If you are looking for a dog trainer who is highly qualified and teaches professional positive dog training, your best bet is to talk with your veterinarian. I am not suggesting that your vet is a dog trainer, however, he or she is probably the best referral source that you can find. You can expect complete honesty about their recommendations because these doctors have been working with pets all of their lives and know a great number of dog breeders and dog trainers.
If your vet does not have a suggestion for you than your next step would be to phone local dog breeders for their suggestions. Just like veterinarians, dog breeders have a passion for their animals and would only refer to you as somebody that they trusted in having a history of positive dog training.
When You Find The Trainer
Do your best to locate more than one professional dog trainer to talk with. Finding as many as four or five is advisable because you can successfully interview them all and have a better chance of choosing one you feel comfortable with. Remember, your puppy or adult dog is a loving member of the family and you want his training to be fun and positive, especially when it is under the instruction of a third person.
One of the first things I look for when talking with a dog trainer is to see if he or she offers any type of guarantees. Ironically, as opposed to most products and services that we are looking for, you want a trainer to AVOID giving you a guarantee on the outcome of your dog's behavior after going through the training classes. This is because it is impossible for a guarantee to exist when it comes to dog training. And there are some dog trainers out there who offer a guarantee just to get your money. You are looking for honesty here.
Try To Find A Private Dog Trainer
Although private dog trainers are a bit more expensive and are not always accessible in all areas, if you can find one that fits within your budget and is near your home then I say go for it.
Private trainers make their living by offering training classes inside the owner's home. It just doesn't get any better than that. You have the comfort of knowing what is going on when your dog is being trained and I have never met an in-home dog trainer that wasn't a professional and enjoyable person to hire for the job.
Return to the Dogs article menu...