Finding a good dog trainer or behaviour consultant 

Although there are many excellent dog trainers and behaviour consultants in Ireland, dog training remains an unregulated profession. Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, regardless of their education or experience. As a result, training methods, prices, and the quality of support you receive can vary enormously.

Choosing the right professional isn't about finding the quickest fix - because quick fixes rarely exist. Behaviour change takes time, consistency, and practice. Your trainer or behaviour consultant will guide you, but remember that ultimately, YOU are the person your dog learns from every day.

What’s the difference between dog trainer and dog behaviour consultant?

Dog trainer

• Basic manners (sit, down, stay)
• Recall
• Toilet training
• Tricks
• Sports
• Pulling on the lead – while many dogs simply need help learning loose-lead walking, pulling can sometimes be driven by frustration, fear or anxiety. If you're unsure why your dog pulls, a behaviour consultant can help identify the underlying cause before a training plan is put in place.

 Behaviour consultant

• Fear
• Anxiety
• Aggression
• Separation issues
• Resource guarding
• Behaviour linked to pain or medical conditions
• Puppy raising, adolescent behaviour, and socialisation – helping young dogs develop into confident, well-adjusted adults requires an understanding of behaviour, learning theory, and emotional development, making this an area better suited to a behaviour professional

What training methods should you look for?

Over the past few decades, the dog training profession at large has made huge strides towards welfare-friendly training methods, but there are still trainers who will rely on punishment, coercion and intimidation to suppress “undesirable” behaviour and train “more acceptable” behaviours. Some will claim to be “positive” trainers but may have a poor understanding of how reinforcement really works, others will claim to be “balanced” and mix positive reinforcement and punishment methods to achieve results.

The best trainers and behaviour consultants will prioritise your dog’s comfort and welfare. They will promote welfare-friendly interactions with all the dogs they work with. Check their website and social media for signs that they prioritise welfare, enrichment, meeting your dog's needs, and helping dogs feel safe and comfortable.

Their content (videos and pictures) will never display punishing or intimidating methods such as leash-jerking, body-blocking, kicking or yelling, and they will never promote tools such as prong-collars, choke-chains, slip-collars, shock collars, or “rattling cans” and sprays to suppress behaviour.

Qualifications and questions to ask

There is no formal requirement to be a qualified dog trainer or behaviour professional in Ireland.

When searching for a trainer, look for professionals who belong to recognised organisations, carry appropriate insurance, undertake continuing professional development, and are happy to explain the science and evidence behind their methods.

Membership of a recognised professional organisation isn't a guarantee of quality, but it can indicate that a trainer has met certain educational standards and agrees to follow a code of ethics.

Ask them questions!

®    "Do you have liability insurance?"  All reputable trainers and behaviour consultants will carry insurance.

®    "How do you correct behaviour?"  The type of answer a dog trainer gives to this question can tell you a huge amount about what kind of trainer they are. If the answer involves physical punishment of any kind, using “time-outs” or using correction tools, you can cross that trainer off your list. A good answer is likely to include a management plan. Rather than talking about correcting unwanted behaviour, a good trainer or behaviour consultant will explain how they prevent rehearsal of the behaviour while teaching the dog new skills.

®    “How long will it take?” or “how many sessions do you think we will need?” A good dog trainer or behaviour consultant will not make guarantees, because when you first get in touch with them they cannot know what is causing your dog’s behaviour, so they cannot give you an answer! Behaviour change rarely happens in a single session. Look for someone who offers follow-up support and is willing to adjust the training plan as your dog progresses. 

®    “Do you have a Facebook or Instagram account I can look at?” You can tell a lot about the methods used by checking social media content… are they using correction tools or methods with the dogs in their videos? A video of a well-run training session often looks surprisingly uneventful. The dog should not be deliberately placed in situations that overwhelm them simply to demonstrate a training method. Or are the dogs featured displaying signs of discomfort or stress? (more on that in our next blog post!)

Look for red flags:

• They use the phrase "pack leader."  The use of this phrase almost always reveals a lack of understanding about dog behaviour. Professionals who still use this phrase almost always use intimidation or punishment to “train” dogs.

• They suggest that your dog is being "dominant."  Dominance is a widely misunderstood concept, and it is commonly used by punitive trainers as the root of nearly every behaviour problem imaginable. The truth is quite different, social hierarchies in social animals are generally stable, largely peaceful, and serve to reduce conflict. Domestic dogs do not follow a strict hierarchy of social dominance or engage in a constant struggle to establish rank over each other or the people they live with, despite what some trainers still claim. The idea of a rigid social hierarchy among dogs and people is misleading and false. A diagnosis of “dominance” will reveal that this dog trainer or behaviour consultant is not up to date with behaviour science!

• They use of shock, prong or choke collars or electric fences.  These tools work by causing discomfort, pain, fear, or intimidation, even if this isn't always obvious to observers.

• They use of techniques like "alpha rolls", kicking or "poking" dogs, leash jerks or physical punishment of any kind.  Don't believe it when they tell you it's how mother dogs correct their young, or that dogs need a heavy hand to teach them who's boss. You do not need to use pain or fear to teach any animal.

• They use terms like “stubborn”, “needy”, “guilty” or “bold” to describe your dog. These labels can also help you spot trainers that promote themselves as “positive” but might have a very poor understanding of dog behaviour. An educated dog trainer or behaviourist understands that dogs don’t have an agenda, and that behaviour is information about how your dog feels and what needs are not being met.

• They offer guarantees.  Behaviour is affected by nature, nurture, context, physical health and emotional valence. It can never be 100% predictable and there is always a chance that unwanted behaviour may resurface. Any trainer offering a guarantee regarding dog training doesn't understand behaviour.

• They do not ask for your dog's history prior to a behaviour consultation. To successfully address a dog behaviour problem, a behaviour consultant will want to gather as much information about your dog and their behaviour as possible. If a behaviour consultant does not ask for your dog’s behavioural and medical history, they do not truly understand how important it is to help identify why your dog is behaving in a certain way and what plan is best to ensure success. A good behaviour consultant should also recognise when a behaviour may have an underlying medical component and recommend that your dog is examined by a veterinarian where appropriate.

Should you choose group classes or one-to-one training?

Group classes can be an excellent way to teach your dog basic skills such as holding positions, settling down when there are distractions, recall, engagement, and tricks (including agility and other sports).

They can also be helpful for socialisation as the dog learns to focus on a task (training) while other dogs are present; and learning to ignore other dogs is possibly the most important aspect of socialisation!  

However, a group environment will not suit most dogs and puppies as it can be too busy and overwhelming for dogs who may struggle with anxiety, arousal control, or frustration.

In my experience, I have found that dog owners are often disappointed with group classes when they
need help with toilet training, puppy nipping, and pulling on the lead, simply because these are not things that can be realistically worked on in a group class environment. So if you need help with those things, go for 1-2-1 instead.

Some behaviour consultants offer classes for “reactive” dogs. While these often sound like a great deal (1-2-1 behaviour work is not cheap!), they can be very difficult to do right, and a good behaviour professional will require that you have done a behaviour consultation and successfully taught your dog essential skills before enrolling you in a group class for reactive dogs.

1-2-1 is often the best choice. It will naturally be a little dearer, but the session will be tailored to you and your dog’s needs, as opposed to following a curriculum, and they are more flexible so can fit your schedule.

1-2-1s should ideally be held in your home or in an environment familiar to your dog. This is because dogs will often behave differently in novel and unfamiliar environments which would make it very difficult for the trainer or behaviour consultant to appropriately assess your dog’s usual behaviour.

Puppy socialisation classes 

Speaking personally as a behaviour consultant, puppy socialisation classes are one of my biggest pet peeves.

They are often too busy and not adequately supervised to be truly beneficial. Puppies have different temperaments, social skills and emotional needs, and a busy class environment rarely allows for those individual differences. More sensitive puppies may become frightened, more outgoing puppies may have poor social boundaries around those that need more time to come out of their shell, and puppies that struggle with arousal or frustration can quickly become overwhelmed, creating a chaotic learning environment.

A good puppy socialisation class should have:

⭐Ideally, no more than four puppies per class - although classes this small are unfortunately uncommon.

⭐Separated areas so that the puppies can be socialised in pairs and so that puppies can be removed from social interactions if they need a break.

⭐A qualified trainer or behaviour consultant who is EXCELLENT at reading dog body language. Puppies can be very subtle as they have not yet fully developed communication skills, so you need a real pro to supervise puppy interactions and intervene when needed!

 

Bottom line

Choosing the right trainer is one of the best investments you can make in your relationship with your dog. Do your research, ask the questions, spot the red flags.

A good professional won't just teach behaviours, they will help you understand your dog's needs, build confidence, and create skills that last a lifetime.