What should I look for in a dog trainer?

I think that maybe you should ask a veterinarian for recommendations, your neighbors for recommendations. Meet them or read reviews on their website, and then make sure that they have the same goals that you do, which is a good dog. Also, ensure that they believe in the same type of training principles that you do, which would be positive reinforcement. Trainers are usually very knowledgeable. They're very patient. They're very calm. They've seen almost everything before and likely have some excellent recommendations for you to be successful with your dog.

This is super important, especially here in Dallas-Fort Worth. We have a lot of great trainers that we have vetted and used at our practice, but there is still a huge population of trainers using techniques that have been proven to be unhelpful and harmful to dogs. Fundamentally, we want to find a trainer who uses positive reinforcement methods, meaning rewarding the pet if it does what you want it to do. For instance, you give them a treat when they sit - that's positive reinforcement training. Not only should they use this technique, but it should be the foundation of what they do as trainers. Make sure that they're not just saying, "Yes, we do positive reinforcement," but at the same time, they're using a choke collar for some circumstances.

Make sure that they're not using any of those negative techniques. That could be challenging if you don't thoroughly understand these various techniques. In our practice, we understand these techniques well because we see a lot of behavior-related cases. One of my associates has vetted many trainers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and we have a list of trainers that we supply to our clients and that we have vetted. We are confident that these trainers will use the appropriate techniques as it is very important that they do so.

That's a good question. The trainer should be asking you a lot of questions. If they're not involved in keeping you informed and getting to know your dog specifically, find one that will. Trainers should be certified and be able to give you training because you're really the one that needs to be trained the most, not just your dog. Do not expect to take your pet to a trainer and have them trained and then not have to work with them later on. It's work. If you're consistent with it, the program works, and it's fantastic, then you'll have a very obedient pet for the rest of its life that can stay safe.

You want to see someone that isn't yanking a dog around, being aggressive with them. If they're punishing the dog a lot, that's not where I would want my dogs to go. You want to put them in a loving environment. How would you pick a school for your child? You don't want the teachers to be mean to your child for no reason. There are rules that they have to follow, but you want your dog to be in a safe environment to learn.