Anybody Can Call Themselves a Dog Trainer. Here’s How to Find a Good One.

When you went looking for a dog trainer, did you get overwhelmed with all the hype? You're not alone! Finding the right dog trainer is about more than hype, good marketing, or branded training. And, while there are some excellent programs for dog trainers that offer certifications in their particular method, there is no licensing board. No board exam. No minimum hours. No governing body that can pull someone's credentials if they hurt a dog or take someone's money and disappear.

Anybody can call themselves a dog trainer.

If that sounds a little scary, I get it.

On the one hand, it means that truly passionate but broke people can learn a trade that feeds their families without an unaffordable entry fee—most of us learned how to train dogs by starting with our own and falling in love with helping other people train theirs. On the other hand, it does mean that you, as a dog owner, need to know how to figure out the good from the not-so-good or downright bad.

In all honesty, I don't see a lack of a licensing board a bad thing, because bad players exist in every industry—board licensing or not.

There are thousands of massively skilled, ethical trainers out there who commit to professional development, care deeply about the families they serve, and always try to do the right thing. So sometimes the difference between the "right" and the "wrong" dog trainer comes down to simple preference ... and whether you can work together.

But there are also people who watched a few YouTube videos and decided that was good enough, and that teaching dogs is easy. Those are the individuals I'm trying to protect you from, and I hope my advice helps.

Here's how I'd approach it if I were looking for someone to work with my dog.

Start with Their Philosophy

Ask any trainer you're considering to explain their training philosophy. Not their sales pitch—you're looking for their real-world approach. How do they teach a new behavior? What happens when a dog gets it wrong? What tools do they use and why?

You're not necessarily looking for a specific answer. You're looking for someone who can give you a clear, thoughtful one. If a trainer can't explain their methods in plain language, that's a problem: Either they don't fully understand what/why they do what they do, or they're hiding something.

Be a little skeptical of anyone who tells you their method is the only correct one. Dog training has room for nuance—a lot of it. A trainer who dismisses entire schools of thought without being able to explain why usually hasn't engaged with them seriously enough to have a real opinion.

Look for Transparency, Not Just Reviews

Reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook matter. A trainer with dozens of five-star reviews over several years is a good sign. But reviews don't tell you everything—they tell you people were happy, not necessarily that the training held up six months later or that the methods were sound.

Look for trainers who are transparent about their process. Do they explain what a first session looks like? Do they talk openly about what they can and can't help with? Do they have video of actual training sessions—not just before-and-after highlight reels?

A trainer who's confident in their work tends to show it. One who's hiding behind vague promises and cinematic marketing videos might not have as much to show.

Ask About Continuing Education

The best trainers I know are still students. They go to seminars. They work under people who know more than they do in certain areas. They study methods they don't personally use, because understanding something doesn't mean you have to agree with it or even use it.

Ask any trainer you're considering: what's the most recent thing you learned? Who do/did you study under? What certifications or continuing education have you pursued?

The specific answer doesn't matter as much as whether they have one. A trainer who stopped learning the day they started training is a trainer who's been running on the same information for years—and the field has moved.

Find a Dog Trainer You Actually Like

This sounds obvious, but it matters more than you might realize. You're going to be working with this person closely. You'll have to take direction from them, ask questions, and trust their judgment about your dog. If something feels off in the first conversation, pay attention to that.

A good trainer is patient with you, not just with your dog, because sometimes the hardest part of dog training is teaching the humans who love them to communicate clearly in a way the dog understands. A great trainer will explain things clearly and won't make you feel stupid for asking basic questions.

They're also honest with you even when the honest answer isn't what you want to hear.

Dog Training Red Flags Worth Taking Seriously

I've seen enough of the industry to know what problems look like before they develop. Walk away if they:

• guarantee specific results before meeting your dog—no ethical trainer does this because there are way too many variables.
• can't or won't explain their methods in plain language—insecure and inexperienced people throw a bunch of jargon around without clear explanations.
• suggest keeping training methods secret from you 'so your dog doesn't catch on'—how exactly are you supposed to maintain your dog's training later on?
• are reluctant to let you observe a session or visit a board and train—would this fly in your kids' kindergarten?
• shame or frighten you about your dog's behavior to pressure a sale.
• dismiss your concerns about methods without actually addressing them.
• price is shockingly low — quality training requires real time and skill, and that costs something.
• have no plan for what happens if a method isn't working for your specific dog.

Your dog can't advocate for themselves. It's on you to find someone who deserves to work with them.

Questions to Ask Before You Book

Here's a short list I'd run through with any trainer I was considering:

• How long have you been training professionally?
• What's your training philosophy, and what tools do you use?
• Can you describe what a first session with my dog would look like?
• What happens if my dog's behavior doesn't respond to your approach?
• Do you offer follow-up support after the program ends?
• Can I speak with or read reviews from past clients with a similar situation to mine?

A trainer worth hiring will welcome every one of those questions.

One More Thing

I'm obviously going to think I'm a good trainer. So I'm not writing this to tell you to hire me. I'm writing it because I've seen people go through expensive, ineffective, and sometimes harmful training experiences—and most of them could have been avoided with a little more information upfront.

Do your homework. Ask hard questions. And find someone who treats your dog like an individual, not a problem to be fixed.

Think we might be a good fit? Let's talk about your dog and see.