How to spot a good dog trainer: Rewards and play, not penalties

A good dog trainer works with positive reinforcement, not by punishing the animal, say experts. Photo: dpa

“Sit!” or “Down!” or “Heel!” are all commands you can teach your dog yourself. But many people who get a dog as a pet like to rope in a professional to help with the training. If you are hunting for a pro, then here’s what you want to see and what you should try and avoid.

Look closely at a potential trainer’s website, says Sarah Ross, a pet expert at a German animal welfare group. Check out what approach they take to training, how they work and how they themselves were trained.

Look around too, as people in your community may have some helpful recommendations. “Ask other dog owners who have already done training,” says Ross.

Good trainers work using positive reinforcement, not by punishing the animal, Ross says. That means they’ll reward your dog for exhibiting the behaviour desired by dishing out treats, praise or stroking them.

“For a dog, even jerking their leash is a punishment,” says the expert. You also shouldn’t forcibly push your dog down, according to animal rights group Peta. It can stress the dog out, or make it frightened or aggressive.

If you see the trainer using any of the following in their work, then alarm bells should ring: choke chains, or spiked, electric or spray collars – these can hurt the animal and some are banned.

Peta also says you can spot a good trainer because they won’t make any rash promises about succeeding before they actually physically meet the dog and get a feel for them.

Dog trainers often offer both group and individual training.

“A group is good for young dogs or if the basic commands are to be learned,” says Ross. She adds that you might want to opt for individual sessions if you have some specific problems or if you feel pretty insecure as a dog owner.

Do make sure that the trainer explains everything step by step and adds why they do what.

A further point to bear in mind is that you should be able to ask the trainer if all your family members may attend. Ross points out that you want the children to know which commands the dog reacts to as well.

Last but not least, training should never mean hours of hard work for your pet.

Experienced trainers always build in a break for the dogs to sniff around and play. – dpa