You’ve taken your puppy home and are looking for a trainer. Or your adorable puppy has grown up and turned into a teenager. Or the dog you’ve taken home from a shelter or rescue has developed anxieties and behavior problems. So, you’ve begun a search for someone who can help you. And you’ve found and entire internet full of trainers, and are overwhelmed with options. What now? What’s right for you and your dog? This is a series of articles to help you pick the right trainer and training program.
First off: Every article has an alphabet soup of certifications and qualifications. What do they all mean, and how do you wade through all that?
Things to keep in mind: In the United States, this is an unregulated field. Every single person who advertises himself as a dog trainer can also certify other people as trainers, without any qualifications or standards and print out a fancy certificate. This isn’t to say that the person who has gone through a course of training or internship under that program doesn’t know what he or she is doing and isn’t an excellent trainer. But often it means exactly that. As Victoria Stillwell says:
“Just as almost anyone can refer to themselves as a professional dog trainer, almost any entity can currently state that it ‘certifies’ its members or graduates to be a certain level of dog training professional. While this classification can sometimes be as valuable as the paper used to designate the certification, the dog-owning public continues to place varying degrees of importance on the label of being ‘certified.’
The truth is that the value of any dog trainer certification depends upon the criteria and assessment processes in place by the entity granting the certification to the trainer as well as the guiding principles and reputation of the certifying entity.1″
This is a list of the more commonly found reputable professional dog training and behavior consulting certifications. Each of these certifications requires documented experience (ranging from hundreds of hours to years) in canine training and behavior, education and/or rigorous testing, and attestation of that person’s qualifications by professional peers. Each of these organizations require their certificants to abide by a code of ethics, best practices and professional standards. The individuals holding these certifications are also required to maintain their expertise through continual education in the field. I encourage you to look at the links provided below to determine the best fit for you and your pet.
DACVB – Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.2
CAAB: Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (granted by the Animal Behavior Society).3
ACAAB: Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (Animal Behavior Society).
CPDT-KA: Certified Pet Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.4
CPDT-KSA: Certified Pet Dog Trainer – Knowledge and Skills Assessed (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.
CBCC-KA: Certified Behavior Consultant Canine – Knowledge Assessed (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.
CDBC: Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants).5
IAABC-ADT: Accredited Dog Trainer (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants).
KPA-CTP: Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Program6
A more complete list of animal-related certifications, and the criteria for those certifications, can be found here: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/lifestyle/human-focus/professional-dog-training-titles/
When looking at advertisements for trainers or behaviorists, pay attention to the fine print. Does the trainer provide a set of credentials? If so, you can search that certifying organization’s web site to determine whether that trainer is in fact certified and in good standing. Also, does the trainer say that he’s a member of an organization, such as the IAABC or APDT without providing further information? If so, look further. Membership in these organizations is a great thing: It provides access to training, current research and other benefits. But there are also various levels of membership, including the general public.
If a trainer lists course that he or she has taken, take a look that the courses and see if they are listed as providing Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for maintaining certification. This will provide you with a basis of determining the value of that course of training. Also, if a trainer describes himself as having attended a formal training program such as those conducted by Victoria Stillwell7, Pat Miller8, Karen Pryor6 or the Animal Behavior College9, look to see if he has successfully completed that training and has been credentialed by it.
Next in this series: Do I need a trainer or a behaviorist?
Upcoming: What is an ethical dog trainer? What to look for in a trainer/behaviorist, and what to avoid.
References
- What Is Certification? | Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior (vsdogtrainingacademy.com)
- American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (dacvb.org)
- Animal Behavior Society
- Certification for professional dog trainers and behavior consultants (ccpdt.org)
- International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (iaabc.org)
- Become A Professional Dog Trainer Courses – Certification Program (karenpryoracademy.com)
- HOME | Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior (vsdogtrainingacademy.com)
- Peaceable Paws Intern Academies – Peaceable Paws
Animal Behavior College | Where Animal Lovers Pursue Animal Careers