There are so many people out there offering dog training and behaviour services that it can feel very overwhelming! Follow this advice to make sure you’re getting the best value for money and the best chance of achieving your training goals
What’s the difference between a dog trainer and a behaviourist/behaviour counsellor?
The Animal Behaviour and Training Council defines a trainer as someone who ‘works directly with an animal to train them to carry out required behaviours’. These ‘required behaviours’ include general obedience and basic life skills: sitting on cue, walking on a loose lead, recalling etc. They might also include skills required for sports like agility, flyball or formal obedience. A behaviourist or behaviour counsellor, on the other hand, is someone who works with the owner and their dog to address unwanted behaviours, including all types of undesirable, inappropriate, problematic or dangerous behaviours. Behaviourists work on vet referral only; this means your dog will need to be examined by your vet first, as many problem behaviours are caused or affected by underlying medical issues.
All that said, there is one thing that both professions have in common: neither of them is regulated. Essentially this means that any old person with no qualifications or experience can turn around tomorrow and say they’re a ‘dog behaviourist’! There are pros and cons to regulating professions which I won’t go into here, but what this means in practical terms for you as a dog owner is that you cannot simply assume that someone who says they are a dog trainer or behaviourist will do a good job at helping you and your dog. So what other criteria can you base your decision on?
Training methods: ‘force-free’ versus ‘balanced’
One way you could distinguish between different professionals would be in terms of the training methods they use. Two commonly used labels are ‘force-free’ (also referred to as ‘positive-reinforcement-based’) and ‘balanced’. But what do these labels really mean and are they useful in helping you choose the right dog professional? Let’s start with force-free. All this means is that the professional in question avoids the use of any physical or psychological punishment or coercion in their training. Instead, they shape behaviour by showing the dog what they want using a variety of methods and then rewarding them for that behaviour with food, toys or something else. This is not the same as ‘bribing’ the dog (e.g. waving their favourite food around in order to get them to come back to you); the reward is delivered after the behaviour is performed, and then gradually faded out so that the dog will reliably do the behaviour even when they are not rewarded every single time.
‘Balanced’ trainers also use positive reinforcement, but in addition they may use physical or verbal ‘corrections’ to punish behaviour they don’t want. Some balanced trainers may also use tools such as choke chains, prong collars or slip leads. Personally I don’t opt for this approach; causing my dog physical pain, however minor, simply doesn’t sit right with me. However, I don’t believe the constant mud-slinging between the two sides is particularly helpful to either’s cause. Just because you disagree with someone doesn’t mean that you can’t learn from them! For example, I would never use a choke chain on a dog, but that doesn’t mean someone who does use them or has done in the past wouldn’t have useful advice to give me on a particular positive reinforcement technique. Ultimately it’s all about the outcome: if the end result is that the dog performs the required behaviour and their welfare is not negatively affected, then it can be argued that the intervention has been a success. However, using a choke chain with extreme physical force on a dog who ends up utterly terrified as a result is not good training.
Questions to ask yourself when choosing a dog professional
Whatever method a person uses, it ultimately comes down to their skill at training dogs whilst also ensuring their welfare. But how can you determine how skilled a dog professional is if you’ve never worked with them before? Below I have compiled a list of the most important questions you should consider any time you’re thinking about hiring a dog professional.
What experience do they have? Does their website say how long they’ve been working in the industry? What is the nature of their dog training and behaviour experience? Or, if they’re just starting out in the industry, what relevant handling and training experience do they have? If your dog is experiencing a specific issue such as separation anxiety, you may also want to look for a trainer who specialises in that area.
What qualifications do they have (if any)? Are they a member of a professional association? This will give you a good idea of whether they have a solid understanding of the science behind how dogs learn. It’s all well and good a person knowing how to apply training methods, but they won’t have much success if they don’t understand how they work and why. Remember: the profession is not regulated so anyone can call themselves a trainer or behaviourist, even if they don’t have a proper understanding of dog behaviour.
Do they have knowledge of and/or experience with your specific breed? Every breed is different, and training techniques that work with one breed may not work so well with another. That’s why it’s important to make sure the professional you work with either already understands your dog’s breed characteristics and how best to channel those, or will at least do their research and not just apply a blanket method across the board.
What are you getting for your money? It’s impossible to forget that we’re in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, so watching the pennies is more important than ever. That said, rather than picking a trainer or behaviourist based on who is cheapest, you would be well advised to consider which one offers the best value for money instead. I know of people who have paid almost £200 for a training session, only to receive a few vague hints and tips and never hear from the person again. Things you might want to ask are: will you receive a written training plan after the session? Is the person available to provide email or telephone support between sessions in case you have questions or experience problems? Will they check in regularly to see how you’re doing?
Have they been successful in the past? Ultimately, a trainer or behaviourist’s skill is reflected in the outcomes they achieve. Don’t be afraid to ask whether someone has worked with a case like yours before and what the result was. Reviews on Google or Facebook are a good place to look too.
If in doubt, ask!
The main message I’m trying to get across here is that you owe it to your dog to make sure that anyone who you hire to work with them will do the best job possible. Even well-meaning advice can have disastrous consequences if it is not appropriate for a particular dog! I am always open to people asking questions about how I train and why, and I believe that every dog professional should do the same. To find out a bit more about me, my experience and qualifications, and my training ethos, check out my About page or send me an email – I’d be happy to hear from you!