Fit to Train? - two-career families are increasing the need for dog trainers, but owners should be careful when it comes to the selection of a trainer

Animals, Jan, 2000 by Kathy Savesky

How to tell whether your dog trainer needs a corection.

One afternoon, while sweating through 45 minutes of torture on the Stairmaster, I overheard two women at my health club discussing their trainers. Eager to pick up a little free secondhand fitness advice, I did my best to eavesdrop: the enthusiasm in their voices made it sound like these "trainers" were the source of all knowledge and wisdom. But wait, what was that about luring with food? Sleeping in a crate? "Down stay?" These adored and continually quoted gurus were not personal fitness trainers but the women's dog trainers!

Once the pastime of the serious dog fancier with prize show dogs, obedience, or companionship, training is becoming increasingly popular among owners of both pure- and mixed-breed pet dogs. And none too soon. In recent years animal shelters have reported seeing more and more canine "juvenile delinquents"--dogs six months to three years who are perfectly trainable but whose owners gave up on them-surrendered them to shelters when the lack of early socialization or effective training resulted in behavior problems.

It seems that two-career families have created new challenges for the family pet as well as for the rest of the household. Just as latchkey children often get into trouble, many family dogs have developed behavioral problems from too little to do and too few opportunities to learn the rules for living successfully with humans. The solution for a growing number of owners is to take their dogs to dog school.

"It goes along with the development of dog parks and doggie day care centers," comments Trish King, manager of the Animal Behavior and Training Department of the Marin Humane Society in Novato, California. "We see a lot of [owners who] love their dogs--sometimes to the point of obsession. These owners want to take their dogs to the coffee shop, to outdoor restaurants, and in their cars, so they have a vested interest in good manners."

And dog training can--and should--be an enjoyable experience for both the dog and the owner, says Stacy Fox, a trainer from Springfield, Illinois. "In addition to helping to shape your dog's behavior, working with him in class and practicing between sessions is a great way to do something fun with him."

As with so many trends, however, growth has its downside. The demand for easily available instruction has led to a developing cottage industry where individuals with varying amounts of experience--and often a total lack of verifiable credentials--are proclaiming themselves clog trainers, setting up classes, and churning out graduates. Dog owners eager to soak up any helpful advice or seeking quick fixes to Fido's embarrassing (or even costly) problems are attending classes at parks, in pet-supply stores, in local community centers--and are willingly accepting the word of their newfound trainers as gospel.

Both King and Fox caution that the world of pet-dog training is still very much one of "buyer beware." Not only do differences exist in methodology and philosophy; there are no formal or technical education requirements, no states mandate licensing, and until recently the field has lacked widely accepted standards and certification programs. Most trainers simply learned what they know from other trainers, from personal experience with their own pets, or from reading one or more of the popular books on dog behavior and training. And since people attend classes because they don't understand their dog's behavior, few feel competent to challenge the trainer's methods or evaluate the information they are given.

A few years ago, a case brought against a dog trainer who spun a dog around off the ground by a choke collar, helicopter-style, brought the lack of standards to the attention of the American Humane Association (AHA). "The dog lost his eyesight from the lack of oxygen and force of the spin," reports Connie Howard, senior director of shelter programs for AHA. "A veterinarian from our staff assisted the local humane society by testifying. But because the trainer produced a booklet that outlined this as a `documented' training method--and no standards were available to refute his claims--the charges were dropped."

The incident prompted AHA to convene a 40-member team of animal behaviorists, veterinarians, and practicing dog trainers to develop comprehensive guidelines and recommended standards for the dog-training profession. Their recommendations, due out early this year, include segments on mission and ethics, trainer knowledge and skills, business practices and facilities, training theory, and the use of various training aids and equipment.

Many dog trainers are also concerned about the lack of standards and consistency within the field, and two professional associations have been formed to help address the situation. The National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI)--composed largely of trainers preparing dogs for show--is the only organization that serves "as both an endorsing body and an educational resource." NADOI requires that applicants for membership pass a written test, have at least five years and 104 class hours of experience as dog obedience instructors, and be evaluated by colleagues on their ability to deal with specific training situations. Although it does not endorse particular methods, NADOI asks members to subscribe to a code of ethics and "is strongly opposed to cruel or unnecessarily harsh training methods." Their Web site (www.nadoi.org) offers referrals for dog owners who are looking for trainers.