Questions Answered

How do you know if you should hire a professional dog trainer?

  1. When you are a first time dog owner – There is a lot of information out there on how to raise a dog, and if you are a first time dog owner it is difficult to know what will actually help. A professional dog trainer can help you navigate this information, and get you and your dog on the right track.
  2. When you are in over your head – Even an experienced dog owner may come across a problem they do not have experience with. If the problem behavior hasn’t been solved by what you currently know, a professional dog trainer can help teach you the skills you need to get a handle on the behavior.Fawkes
  3. When quality of life is suffering – If you or your dog is experience a reduction in your quality of life, you should seek professional help. This can be anything from extreme fears/phobias that reduce your dog’s quality of life, to a dog that tries to escape the front door at every opportunity which reduces your quality of life. You and your dog deserve to be happy, and a professional dog trainer can help you reach that goal.
  4. When you want to take your training to the next level – Maybe you already have a very well trained dog, but you know they are capable of more. A professional dog trainer can help you realize your dog’s potential, and find activities that your dog excels at.
  5. When your dog has threatened or done harm to a human – We don’t like to talk about dogs that threaten people, but these dogs definitely need professional help to keep them from being a risk to anyone. If you have a dog that has acted aggressively toward a person, a professional dog trainer is your first point of contact. Be aware that a trainer may refer you on to a more experienced colleague if they do not feel comfortable working with an aggression case.
  6. When you want to be competitive – If you want to compete in dog sports, hiring a professional trainer with experience in competitive dog sports can be very helpful in fine tuning your performance.

If you are looking for a professional dog trainer in your area, check out the Certified Dog Trainer Directory. In my next post I will talk about finding the right trainer for you and your dog.