Please be careful where you take your dog training or behaviour advice from. Even if that person says they’re a dog trainer.
I cannot tell you how many times I have worked with a wonderful new client who wants to do right by their dog, that have seen multiple people in the past, but been given really terrible advice. Advice that has been emotionally damaging for the dog, overlooked important causes for the dog’s behaviour such as pain, and resulted in worsening behaviour & relationship breakdown. It isn’t the clients fault because it is so easy for people to use words like “behaviourist”, “expert”, even “positive” (the amount of “positive” videos I see where the dog is stressed out of their mind and being punished left right and centre…please look deeper than this word). I’m always so grateful when these people come to me, but the truth is, we have to work through things that wouldn’t have been an issue if it weren’t for the bad advice from beforehand. It takes a lot longer to regain a dog’s trust and confidence, than it does to destroy it.
Bob who has had dogs for 30 years is as much a behaviourist as I am a dentist just because I have teeth.
Sharon who loves dogs and watches dog videos on social media is not a trainer.
Kevin who has been working with dogs professionally for 35 years but hasn’t undertaken a recent qualification or done any CPD is probably giving you advice that is decades out of date. Just because we did something one way 20 years ago doesn’t mean we should be doing it that way now.
The dog training and behaviour industry is not regulated so absolutely anyone can call themself a behaviourist or trainer without evidencing any level of qualification or experience in their field. Check out qualifications, check out experience, see how they do things.
Some good questions:
Are you insured?
What happens if my dog gets it right?
What happens if my dog gets it wrong?
Do you use punishment, fear, or force? Will my dog be put in situations that will stress them for the purpose of training? (The answer should be NO)
Don’t let your dog be another one waiting for an appointment with a qualified trainer or behaviourist with a worse situation that you had on your hands to start with, because of ending up in the wrong hands. You can look for the UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter symbol or ABTC symbol on websites for extra reassurance.
Sally Lewis 2023
Know Your Dog 