How Important is finding a Good Trainer?
Finding a good trainer to help you and your dog develop a strong relationship can be an excellent investment! Whether you are interested in a basic puppy obedience class or you need a little help with a problem behavior your dog has developed, having a great dog trainer can give you the advantage of professional advice based on years of experience and education. We have found that having a good trainer to work with can be especially important with larger breeds of dogs like our English Labradors.
What type of training?
Before you begin looking for a dog trainer, a good place to start is by thinking about what you want to get out of this experience. Are you looking for basic obedience classes to socialize a young dog and build your relationship with them? Are you looking for an activity training class like fly-ball or agility? Or are you looking for help with a specific problem, like anxiety around other dogs or having issues with your dog jumping on guests?
The answers to those questions can help you to narrow down your search for a great dog trainer since you can cross anyone who does not offer the services you are looking for off your list.
Finding Dog Trainers
Now that you know what type of services you are looking for making a list of trainers to check out is a great next step. You can ask friends for recommendations or look online. Some online search options include professional organizations like Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and The Association of Professional Dog Trainers. Keep in mind that certifications with professional organizations are not required for dog trainers and that you can also find great local dog trainers with many years of education gained through apprenticeships and other programs.
Visit the Dog Trainers
Once you have a list of options, scheduling visits with the dog trainers and asking to sit in on a class at the different facilities are great ways to see each trainer in action. This can help you see how each trainer interacts with both their dog and human students. When you contact the trainer to schedule a visit, this is also a good time to ask for references from past clients so that you can learn more about the trainer.
As you are visiting, there are some things you should be looking for. How big are the class sizes? If you decide to take a group class, you want to make sure that the trainer has a small enough class size so that they can work personally with all members of the class, or that they have a training assistant available to help with larger classes.
How clean is the facility, and do they have reasonable dog health precautions in place? When dogs are together, making sure that vaccinations and flea control are required are important measures to have in place to keep your dog healthy. Check both what is required at each facility and how the trainer ensures that all dogs have met these requirements.
As you are watching the class, think about how the dogs and their humans are responding. Are the dogs generally happy? Are the owners getting the help that they need? Are you seeing positive reinforcement given to both the dogs and their owners? Are you seeing any training techniques or advice being given that makes you uncomfortable or looks abusive?
If you have a specific training issue that you want to work on with your dog, make sure that you talk to the trainer about their experience with that behavior issue and what training techniques that they used to solve that issue with past clients.
After each visit, or even during the visit, making some notes on a pad or on your phone can help you to gather your thoughts about your experiences visiting each trainer.
Making a Choice
Once you have had a chance to visit each trainer on your list, it is time to pick the one that you think will work best for you and your dog. As you go through your notes, remember that part of this is finding someone that you feel you will be comfortable working with and learning from, so think about who you connected with during your visits.
Getting Started with Training
Once you have picked your trainer, it is time to register for a class or set up individual training for your dog. Building a great relationship with a good dog trainer can have benefits, both in the short term with whatever classes you take or training you arrange, but also in the long term since you now know someone who will be familiar with you and your dog if you ever run into any bumps in the road.
Labrador Puppy Training
For the puppies which come from Smoky Mtn Labradors, we do offer options for puppy training and also for behavior training. Feel free to check our puppy training information.
