Choosing a Dog Trainer: Cheap is Never Good

It’s time. You’ve been pulled into your neighbor’s bushes for the last time. Your dog needs to learn how to walk politely on leash. Now it’s time to find a good dog trainer. Before you sort by price, take a moment and learn why cheaper is not better when choosing a dog trainer.

If The Price is Too Good, There’s a Catch!

Remember the saying: “If it’s too good to be true, it is”? Well, this certainly pertains to cheap dog training. When polled, many dog owners were asked the top three reasons they pick a dog trainer and I was shocked by their answers. Their main requirement was bargain basement prices. What? Allow me to explain why this will cost you more money in the long run.

While I understand most of us are on a budget, choosing a cheap dog trainer is never a good choice–there’s a reason he’s so cheap. Usually, these folks have very limited experience if any really. Their cheap prices are luring unsuspecting dog owners, so inexperienced dog trainers can “learn to be a dog trainer” with you and your dog. Yikes!

Working with an inexperienced dog trainer will not only cause extra time (which is money), but you’ll probably also need to find an experienced dog trainer to remedy unresolved or incorrectly handled issues.

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Perception is Not Reality

States don’t require licensing for dog trainers, so anyone can call himself or herself a dog trainer–and it happens a lot!

Don’t believe me? Well, I interviewed certified dog trainers for an extremely large national company and we had set requirements before applying. All applicants had to have a minimum of two years of dog training experience, preferably teaching group classes. Then, I asked candidates typical scenario questions in my private and group dog training classes, using a standard questionnaire. I was floored by their responses.

The failure rate was absurd. It hovered around 53% to 60% weekly. Thirty percent of these applicants couldn’t answer one question correctly. Every applicant felt strongly he or she was qualified to teach dogs professionally, but they were far from it. If this scares you, it most certainly should.

Plus, dog training is new to many people and it certainly evolves yearly with newer and more effective methods, so it’s foreign to most. If your dog trainer was clueless, it would be hard to recognize it unless you have previous dog training experience. Also, some dog trainers have really good poker faces and are good at making things up on the fly, so buyer beware.

A Good Dog Trainer is Worth Every Penny

Yes, just like all smart investments. You’ll probably attend fewer classes while learning more because you have an excellent dog trainer. If you don’t pay it now, you’ll end up paying for it later, which is true for most anything. Check out my recommendations and websites for finding a dog trainer.

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