What to look for when choosing a dog trainer
Dog training is unregulated in the UK, so anyone can print a card. That puts the responsibility on you to ask better questions, and a good trainer will welcome every one of them.
Ask how many dogs they have worked with, how many cases like yours, what happens if it does not work, and whether you can watch them handle a dog before you commit. Be wary of guaranteed results, refusal to explain methods, and anyone who will not put you in touch with previous clients.
Questions worth asking
The answers tell you more than any qualification list.
- ●How many dogs have you trained, and how many with my specific problem?
- ●What does your plan for my dog look like, in stages?
- ●What happens if we are halfway through and it is not working?
- ●Can I watch you work with a dog before I book?
- ●What support comes after the programme finishes?
Answers that should worry you
A guarantee of results, because no honest trainer can guarantee a living animal. Vagueness about method. Reluctance to let you observe. And a trainer who blames the owner for everything before they have watched the dog.
Experience versus certificates
Qualifications are useful, but volume of real dogs matters more in this trade. We are a family business across three generations with over 8,000 dogs trained, and that is the number we would want to hear if we were the ones ringing round.
Trust your own read on the handover
The best test is watching the trainer hand a dog back. If the dog is happy to be with them and the owner is given clear, repeatable instructions, that is a good sign. If the dog only performs for the trainer, you have hired a demonstration, not a solution.
Need hands on help?
Ask us all of the above on the phone. We would rather answer twenty questions than take on a job that is not right.
Three generations of the same family, over 8,000 dogs trained.
Common questions
No. Training is unregulated, although boarding a dog overnight requires a local authority licence, so ask to see it for any residential programme.
Often, yes. Paying twice is common when the first attempt teaches the dog that the cue is optional.
For anything hands on, yes. Problems show up in your home and on your streets, and that is where they are best fixed.
Related guides
Looking for training near you? See our dog training areas, our protection dog areas, or all services.