The other day I stood in line to check out at my veterinary clinic and inwardly cringed when I overheard the conversation in front of me. A lady was trying to corral her exuberant puppy, who was lunging and barking playfully at my dog, while asking the receptionist about dog trainers. The receptionist offered a handful of business cards from local trainers, and the lady took them happily, looking grateful for some potential help.

So Why Was I Cringing?

Although the puppy was creating a bit of a ruckus and my dog was doing her best to ignore her, as a certified positive reinforcement dog trainer, I am all too familiar with the dangers of randomly selecting a business card from a stack. It’s the Russian Roulette equivalent of selecting a trainer. Yikes!

I’m certified (through the Karen Pryor Academy of Training and Behavior), but unfortunately, very few trainers are. In addition, there is no one central certification. There are all kinds of certifications for trainers ranging from nationally-recognized and highly regarded to “Feeling cute – might make up my own certification later.”

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