How to interview a dog trainer
So you need some help and decided to hire a professional Long Island dog trainer...
Did you know that there is no licensing or educational requirements for "professional dog trainers". This means literally anyone can become a dog trainer, sometimes by just completing an online course or attending a school and learning some theory. Nothing compares to experience of working with multiple dogs of different breeds and sizes and figuring out how to solve different behavioral issues. Not just once or twice but for years with hundreds or thousands of dogs.
When interviewing trainers, ask the right questions. What training methods and theories are they comfortable with, and what tools have they actually used in practice with what success rate, and especially how well it will work for your type of dog. What is their success rate, how long have they been doing it, how many dogs have they trained. Each dog is different and most want to be good, they just have to be trained with the right tools... Don't be afraid to ask for references. If this was my dog, trust me, I would be checking them out carefully too! π
My Bravo turned 3! Time sure flies when you are having fun, and we had a very busy year till the pandemic came. We compete in a high level International Dog Sport called IGP (formerly known as Schutzhund). It consists of 3 phases - Tracking, Obedience and Protection, and we are judged by points, not just for precision, but also on how happy and eager the dog is, and how the handler and the dog work together as a team...We earned all 3 IGP titles in 6 months and were ready to compete to qualify to represent our country at the World Championship, with Bravo being the youngest dog there. IGP is one of the most complex dog sports in the world, and we have been training since Bravo is 7 weeks old.
The odds are in our favor, being young, when things get back to new normal, we should be able to proceed. For now, he at least deserves a movie of our last year of training and trialing. And I am shamelessly bragging about my boy π!
Not every dog will get to the podium, and not every dog has to train like this, but my goal is to get YOUR DOG to his/her full potential, so that you can enjoy your lives together to the fullest!!!! I can train a puppy, a sensitive rescue, or a high strong dog with a great outcome because I have lots of different tools in my tool box, that I picked up over the years, with decades of researching, studying, practicing and learning from top masters in the world, so that now I can use the right ones needed for your special dog in front of meπ
