You’ve chosen your dog to be your companion, right?
So when you look for a dog training class, whether for your puppy or an older dog, you want one which will enrich your relationship and make you better friends.
You may think that if only your dog could be taught to sit, to stay, to come when called . . . everything would be right as rain. But there’s an awful lot more to it than that!
Mothers understand that their child will not learn if he’s not happy in his school. The ambience and approach must be right.
So it is with dogs.
If your dog - your chosen companion! - Is to learn, she must be in a happy environment which is conducive to learning.
This specifically excludes
Being stuffed in a strange room with a huge number of noisy, anxious, over-excited dogs 😱
A “trainer” who grabs your dog and manhandles her 😱 😱
You, her owner, getting shouted at and abused 😱 😱 😱
The use of any aversive equipment (choke chains, prong collars, electronic torture devices) 😱 😱 😱 😱
The use of aversive methods (yanking the lead, pushing, prodding, shouting, rolling, intimidating) 😱 😱 😱 😱 😱
Imagine you’re that mother looking for a school for her child. If you visited the classroom and saw any of the above - not only would you be out of there in an instant, but you would be reporting the school to the authorities!
So why on earth do civilised people accept this kind of thing for their dog’s learning?
My guess is that they believe hundred-year-old old wives’ tales about how dogs should be treated, and they have watched television programmes starring brash tv personalities who have no dog-training qualifications whatever. Those programmes are made with the sole intent of shocking, and boosting the ratings for the tv channel.
Or maybe the trainer is authoritarian and bossy and makes them distrust their own better judgment?
So to avoid these horror-classes, what can you do?
1. Research diligently. Ask specific questions about the methods used, the numbers in the class, any equipment you may need. You are looking for the words “force-free”. (Beware: “Reward-based training” is not enough, as there are plenty of ‘trainers’ who give a treat with one hand and administer an electric shock with the other. They like to style themselves “balanced trainers”.)
Check on the trainer’s credentials and check their memberships out carefully. Here you are looking for APDT(UK) (Association of Pet Dog Trainers UK), CBATI (Certified Behaviour Adjustment Training Instructor), IMDT (Institute of Modern Dog Training), KPA-CTP (Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner), APBC (Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors), VSPDT (Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training), PPG (Pet Professional Guild), ABTC Registered Animal Instructor (Animal Behaviour and Training Council) - any of these indicate that the trainer is entirely force-free.
2. Visit the class (without your dog) and spend a full hour watching and observing closely. If a visit is not allowed, discard that class entirely and look elsewhere.
You are looking for relaxed, happy, owners and their families with relaxed, happy, and engaged dogs.
Individual tuition with adaptation of the exercises to accommodate shy dogs, boisterous dogs, barky dogs, etc
A calm and attentive atmosphere with NO shouting
Small numbers (6 to 8 is good) with plenty of space between them
An indoor location (particularly important for puppies)
A structured class with variety
Reference to the class resources
A welcoming atmosphere with questions freely answered
If it’s a good class, you should come away having learnt a lot!
3. If your dog is already anxious or reactive you need to double down on all your research. The wrong ‘trainer’ can make everything so much worse!
4. Follow your gut feeling. Can you see yourself enjoying six of these sessions? Can you see your dog enjoying six of these sessions?
Yes - that is a lot to consider.
But there’s a lot at stake.
You are going to live with your companion dog for 12-15 years. Do you really want someone to mess up your relationship permanently in a matter of weeks?
For force-free training you can totally trust watch our free Workshop on getting your dog to LISTEN!
And if becoming a wonderful trainer running wonderful classes is what you’d love to do, check out this post. How can I ever become a dog trainer?
