How to Choose the Best Dog Trainer

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 22 December, 2022

You should ideally start training your dog from when it’s a puppy, as this ensures an obedient pet with good behavior. Thus, it’s a great idea to choose the best dog trainer during your puppy’s first months of life. This will allow the animal to begin to adapt to the rules from the beginning of its life.

Pets must be educated just as children need to be. From an early age, it’s important to establish behavior standards, as it’ll make it easier to live with the dog in the future.

A good trainer will always know how to train the animal from its first months of life. But how do you choose the best dog trainer? For this, you need to consider some factors.

Steps to choosing the best dog trainer

When choosing a dog trainer, you need to consider certain basic aspects. First of all, you should know that animals have their own way of communicating with the environment. A dog perceives much more stimuli than a person does. In addition, these pets are very intelligent and have their own language.

A dog can’t be trained by just anyone. It’s always better to have professional help. There are a few steps to consider when choosing the best dog trainer for your furry friend:

Positive reinforcement

This method ensures that the animal learns what its master wants. The trainer will teach the animal to obey orders through repetition. The dog trainer tells the dog the order and then stimulates it to obey it again and again.

This method doesn’t involve punishing the animal. Instead, it resorts to patience and cooperation to make the animal understand. Since it won’t be punished, your dog will be free from stress and anxiety. This way, it’ll be easier for your dog to concentrate. This is one of the most effective dog training methods.

Positive reinforcement uses motivators such as caresses, games, toys, and treats. It’s important to reward your dog every time it does something right. Neither submission nor threats are used for any reason. Your dog should never be afraid.

A good trainer will always use this method, as positive reinforcement yields very good results.

The dog trainer’s experience

A good dog trainer has a good track record, such as having resolved difficult cases, studies abroad, and good references from other dog owners, among other things. When choosing the best dog trainer, it’s important to make sure they have a good reputation.

Normally, a good dog trainer will always show you their resume. It’s always best to consult other people regarding the dog trainer’s references and opinions.

The animal must show improved behavior

This is key when it comes to knowing whether a dog trainer is good or not. If the animal becomes more obedient and polite, the dog trainer is doing their job well. But it’s not only about working with positive reinforcement. A good trainer will always know how to correct certain bad behavior.

It’s important to remember that everything takes time. Dog trainers who promise miraculous results usually aren’t professional. A good trainer will establish guidelines, strategies, and tactics, and, after a while, they’ll eventually pay off.

The dog trainer’s manner

The dog trainer also has to teach the animal’s owner to train them. A good professional works with both pet and owner. This way, the animal will adapt to its owner’s conditions.

It’s never advisable to leave the animal in the hands of a stranger for too long. The owner is responsible for their pet. You must pay attention to the work the dog trainer does. A good professional should have no problem with the owner being involved in the training activities.

Dog trainers also train people. The relationship between master and pet is very important and must be strengthened.

When it comes to selecting the best dog trainer, you must know how to choose from many amazing professionals. Always remember that animals are very instinctive. If your dog likes its trainer, this may be an excellent sign.

Main picture source: SkyWideDesign.