Dog Trainer Training – Essential Dog Trainers Skills
As with any training, philosophies in dog training vary significantly between trainers. However, it is generally agreed upon that a key factor begins with training the trainer.
Consistency and patience are essential in a trainer, whether a pet owner or a professional trainer. Dogs do not function the same way mentally as humans do, and require firm, patient guidance to learn correct behavior.
Focus, restraint and calmness are all key factors to being a good trainer. Not everyone has, nor can acquire, the patience to carry out a training regime that takes weeks to months or longer. Not everyone is able to master the rigours of training, sometimes lasting as little as an hour per day, but often taking several hours, broken up into shorter segments.
Trainers need to be skilled in handling both dogs and their owners with patience, fairness and firmness. Honest answers to legitimate questions breeds the respect essential to successful training. Set goals and a willingness to explain in clear, patient terms what training will involve is crucial.
It is impossible to guarantee results as variations in breeds, individual temperament and owners all create variables. It is essential that before training begins, trainers communicate answers to questions owners may not know enough even to ask. It is important for expectations to be addressed with realism.
Training can only be undertaken if a dog is healthy, so dog trainers need to know a substantial amount about canine veterinary medicine. While they make no pretense to be vets, they need to recognize the external possible signs of hip dysplasia, bacterial infections, diabetes and other diseases and conditions.
To ensure the protection of both dog and trainer, trainers need to understand safety procedures as even friendly, well-behaved dogs can become excited during play. Once excited, dogs often take several minutes, at best, to calm down again.
It is not unusual for teeth to be bared and the dog to move around erratically during those periods of excitement. It's easy for a trainer's hand to get in the path, or for the dog to injure itself over a leash or training block.
Communication and keen powers of observation are vital characteristics in a trainer. On top of being dog lovers, they're individuals who have or acquire the ability to carefully observe dog behavior, even subtle cues and clues. Understanding the observations and then reacting automatically is a key attribute in a trainer.
Dogs will often signal when they are about to bolt, or to vomit grass, or exhibit a slew of other behaviors. A good trainer will have the knowledge of how to use those observations to maximize the effectiveness of training.
Guidelines and training for trainers can be obtained from The Association of Pet Dog Trainers in the U.S. Not being a member doesn’t mean that a professional is unqualified, but the organization is a good place to start to gathering information about dog trainers and their methods. You can still chose to contact a trainer that isn’t a member once you have decided what style of training you want your dog to undertake.
The APDT can be contacted by mail, phone, or at their website.
Address:
The Association of Pet Dog Trainers
150 Executive Center Drive Box 35
Greenville, SC 29615
Phone:
1-800-PET-DOGS
(1-800-738-3647)
Website: http://www.apdt.com/
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