I am looking to get my puppy into one-on-one obedience training to learn basic commands and leash walking. But, I know nothing about what makes a good dog trainer. Does anyone have experience with this? What should I look for or what questions should I ask when finding the right dog trainer for my needs?
How Do I Find & Choose A Good Dog Trainer?
- Thread starter Gus Gus
- Start date
There's three top criteria I go by to find a good dog trainer:
More in our article on finding a good dog trainer.
- Your dog should meet the prospective dog trainers before committing to any contracts or work plans. Does your dog listen to and respect them? This is essential for effective training. A suitable trainer is someone who you feel comfortable with, and who your dog abides as well. A dog that is acting out of respect versus fear for the trainer will learn to produce the desired outcome in the future for you and the trainer.
- Do any of the dog trainers you are considering use physical discipline? If so, stay away. Examples of physical training include: yelling, yanking on leashes, alpha rolling (forcing a dog to lie on its back), grabbing the scruff of the neck, kicking, and hitting. These indecent and unethical training techniques can actually make a dog more aggressive and less obedient.
- On the flip side, dog trainers who use positive reinforcement methods and get results are the real deal. These techniques include using dog treats, attention, and praise as rewards for a dog that demonstrates good behavior.
More in our article on finding a good dog trainer.