How Do I Find & Choose A Good Dog Trainer?
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I am looking to get my puppy into one-on-one obedience training to learn basic commands and leash walking. But, I know nothing about what makes a good dog trainer. Does anyone have experience with this? What should I look for or what questions should I ask when finding the right dog trainer for my needs?
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There’s three top criteria I go by to find a good dog trainer:
- Your dog should meet the prospective dog trainers before committing to any contracts or work plans. Does your dog listen to and respect them? This is essential for effective training. A suitable trainer is someone who you feel comfortable with, and who your dog abides as well. A dog that is acting out of respect versus fear for the trainer will learn to produce the desired outcome in the future for you and the trainer.
- Do any of the dog trainers you are considering use physical discipline? If so, stay away. Examples of physical training include: yelling, yanking on leashes, alpha rolling (forcing a dog to lie on its back), grabbing the scruff of the neck, kicking, and hitting. These indecent and unethical training techniques can actually make a dog more aggressive and less obedient.
- On the flip side, dog trainers who use positive reinforcement methods and get results are the real deal. These techniques include using dog treats, attention, and praise as rewards for a dog that demonstrates good behavior.
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Hi Gus Gus! Have you considered training your puppy with the help of an online training course? There are some really affordable ones out there taught by certified professional dog trainers, like SpiritDog Training. Many have puppy-specific courses, basic obedience classes, leash walking, etc. Several of our team members have used them with great success. See our reviews of the best online dog training courses if you want to consider going that route. In any case, good luck with your puppy!
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@Sally Jones I’ve considered online training but had no idea where to start. Thanks for the rec!
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