How to Recognise a Good Dog Trainer 3/3

A Dog Trainer to Avoid

When choosing a dog trainer to hire, there are some “red flags” you should pay attention to.

A Dog trainer who says and does the things on the list below should be avoided:

• Use of phrase ‘Pack Leader’.

This may seem like a strange thing to consider a problem, dogs are pack animals after all. Becoming your dog’s pack leader to gain better control of your dog makes sense. And unfortunately this is what helps selling this type of trainers. But in most cases the use of this phrase shows a common lack of understanding about canine behaviour.

Of course we should provide leadership to our dogs, but it’s not provided through forcing, discipline and “using the pack leader energy” or what ever they call it. Leaders are followed because it’s beneficial to follow them. A good pack leader provides food, safety, entertainment, exercise, boundaries and love. When your dog gets all those things from you they choose to follow you without you having to do much about it.

Another reason to avoid dog trainers that use ‘the pack leader’ method is that, in my opinion, it’s an easy way out for them. If you fail with your training they can tell you that it’s because of you’re not the pack leader. They don’t have to question their abilities as a trainer, because they have an easy way out leaving you feeling like a failure.

Given the recent debates within the dog training world over the dominance and pack theory, dog trainers still using this phrase are almost always traditional, old-school trainers. Even if they may not know or admit it themselves.

• Suggestion that your dog is being ‘dominant’.

Again, this is another “easy fix” for the trainer. It’s most often used by punitive trainers as a catch-all root of every behaviour issue. The truth can be very different, however, and a misdiagnosis of ‘dominance’ as your dog’s problem can cause more harm than good.

• Use of shock, prong or choke collars.

If your dog trainer suggests you use one of these punishment-based cruel devices, run away and don’t look back. These “training” tools have been proven by science to be less effective and cause more damage than positive dog training tools and techniques. And don’t fall for it when people say these things don’t hurt dogs, they absolutely do. Try one, I dare you.

• Use of techniques like kicking or ‘poking’ dogs, leash jerks or physical punishment of any kind.

Any trainer who uses these techniques is an old-school trainer. They continue to use punishment based dog training instead of positive reinforcement. Positive dog training works on all dogs no matter the breed, age or drive. And it works on all canine behaviours, so there’s no need to physically punish your dog. Positive dog trainers will teach you an alternative non-physical discipline, like removal of good things, time-outs and withholding of rewards.

• Anyone that offers guarantees.

The cold fact is that there are no guarantees in dog training. Dogs can never be 100% predictable, so there’s always a chance that unwanted behaviour may resurface. Trainers offering a guarantee regarding dog training either don’t understand dog behaviour or are only interested in making money.

• A trainer who’s not interested in your dog’s history.

In order to successfully address any problem behaviour, one must first fully understand the reasons behind it. The only way to understand why a dog is behaving a certain way is to gather as much history of the dog as possible.

It’s better to stay away from trainers like these. No matter who recommended them and no matter how great their reputation is in your area.