What makes a good dog trainer?

Have you ever thought about a career in dog training? Or taken your dog to to a trainer?

Do you posses the necessary traits to become a good trainer? Or know what to look for in a trainer when getting your dog trained? Here are some things to think about when considering a dog related career or when looking to obtain help with your dog.

Observant
Dog trainers must be able to notice small details. Dogs sometimes tell us more than their owners. It is up to you to notice the subtle hints the dog may be displaying. Often the owner is telling me one thing and the dog is telling me something quite different. For example: the owner maybe telling me that they always hold the leash loosely and at the same time the dog is coughing and straining because the leash is being held so tightly. Usually, the owners aren’t even aware that they are pulling on the leash.

Creative
You need to be able to come up with a solution to a problem that you have not seen before. In A Canine Experience's Dog Trainers and Caretakers Course, we teach many options for handling a variety of problems, but you may need to adjust the solution to fit a specific situation. For example: an owner physically may not be able to work a dog in the traditional manner. You need to be creative enough to come up with an alternative method for them.

Practical
Although you need to be sympathetic, being overly emotional will interfere with good judgment. Your clients are counting on you for professional help. For example: if the owners are deciding whether or not to re-home a dog due to aggression, you must be practical and think of all their options and be clear about their liabilities.

Flexible
By flexible, I mean that you should be willing to change your goals and methods as the situations indicate. For example, if you start out with the goal of teaching your dog to “sit stay”, then you find the dog doesn’t truly understand what “sit” means, you must change your goal and teach the dog the “sit” command instead of the “stay” command. Don’t feel this is a defeat because you didn’t accomplish what you set out to, it’s just good training.

Fair
You must be fair with all dogs. Do exactly what each dog needs. Some dogs are cute and sweet, while others can be rather obnoxious with a face that only the owner could love. As a trainer, it shouldn’t matter each dog deserves fair treatment. You must always fairly give the dog all the reward it has earned.

Gentle and Tough
Some require soft treatment and others need you to be tough. Be prepared for both. Some trainers attempt to train all dogs the same way which does not work. If you have a very shy Sheltie you will need to handle it more gently than a hyper outgoing Lab.

Good Communication Skills
Instructing the dogs’ owner is a major part of dog training. You can be an excellent dog trainer, but if you can’t communicate with the dogs’ owner, the training may not be helpful.

Experience
Nothing can replace hands on experience. Don’t be a lazy trainer. Practice every chance you get. Many people tend to take the easy way by avoiding a problem situation rather than taking the opportunity to have a training session with the dog. For example, if a dog wants to pick up some garbage off the ground, the common tendency is to pull the dog away from the item and go on your way. A good trainer will say “lets have a training session and teach the dog to take the responsibly and leave the garbage alone”.

Experienced trainers will also know not to get in over their heads. They will know when a situation is not safe and will not set themselves up to get bit. A seriously aggressive dog often needs two experienced trainers. No one should ever attempt to train a dog they are afraid of.

Knowledge
You must study dog behavior and learn the different breeds distinctive traits. Clients may lose confidence in you as a trainer if you have no knowledge of their breed.

A segment from A Canine Experience's Dog Trainers and Caretakers Workbook, written by Nancy Baer and Trina Eddy, owners of A Canine Experience Inc.