Ask the trainer about the specific methods that they use.

If you are worried about the side effects of shock collar training, you need to know ahead of time if the trainer uses shock. If you are against putting your dog on drugs, it’s important to know if the trainer supports or recommends drug therapy. Be bold and ask the trainer about their methods. They will be handling your dog, and you must support their methods.

Watch out for trainers who need to do an in-home evaluation.

An experienced trainer can evaluate your situation with a few simple questions. A free in-home evaluation is usually a ploy to get face-to-face with you. It’s much easier to sell you on a service that way. A trainer who isn’t willing to quote you their price over the phone may have a reason for that.

Be careful of trainers who charge an hourly rate.

The goal of an hourly rate trainer is to charge you per behavior. This can get very expensive very quickly. You should spend 6 to 10 hours with your trainer for a good training program.

We recommend avoiding classroom training.

We’ve tried it in the past, but it could be more effective. A dog tends to exhibit very different behaviors outside of their home and in a classroom setting, they can be distracted or stressed.

Also, you will find that you are paying for a trainer whose time is split between multiple participants, and they can easily become focused on the one or two problem students in the class and you and your dog become secondary.

Ask questions.

Do you charge travel fees?
Are their additional session costs?
Are you going to send me to PetsMart every time you recommend a new training device? Are you going to slam my dog’s head in a door?
Will I always have the same trainer?

These are all valid questions, and a reputable trainer will not be afraid to answer them for you.

Be aware of a trainer’s credentials.

Sadly, our industry does not have any licensing or certification requirements. The IACP (the International Association of Canine Professionals) is the closest thing we have to a self-policing organization. Ask potential trainers about their qualifications. We are Professional members of the IACP. To earn this status, you must have at least five years of dog training experience and prove it. Most other dog training organizations are fee-based memberships, and anyone can join.

We are also certified evaluators for the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen program. This also requires a level of experience and has testing requirements. It’s something other than what you can buy.

Do your homework.

Do some investigation on any company that you are thinking about hiring. Check sites like Kudzu.com, MerchantCircle.com, DexKnows.com, RipoffReport.com, and Local.Yahoo.com. And check with the Better Business Bureau. If the company is not listed or considered an actual company, you may hire a hobby trainer or someone who does it in their spare time. That’s not a real dog trainer.

Lastly, find a trainer that you enjoy talking to.

You will work closely with your trainer and share your dog’s successes and failures. Make sure you have found a trainer who communicates well with you and is willing to discuss why their methods work and what they do if your dog needs to respond better to a certain method. Some trainers are locked into one way of doing things and need help understanding or accepting that only some methods work with every dog. They should always be willing to discuss alternative methods with you.