How to Pick a Trainer
1. Look for a trainer who relies on positive reinforcement for the right response rather than punishing the wrong response.
2. Observe an obedience class without your dog. Are the dogs and people having a good time? Talk with a few participants to see if they are comfortable with the trainer's methods. If you are not allowed to sit in, don't enroll in that class.
3. Don't allow a trainer to work your dog unless he first tells you exactly what he plans to do.
4. Don't be afraid to tell a trainer to stop if she is doing something to your dog that you don't like.
5. Don't let a trainer (or anyone else, for that matter) intimidate, bully, or shame you into doing something that you believe is not in your dog's best interest.
6. Avoid a trainer who offers guarantees for specific results. Such a trainer either ignores or fails to understand the complexity of animal behavior.
7. Avoid a trainer who objects to using food as a training reward. Food is an acceptable positive reinforcement training tool.
8. Avoid a trainer who uses only choke chains. Head collars are humane alternatives to choke chains and pinch collars.
9. Look for a trainer who treats both people and dogs with respect, rather than with an "I'm the boss" attitude.
Finding and Working with a Behavior Consultant
1. Ask about the consultant's academic training in the science of animal behavior, as well as his hands-on experience.
2. Ask about the consultant's certification--it indicates that the individual has met strict requirements in terms of educational experience and professional ethics.
3. Look for a consultant who recognizes the importance of you working through the problem with your pet rather than sending him somewhere to be "fixed."
4. Ask if the consultant is an active member of any professional organizations. Membership suggests communication with colleagues and an interest in keeping current on new information.
5. Ask for professional references (e.g., from former clients, colleagues, and veterinarians who refer cases).
6. Assess whether the consultant is knowledgeable about positive reinforcement methods, behavior modification techniques, such as counter-conditioning and desensitization, and how to use food and humane products, such as head collars, in her work.
7. Look for a consultant who will treat you with respect and is not abrupt or abrasive.
8. Avoid a consultant who guarantees problem resolution. Animals are complex beings, and no one knows everything there is to know about them.
9. Avoid quick fixes and any consultant who promotes them. This approach does not do justice to you or your pet.
10. Beware of a consultant who suggests the use of drugs as the first or only solution for a problem. Drug therapy is best used as part of a complete plan. (Only veterinarians can prescribe drugs.)
* Reprinted by permission from the book Pet Behavior Protocols by Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D.
Items in this list are modified from those developed by S. Hetts, appearing in C. Rosenthal, 1996, Beware the dog trainer! Advocate 14 (2/3): 16-7. Reprinted by permission of American Humane Association.
2. Observe an obedience class without your dog. Are the dogs and people having a good time? Talk with a few participants to see if they are comfortable with the trainer's methods. If you are not allowed to sit in, don't enroll in that class.
3. Don't allow a trainer to work your dog unless he first tells you exactly what he plans to do.
4. Don't be afraid to tell a trainer to stop if she is doing something to your dog that you don't like.
5. Don't let a trainer (or anyone else, for that matter) intimidate, bully, or shame you into doing something that you believe is not in your dog's best interest.
6. Avoid a trainer who offers guarantees for specific results. Such a trainer either ignores or fails to understand the complexity of animal behavior.
7. Avoid a trainer who objects to using food as a training reward. Food is an acceptable positive reinforcement training tool.
8. Avoid a trainer who uses only choke chains. Head collars are humane alternatives to choke chains and pinch collars.
9. Look for a trainer who treats both people and dogs with respect, rather than with an "I'm the boss" attitude.
Finding and Working with a Behavior Consultant
1. Ask about the consultant's academic training in the science of animal behavior, as well as his hands-on experience.
2. Ask about the consultant's certification--it indicates that the individual has met strict requirements in terms of educational experience and professional ethics.
3. Look for a consultant who recognizes the importance of you working through the problem with your pet rather than sending him somewhere to be "fixed."
4. Ask if the consultant is an active member of any professional organizations. Membership suggests communication with colleagues and an interest in keeping current on new information.
5. Ask for professional references (e.g., from former clients, colleagues, and veterinarians who refer cases).
6. Assess whether the consultant is knowledgeable about positive reinforcement methods, behavior modification techniques, such as counter-conditioning and desensitization, and how to use food and humane products, such as head collars, in her work.
7. Look for a consultant who will treat you with respect and is not abrupt or abrasive.
8. Avoid a consultant who guarantees problem resolution. Animals are complex beings, and no one knows everything there is to know about them.
9. Avoid quick fixes and any consultant who promotes them. This approach does not do justice to you or your pet.
10. Beware of a consultant who suggests the use of drugs as the first or only solution for a problem. Drug therapy is best used as part of a complete plan. (Only veterinarians can prescribe drugs.)
* Reprinted by permission from the book Pet Behavior Protocols by Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D.
Items in this list are modified from those developed by S. Hetts, appearing in C. Rosenthal, 1996, Beware the dog trainer! Advocate 14 (2/3): 16-7. Reprinted by permission of American Humane Association.
