Looking for a Trainer

[ILGHAUS]

A good read is - Pet Partners' Professional Standards for Dog Trainers
http://www.deltasociety.org/document.doc?id=374

Most organizations will only work with a dog that they supply.

When looking for a private trainer to train a SD in full or to help the owner train look for someone with experience with working dogs.

Unless the owner has experience, it will be beneficial to have the trainer help look for a candidate. Why? The owner/handler must be aware that on the whole many dogs will be (or should be) washed out during the evaluations that should be ongoing during the candidate stage. Again many will never (or should never) be passed from a SDIT to a working SD. Plans should be made in advance of what to do with any dog that is not suitable to graduate to SD status. The more knowledge of the person evaluating and being part of the choice helps the possibility of picking a dog that makes it to working status.

[ILGHAUS]

Anyone with a business license can claim to be and set themself up to be a dog trainer. Ask what type of experience the potential trainer has. Do they have any credentials showing their training? Do they belong to any dog training organization?

Will the trainer give a Certificate of Completion or other type of certifcate when your dog finishes their training?

Will the trainer keep a training log on the dog showing types and duration of such training?

Will the trainer supply a copy of training log to you?

Will the trainer be willing to go to court with you or submit training documentation to the court if requested?

Is there any contract to sigh? Review in full before signing.
Any guarantees? If the trainer does not fulfill these what are your options? Partial repayment, further training, etc.?

Is the trainer available in the future for additional task training or help in maintanance? If so, what will be the cost?

[SFGSSD]

Originally Posted by ILGHAUS

Anyone with a business license can claim to be and set themself up to be a dog trainer. Ask what type of experience the potential trainer has. Do they have any credentials showing their training? Do they belong to any dog training organization?

Will the trainer give a Certificate of Completion or other type of certifcate when your dog finishes their training?

Will the trainer keep a training log on the dog showing types and duration of such training?

Will the trainer supply a copy of training log to you?

Will the trainer be willing to go to court with you or submit training documentation to the court if requested?

Is there any contract to sigh? Review in full before signing.
Any guarantees? If the trainer does not fulfill these what are your options? Partial repayment, further training, etc.?

Is the trainer available in the future for additional task training or help in maintanance? If so, what will be the cost?

This is great advice! I second This.

[SFGSSD]

Originally Posted by ILGHAUS

When looking for a private trainer to train a SD in full or to help the owner train look for someone with experience with working dogs.

Unless the owner has experience, it will be beneficial to have the trainer help look for a candidate. Why? The owner/handler must be aware that on the whole many dogs will be (or should be) washed out during the evaluations that should be ongoing during the candidate stage. Again many will never (or should never) be passed from a SDIT to a working SD. Plans should be made in advance of what to do with any dog that is not suitable to graduate to SD status. The more knowledge of the person evaluating and being part of the choice helps the possibility of picking a dog that makes it to working status.

This is also great advice! The big difference between working dog trainers and pet dog trainers is this: Pet dog trainers these days tend to give a dog more latitude. If they make a mistake during/after training it's "Oop's try again". Working dog trainers understand that if a working dog makes a mistake it's not an "oop's" it's someone’s life on the line. They are a lot stricter when it comes to performance and setting limits and boundaries.