Choosing a Trainer

I have a student that is new to agility and has a softer dog.  She has been training with the same trainer for about a year and recently joined a class with a new trainer. The new trainer was able to break things down for her in a way that helped her to give her dog more information and now they are having so much fun where before they were often frustrated.  They found that they were missing some of the foundation work needed for success.   Sometimes students join classes that are taught above their abilities and when that happens, it tends to leave holes in their training that causes frustration for both handler and dog.

If you have been training dogs for any length of time, you know how many different training styles are out there and you know what you are looking for but if you are new to the dog-training world, it can be difficult to find a trainer that you “mesh” with.    Differing personalities, training techniques and the training style of you and your dog plays a part in the success of your training.  

If you ask five different trainers how to train the same behavior, you are likely going to get five different answers.  Finding an open-minded trainer that has many tools is key to achieving success.  I offer many methods for training tricks, and strength exercises and mold each training session to the handler and dog.   Heck sometimes I learn as much from my students as they learn from me.  I think training should be a collaboration not a dictatorship  - people working together toward the same goals.

Whether you are training your dog to comply with basic manners, or training for canine sports, the methods that you use will be fostered by the trainers you choose. I received this piece of advice early when training my first dog in agility and I hope it can help you as much as it has helped me:

“Train with as many different trainers as you can and take the tools that work for you and your dog and make them your own”

I still subscribe to this theory today and encourage my students to do the same. 

Picking a trainer is hard work.   Criteria for choosing a trainer might be something like listed below: 

• The trainer should be able to discuss your goals openly and positively
• The trainers should be able to adjust for softer dogs to high drive dogs. 
• The trainer should be able to able mold the curriculum to your individual needs whether you are a hobbyist or a die hard competitor
• The trainer should be flexible and have many tools to help you achieve your goals
• The trainer should treat all students equally
• The trainer should be as kind to the people as they are to the dogs
• The trainers should be using positive methods to achieve your training goals
• The trainer should not force a students to comply with a certain method or “system”
• The trainer should be well educated in several methods to train the desired behavior, trick or performance method
• The trainer should have experience training several breeds and not be biased positively or negatively toward any breed
• The trainer should be able to allow you to make mistakes  - this gives an opportunity for the trainer to teach you a new method

There are so many different training methods out there and a lot of controversy can occur due to differing opinions.  Be open minded but have clear boundaries about what you are willing to do, what works for you and your dog as well as know when to stop and seek other advice.  Alternatively, always remember, that just because a training method did not work for you does not mean it won’t work for others.