When Looking for a Dog Trainer, Caveat Emptor

Lately lots of people have been looking for dog trainer recommendations for their sweet new “pandemic” pup or adult dog. I always urge people to do due diligence when looking for a trainer, even for recommendations that they get from friends or family. Why? Caveat emptor.

Naturally, as a child of ’70s television, that phrase takes me back to the Brady Bunch episode where Greg buys a real lemon of a car from a friend, who uses evasions and euphemisms such as calling it a “classic”. Later, Greg gussies up and tries to unload this hunk of junk on a friend using the same less-than-honest language. While at first Greg takes the wrong lesson from Mike Brady’s lecture on caveat emptor, or buyer beware, he eventually can’t bring himself to run the same scam on his friend.

What has this got to do with dog training?

The same principle of caveat emptor, or consumer awareness, applies. There are no regulations or licensing requirements for dog trainers in the US whatsoever. Anyone with zero education or educational credentials can call themselves a dog trainer. Unlike with used cars, no lemon laws apply.

Credentials matter in dog training. In my state, professionals from barbers and electricians to attorneys and daycare providers need professional licensing. I always tell people that if a potential trainer has no educational credentials, keep looking.

Because of the lack of regulations around the dog training industry, there isn’t a whole lot of consumer-specific advice out there about how to choose a good one.

At my alma mater, the Academy for Dog Trainers, our standards are science-based, peer-reviewed research that supports training methods as well as transparency and euphemism-free training. We don’t consider the unknowables, such as what a dog might be feeling or thinking or pondering when it engages in behavior. We look at what the dog is doing, behavior we can quantify, and start from there.

Buyer Beware

Most dog trainers fall into three categories:

1. Those who use positive-reinforcement, force-free training
2. Those who use punishment-based training, typically employing physical force, shocks, prongs, and choke collars. These folks usually call themselves “traditional trainers.”
3. “Balanced” trainers, who may elect to use either method

Helpful reading for items 2 and 3: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2017/10/what-is-positive-punishment-in-dog.html

In the spirit of caveat emptor, I encourage people to start by asking any prospective trainer:

1. Exactly how will you train my dog?
2. What tools will you use?
3. What will happen when she gets it right?
4. What will happen when she gets it wrong?

So if you were to ask me the questions above, I’d reply:

1. We’ll build behavior by starting with the easiest steps that your dog can do now, and increase difficulty at your dog’s pace.
2. We’ll use very special food treats to motivate and reward your dog — or toys and playtime, if those are more rewarding for your sweet pup.
3. When your dog gets it right, she gets a treat and we move on in the training plan. The foundation of our training is rewarding behavior we want to see more of.
4. When she gets it wrong, we drop to an easier step in the training plan until that’s solid, and then move ahead again.

Here come the euphemisms

Ask these questions of “traditional” or “balanced” trainers, and here is where the euphemisms can start to multiply. They may answer number 2:

I will use a special collar to correct your dog. (Nice-sounding euphemisms for this special collar: a “correction” or “training collar” that delivers a “stimulus to get your dog’s attention.”)

Caveat emptor translation: I will use a tool that gives your dog an electric shock or which I pull on to choke him.

And number 3:

When your dog gets it right, we move on to the next step in training.

Caveat emptor translation: sounds okay, but if your dog is choked by a prong collar until he sits, the next time he’s asked he might do it more quickly to avoid being choked. Or he may need to be choked many times until he sits.

As for number 4:

When your dog gets it wrong, I will correct her. The euphemism: she will get a “correction” or “stimulus” using the training collar.

Caveat emptor translation: I will give your dog an electric shock or choke her by yanking on her collar to let her know she did the wrong thing. (See number 3, above).

What you don’t know can hurt your dog

As Mike Brady explained to Cindy and Bobby, caveat emptor means “Them who don’t look sometimes get took.” Rather than fall for famous names, best-selling books, and vague phrases, dig into what the trainer does. If you were buying a used car or a new fridge, you’d do no less. So do your due diligence, ask questions, and if you don’t like the answer or get some fuzzy euphemisms, ask follow ups or just keep looking.

Daily Zen Dog Training is a force-free, positive reinforcement dog training service specializing in problem-solving for people and their beloved canine companions. Owned by Janice Zazinski and based in Medford, Daily Zen Dog Training currently holds all one-on-one training sessions live and online. Visit Daily Zen Dog Training for more information!