....mind you I hit never below a 196 with this dog.....so you have an idea what my heeling is like. The trainer pointed to me and said in a few weeks you will be doing that to. I almost pee'ed my pants and made some nasty comment ( I was rather insulted by that comment) and left.

Five years later I was a 'trainer' there. I lasted less than 6 months.The woman who was the lead, had two dogs killed because they did not respond to the recalls.....other than that I will not go there. The lead trainer in my store...had less than one year experience and the only dog she ever trained was at......take one guess. They passed the 'test"....got the cert....became experts. I was told out right every one I trained with was wrong (You would not even believe the women I have personally trained with)....and I should forget every thing I was taught.

I was even told I should bring my new pup that I had all ready started for ring there. Yeah, right. I did bring him in.....I was only working him for 3 weeks at that time....'they' all thought he was a well trained dog. In fact, I had a few students in my class fron that visit. Fifteen mintues into the class, the owner said......you don't train your do this way......I said your right I wouldn't train my dog this way. My students all begged me to show them how I really trained and I couldn't. I felt really guilty about all the lies I had to tell, I felt I was selling out on something I really loved.....I couldn't do it.


Are these people dog trainers??? Not in my book. Can they problem solve. Nope. But they are dog trainers......excuse me....Pet Trainers......as they are called. I believe that term is used for the lower standards of training they strive for.

I can go on about this for hours. You and both know what real training is.......go to those places for a laugh that is all they are good for. You summed it.....your trainer, my trainers....are real trainers.......they admit they are not experts....training is always changing, we are all learning new things.....we know one method is not the best for every dog. Go ask the chain trainer who's an expert....right after they try to sell you something they will they they are. ARGHHHH.

Answer 3

With all due respect, I'm sorry to hear that you've been apprenticing for six years and your best advice to a stranger is to use a leash pop and push on the dog's rump. I agree that it's a little unnerving that any old person can hang out a Dog Trainer shingle, but I don't think I'd like to be part of any certification plan that you'd come up with.

Answer 4

First clue
quote
"brag of certification as a dog trainer."

Real dog trainers are not certified. They may well belong to an organization like PRTA ( http://www.prta.net/ ), but their only certifications are the ribbons on their wall.

Answer 5

And I am Queen Elizabeth. The sad part is at least 10 people will believe me.

Answer 6

People like to scam. It's just what happens.