Hiring a Dog Trainer? Read This First So You Don’t Get Bamboozled!
- By Christina Cambie
- Mar 27
- 3 min read
Before you hire a dog trainer, there is one extremely important thing you need to know:
DOG TRAINING IS COMPLETELY UNREGULATED
No licensing board. No minimum education requirements. No universal ethical standards.
Nothing.
Which means, legally and spiritually, anyone can wake up tomorrow and decide they’re a dog guru. No coursework. No exams. No supervision. Just a website, a logo, and an alarming amount of confidence. And yes, they can use methods that would get side-eyed (or straight-up investigated) in other industries… with absolutely no oversight.
So if you’ve ever thought, “Why is this all so confusing?”
That’s why.
Dog training is a buyer-beware industry, and unfortunately, the buyers are usually very sleep-deprived and covered in dog hair.
If you want to understand how I approach training and what I prioritize, you can read more about my philosophy here.
When the “Quick Fix” Bites Back
It’s not unusual for me to be the third, or fourth, trainer a family hires.
By that point, they’ve usually tried something marketed as a “quick fix.” You know the pitch: Fast results. Immediate obedience. No more barking, lunging, jumping, or pulling. Problem solved. And to be fair, it worked. At least on the surface.
The dog gets quieter. More compliant. Less… noticeable. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Finally. The off button.
Except.
Dogs are not appliances. They do not come with an off button, a reset switch, or a “just behave” setting. When you suppress behavior without addressing the underlying cause, especially if that cause is fear, stress, or frustration, you’re not fixing the problem. You’re corking a volcano. And volcanos have a tendency to erupt, just not right away. They build quietly. And then, usually at the worst possible moment, when you least expect it, they blow.
Boom. Reactivity. Aggression. Panic. Chaos.
Because the behavior didn’t disappear, it just went underground and started lifting weights. Effective training doesn’t silence dogs. It changes how they feel and gives them outlets to express themselves without losing their minds.
Reach out for help if you’re dealing with a situation like this.
Ethics First. Always.
Before hiring a trainer, ask them these three questions:
What happens when my dog gets it right?
What happens when my dog gets it wrong?
Are there side effects or less invasive options we could try first?
Then just… listen.
Because dog training has a remarkable ability to take uncomfortab
le things and give them very polite names. Pain and intimidation often show up dressed as:
“Balanced communication”
“Leadership”
“Corrections”
It’s rebranding. Excellent rebranding. A+ marketing. No notes. But your dog doesn’t care what it’s called. They care how it feels. So if something makes you pause, even a little, pay attention to that. Ask yourself:
Is my dog learning because they feel safe and supported?
Or because they’re trying to avoid something unpleasant?
Those are two very different learning environments. Only one of them builds trust.
Education Matters (Yes, Even If They’ve “Worked With Hundreds of Dogs”)
“I’ve worked with hundreds of dogs” is not the flex people think it is.
Experience matters, absolutely. But experience without education is how you get confident people repeating the same mistakes… hundreds of times. Dog training is applied behavioral science. Not guesswork. Not vibes. Not “this worked on my neighbor’s Labrador in 2007.”
A solid education includes:
Structured coursework
Hands-on and theoretical assessments
Clear, humane ethical standards
Good trainers also:
Refer out when something is outside their scope
Stay current on best practices
Change their approach when new evidence says they should (Yes, even if they’ve been doing this for 20 years.)
Not all academies meet these basic standards. Credentials I generally trust include:
🥇 CTC — The Academy for Dog Trainers
🎓 VSA-CT — Victoria Stilwell Academy
🎓 PCBC-A — Pet Professional Accreditation Board
🎓 KPA-CT — Karen Pryor Academy
Do You Click?
You don’t need to invite your trainer to Thanksgiving. But you do want someone who:
Actually listens to you
Understands your goals
Builds a plan that works in your real, messy, human life.
There’s no magic button, but there are thoughtful, evidence-based strategies that work. The right trainer will make them feel doable.
Don’t Sleep on Virtual Training
If there isn’t a qualified trainer nearby, or your dog isn’t thrilled about houseguests, virtual coaching is an excellent option.
And no, it’s not a compromise. In many cases, it’s better. You learn the skills. Your dog learns from you. And everything happens in your actual environment.
Also, there’s no need to vacuum or tidy up before the session. Win-win.
Bottom Line
If something feels off, trust your gut. Choose someone who protects your dog’s wellbeing, and your relationship with them.
Because at the end of the day, your dog has to live with the results…
…and they don’t get to leave a review. 🐾
