Finding a dog trainer

If you don't know how to train your dog then you will need to get help from a local dog trainer or dog behaviourist, but how do you know which will be best for you and your dog?  As a general rule, if your dog is generally well behaved but just hasn't learnt basic commands yet then a dog trainer is the right choice for you, if however, your dog knows the basic commands but won't do them then you need a dog behaviourist.

Finding a dog trainer or canine behaviourist to suit you can be a little daunting, but here are a few tips to help you choose..  

Firstly, make a list of all the dog trainers/canine behaviourists that come to your area, you could check the yellow pages, the internet and the local paper, also pet shops, grooming parlours and boarding kennels, and you should also ring your vet and ask them if they can recommend anyone or if there is anyone you should avoid.

Once you have a list prepared, try to find out as much as you can about them, look on their website, if they have one and/or phone or e-mail them - do they seem friendly and are they interested in you and your dog.  If they run classes you should arrange to visit a class so that you can get a feel for them and their training methods.

Some questions you should ask:

	How much will the training cost and what does that include? Is that the price you will pay or will there be additional costs added such as travel expenses?
	Are you likely to need further training sessions and how much will they cost?
	Will all training techniques be fully demonstrated by the trainer/behaviourist?
	If you have more than one dog - will they have to be trained separately, will this affect the total cost?
	Can the whole family be involved?
	An, most importantly, what kinds of training techniques do they use?  Are they kind on the dog?

1-2-1 Training Vs Classes

There are advantages and disadvantages to both and the one that is right for you will depend entirely on you, your dog and your budget. 

Training classes are going to be, in most cases, much cheaper than 1-2-1 training, this is because you are sharing the trainers time with several other people and their dogs.  The draw back to this is that it can be very hard to get any personal attention and the training technique used will be the same for everyone, 1-2-1 training means that the training can be tailored exactly to meet yours and your dogs needs.  All dogs learn at different rates and this can be frustrating if your dog is particularly fast or slow at picking things up as you will always be out of sync with the rest of the class.  Training classes are great though for socialising and they also give you an incentive to keep the training up between classes as you will have to go back next week and show off what you have been practising. 

If your dog needs to learn more than basic commands, maybe he is excitable, dominant or anxious then you should really consider 1-2-1 training at home, as often it is less an issue of training and more a change in your behaviour that is needed.

Different Training Techniques

There are many different types of training techniques, including treats, clickers, attention and praise and self reward, and most dog trainers and canine behaviourists will be able to demonstrate more than one, it doesn't really matter what techniques you are using as long as you are consistent with it.  However, you should never use training techniques that cause a dog fear or pain, not only are they likely to cause more problems in the long run than they solve, they are also cruel and completely unnecessary.