Boudicca too cute!
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  “Good trainers How to identify one and why this is important to your practice of veterinary medicineâ€
 The proceeding quote was the title for an article published in a peer-reviewed journal (JVB, 2006, 1, 47-52) in 2006, I wonder how many veterinarians, with practices centered on treating medical problems read the article. My point here is not to disparage veterinarians who practice medicine, but rather I am concerned that very few veterinarians understand a dog’s behavioral health is as important as their physical wellness. However, the purpose for this paper is to clarify some of the glaring differences between dog trainers and those who specialize in behavior. For example, there are behaviorists who belong to the Animal Behavior Society, and similar organizations, and board certified veterinary behaviorists who are not only veterinarians but have additional credentials in behavioral studies. Then we have certified specialists in behavior, like me who belong to the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants www.iaabc.org certified through the organization. We are required to meet five core areas of expertise put together by committee, with input and participation by a board certified veterinary member. IAABC is devoted to providing outstanding specialists, who can fill in the gaps since so few of these more credentialed individuals are not available in many regions and communities.
 The article referenced above outlined recommended criteria for veterinarians to look for when referring clients from their practice to dog trainers, however in most if not all instances, the referral is for behavior problems, not training. Dog trainers are often not skilled in treating an actual behavior problem. Behavior problems are complex, i.e. a jumping dog does not necessarily indicate a lack of training; it could indicate other more complex issues. Therefore, it is important for veterinarians, and the public to recognize there are differences, this will not only reflect on their practice, but dogs may not get the right help they really need.
Dog trainers have traditionally been just that, running classes, teaching owners, and their dog basic and/or advanced obedience. The most basic trained skills often mean teaching dogs to sit, down, stay, wait, look at me, and recall training. In some instances, dog trainers are especially skilled in certain dog sports like agility, fly ball, hunting, SAR, therapy and service work. A few years ago, Rally classes were introduced; offering a more relaxed training process, and more recently the AKC is allowing mutts to participate in obedience but not with the purebreds!
For those of you who fit this next category, there is some dog trainers, I will refer to as cross-trained, or perhaps for a better use of words they are further educated in behavior, in addition to having dog training skills. I am emphasizing this point because problem solving requires a completely different skill set and base of knowledge, than just training dogs. I guarantee the dog trainer you would encounter at a retail dog store teaching lessons will likely not possess these same skill sets.
There are also two schools of thought within the behavioral sciences and sometimes they are interconnected. The traditional behaviorist uses a more mechanistic approach to problem solving, and those schooled more in ethology look for underlying causes for behavior. I actually utilize both approaches but with an emphasis more on ethology, I want to identify the source of the dogs problem, as defined by the owner, and identify any anxiety and deal with that first, then we move on to how we can change the dog’s environment, so we remove the stress.
Referring back to the original published article on how to identify a good dog trainer, the first thing scientists suggested one should look for is what type of continuing education (CEU’s) does the trainer engage in and how often does he or she do so? This can be tricky because the industry is not regulated, and just about, anyone can print up business cards and call themselves a dog trainer. However, if veterinarians and dog owners asked to see certificates (CEU’s) of completion, and took the time to look them over, that is a starting point in your qualification process. If a person cannot provide any proof of continuing education, then you should be wary to engage in hiring that individual, and continue to look for and/or ask for a referral from a trusted source.  You want to know that the trainer, you are considering hiring is actually educated even as a dog trainer!
As of two years ago, I joined APDT www.apdt.com , because they increased criteria for membership levels and now focusing entirely on education that will further the profession.  This will also provide a more reliable place for the public to locate dog training professionals. The organization emphasizes using positive reinforcement, this is a good starting point for your search. You may want to look first for “Professional†designated dog trainers in your area before considering the other members. You can also ask a “Professional†trainer that may not be convenient for a recommendation from the list of available other members.  There are other organizations i.e. NADOI and some of the big box pet stores i.e. Pets Mart that offer an in-house dog training programs for their trainers. That is where I got started eight [now 11] years ago. Wow how time flies. So if you carefully screen the trainers under consideration, you are very likely to find one that does not use punishment-training methods, and excludes the use of shock collars (e-stimulus devices), choke collars, and prong collars, because according to research studies these tools actually “increase fear and anxiety.â€
What actually can occur, and I will go into more depth in another blog on e-stimulus devices (aka shock collars), are owners may interrupt and/or it may appear, they are extinguishing the undesirable behavior. However, the dog may take on a completely new behavior, sometimes referred to as displacement or appeasement behavior in its place and/or you will notice signs of stress, when you are around your pet. Unless, you are skilled in recognizing stress related behavior you may just think your dog has now developed a new problem. This is WHY it is so important to identify the source/motivation for the undesirable behavior, and then you need to change the environment, relieving any stress associated with the problem behavior.
The difference between a certified dog behavior consultant, and member of the IAABC www.iaabc.org , is we are required to maintain 36 CEU’s every two years, the courses must be preapproved, and the amount of credited CEU’s is based on the level of material covered. The courses approved, could be those required to fulfill an application for certification and/or continuing education for certified members, in a specialty field. For example, I just attended a two-day seminar, taught by Dr. Myrna Milani, MS, DVM www.mmilani.com , on ethology and received 13 CEU’s. Over the last year I attended 5 seminars, you can see my continually updated resume here http://responsibledog.wordpress.com/responsible-dog-and-cat/ .
Keep in mind these suggested guidelines are suggestions; however, I do agree with the outlined criteria, for identifying a good trainer, but still feel not enough is being done to delineate the differences between dog trainers and those specializing in behavior.
Source and produced by the Advanced Behavior Course at the North American Veterinary Conference, Post Graduate Institute (NAVC PGI), 2004¹.
Revised March 3, 2012
Joyce Kesling, CDBC, ACCBC
Certified Dog Behavior Consultant http://iaabc.org/
Associate Certified Cat Behavior Consultant http://iaabc.org/
Professional Dog Trainer http://apdt.com/
