Finding the best dog trainer in your area is the same as any other service. When searching for dog trainers to train your dog, whether at your home or in a board and train program, you should select carefully to ensure your dog receives the best guidance possible.
This article will provide tips on finding the best dog trainer in your area. Read to the end to get insights into what makes a good trainer and the red flags you should avoid in dog trainers.
What Makes a Dog Trainer the Best?
As with any other service, experience is key in dog training. Knowing that the dog trainer you hire has experience training dogs with the same needs as yours makes a huge difference in the training progress. It ensures not only the quality of the training but also the pace, as the trainer will have experience in addressing your and your dog’s needs.
Aside from general professionalism and having a good reputation, you should also check the facilities of the dog trainer. Since all dogs progress following different training techniques, a good trainer always keeps a wide range of tools and resources they can employ to motivate your dog
While these are a couple of things to look for in a dog trainer, you should also look for potential red flags to sort out trainers to avoid.
Dog Trainer Red Flags
The training approach often separates the good dog trainers from the bad. Professional dog trainers who know what they’re doing only utilize positive reinforcement training techniques to ensure dogs do what they’re told out of enjoyment and excitement rather than fear.
For this reason, avoid dog trainers who use harsh corrections, such as employing e-collars during training. You should also avoid dog trainers with poor communication skills. A good dog trainer will always listen to you – what you want your dog to achieve, any specific goals, and so on, before any training session.
While keeping this in mind, always check for a mix of positive and negative reviews about dog trainers in your area. Even if many claim that a particular dog trainer is absolutely the best, reading the negative cases in other people’s experiences can help you build realistic expectations about the trainer’s service.
Step-by-Step Guide to Finding the Best Dog Trainer
Now that we’ve covered the good and bad to look for in dog trainers, here’s a step-by-step guide to finding the best dog trainer for your dog.
1) Search for Dog Trainers in Your Area
Start by finding dog trainers in your area. A quick search on Google Maps or crowd-sourced review sites is the fastest way to get a list of dog trainers. When selecting dog trainers, research expert guides to ones in your area (for example, Dog Academy has put together a curated list of the best dog trainers in NYC), and read online reviews to get a list of the top ones.
2) Investigate the Trainer
Once you have a list of highly regarded dog trainers, check their social media and online reviews, and ask around to know other dog owners’ experiences. During this process, eliminate the ones that don’t appeal to your dog’s training needs and decide on the ones to contact.
4) Contact the Best Dog Trainer
After contacting the dog trainers, schedule an in-person meetup to ask questions about their training approach or visit their training facilities. Watch for the red flags we’ve mentioned and ask questions to clear up anything you might have on your mind.
Good dog trainers maintain clear, transparent communication so you know what to expect from training. If the trainer only gives vague responses to your questions, it is a sign to avoid the trainer.
5) Start Your Dog’s Training Journey
Following everything we’ve mentioned above, you can finally start your dog’s training journey. However, before investing considerable money in training programs or bulk purchase incentives, start with a few sessions to test how your dog reacts to being trained by the dog trainer.
Your dog should appear eager to participate in training, never showing signs of avoidance or fearful behavior. A happy dog undergoing training will have improved confidence and positive behavior. If you notice positive changes after a few training sessions, you can then move to more extensive training programs, knowing you’ve found the best dog trainer.
Consider Online Dog Training as an Option
While many of the things we’ve discussed will lead you to the best dog trainer in your area, not everyone has access to in-person quality dog training. If you’re having difficulty finding dog trainers in your city, consider online training. It can be just as effective, especially if you have the time to train your dog at home.
Although eliminating certain behaviors, like dog aggression or resource guarding, can be difficult without the help of a certified dog trainer, those who want to teach their dogs basic tricks and focus on individual tasks will find online training much more convenient and cost-effective.
