Choosing a Dog Trainer

Certified or Licensed Dog Trainer? What Does it Mean?

It’s important to know that there are only two types of licensed dog trainers: Guide dog trainers, who train Seeing Eye dogs for the blind, and Sentry dog trainers who train police dogs. These two are the only types of dog trainers licensed by the state. ALL other trainers are unlicensed. Defining a “certified dog trainer” is a bit ambiguous at this time. What I mean is that there are many trainers who simply decided to become a dog trainer, who have little—or a lot—of experience, and perhaps went to a school to get certified. Since there are no universally accepted standards for becoming a pet dog trainer, the field is wide open to anyone who feels they possess some knowledge of dog training and wants to be called a dog trainer.

Schools that offer dog-training certification programs are neither licensed nor registered with state or federal agencies. Those that offer dog training programs and award titles such as APDT, CCPDT or IACP have come into being in the last 14 years. They were started by a group of dog trainers who formed an organization and developed a “certification” test for trainers.  The testing requirements are a set of standards that dog trainers came up with based on their own ideas and education. While this is a good attempt to regulate the field of dog trainers, completing the program does not guarantee that the end result is a qualified dog trainer. I am in favor of these organizations’ attempts to try to create some ethical dog-training standards. At the same time, it’s important to understand that these are organizations whose membership is based simply on paying dues to belong. They neither endorse nor follow up on any of their members.

One might wonder about dog trainers like myself who have been working in the field far more than 14 years. Exceptionally experienced and qualified dog trainers often choose not to become “certified” since these degrees are not based on universally adapted and agreed-upon standards by any state or federal agency.

The best advice I can give? Listen to your intuition: Is the trainer coaching you about dog behavior and leadership and how to be a leader?  Or is she focused only on teaching obedience commands? If you want an in-depth study of dogs and their behavior, choose wisely, and remember—training should be fun for you and your dog!

Call:   707-601-3332
Email:   jill@shewhisperer.com