If you stumbled about this blog, it means that you are a dog person, are soon to be a dog person or have some curiosity about what it means to have a dog. I often say that nowadays, when it comes to finding a good dog professional, it is the wild west out there. Most people find a trainer by simply googling “dog trainer near me” and going on a wish and a prayer that the professional they chose will fit their needs. If one thinks about it for more than a few seconds, finding someone that will create, transform or reset your relationship with your dog should entail a bit more than simply finding a professional that lives close to where one lives. I often say that finding a trainer is similar to finding the right tutor or school for ones children. Yes, the location is important, but the style, essence and ethics of the professional should account for at least the same as the location. Training a dog is not a once and done thing. It requires commitment both from you and the trainer. If the most important thing for you is location, then buyer be ware. As with most things in life; in training, you get what you pay for. So if your intention is finding the best dog trainer to suit your needs, then googling ‘dog training near me’ will not necessarily give you the best results. Maybe switching the search to ‘different styles of dog training’ will provide you, first with many options, but secondly, you will be able to pinpoint the style of training that you are most drawn to. You see, picking a dog trainer near where one lives is relatively easy since training has become ubiquitous. Finding a good dog trainer that will see the relationship (between you and your pup) as a whole is much more difficult. That is where the real search begins.
Nowadays dog trainers are a dime a dozen. You can’t escape from them honestly. Dog ownership has become part of our lives. If you yourself don’t own a dog, you know at least one person that does. In the same token, horror stories about dog trainers and facilities abound. It is a matter of numbers really. Where there is a lot of dog ownership, dog training will follow – this is an unregulated business, that requires minimal investment and has little to none oversight. The burden is on the consumer when finding a professional. Like I said before, during the pandemic dog trainers were considered essential, therefore many, many people became “dog trainers” because they had a difficult dog and were able to manage their behavior to the best of their abilities. So why not make it into a business? The money was was easy and one can google many videos on how to ‘train’ ones dog. It became the perfect storm. Shelters got emptied out since people needed companionship and dogs were brought to homes that were not prepared for a life with another being after ‘life got back to normal’. So, months later, here we are. With many a household struggling to control a dog that was never given much direction or boundaries in the initial relationship and are now struggling to control the same dog. They look for trainers near them assuming it will be an easy search and get overwhelmed by the shear quantity of options. The professional (I use the word loosely) that is closest to them is the one that is chosen. Not the one with the most years of experience or the one that can actually help mend, explain, rework the relationship. Nope, it is the one that is close to where ones lives. My question is, would you pick a restaurant like that and then expect a great meal?
Intentions matter. Yes comfort and ease are important when picking a service. It is much easier to have a trainer that is close by. Yet, if that is the most important aspect of the search for you, then surrender to the fact that you will get exactly that. Not a good trainer, not a great one, simply one that is geographically close to where you live. On the other hand, if the intention is to truly understand and become the best pet parent, guardian one can be, then my advice is to switch what it is you are searching for. If you have been here for a while you will know what I will say, for the newbies here, here It goes: find a trainer that specializes in DOG PSYCHOLOGY. I say this not because I am a master in the field. Having done this for years (almost decades) I can tell you that, not only does experience matters, but also what one is experienced in matters. Dog training entails communication with a being that (no matter what anyone tells you) does not speak our language. Dog Psychology is the best way of understanding ones dog and then opening the communication line. No treats required. No harsh technique, simply good old fashion practice and consistency until you start learning the language of dogs and your dog starts trusting and respecting you. Yes, it is that simple. But it does require learning from one that is fluent in the language to bridge the communication gap.
If that sounds like the type of dog training that you would like than be prepared to go deeper in the search of an expert. Not just anybody. Search for a person that is qualified to help you communicate with your pup. Search for someone that has done this for years (one only becomes a master in any given field after 10,000 hours of practice). Someone that has spent years in the discipline and, at the end of the day, has your and your dog’s relationship best interest at heart. That is the professional that will go above and beyond. That is the expert that has a deep understanding of dog psychology and therefore can be the best translator for the relationship. That expert will be found if you do your research. Not all dog training is created equally, but more importantly not all dog trainers are worthy of the title. Search, research and look for references. Be as diligent as if you were searching for a tutor for your child, that will get you way better results than simply googling ‘dog trainer near me’.
