Finding the ideal behaviourist for you and your dog can seem like a very daunting task with so many new training and behaviour companies opening in recent years. While it’s great that more people are becoming interested in training, unfortunately not all dog behaviour professionals are equal; and not all are adequately qualified, regardless of the size of their social media platforms. We often have customers asking us here at My Pet Nutritionist, for our recommendations on trainers and behaviourists for their precious pooch, and we understand the importance of a great trainer with ethical methods for not only mental health, but general wellbeing too!
Read on to learn about the ins and outs of finding the right behaviourist for you and your dog, with long lasting behavioural results without long lasting negative impacts on mental wellbeing.
Behaviourist Vs Trainer – Which Do I Need?
The first step in finding the correct behaviour professional for you and your dog, is working out which type you will need! Trainer? Behaviourist? Clinical Behaviourist? Here’s the difference between the three, and why you might need each one!
Dog Trainer: dog trainers are typically those who will cover the basic bits. Etiquette, body language, tricks, pulling on the lead/general obedience, dog sports coaching etc. Puppy training classes, puppy socialisation classes and adolescent classes, and 1-2-1 loose lead training sessions are the most commonly used services provided by dog trainers. If your dog has a basic training need, or you want a training service ‘just for fun’ (trick training classes are becoming increasingly popular, agility or flyball for example) then a good dog trainer is what you are aiming for!
Behaviourist: behaviourists are more highly qualified than trainers. These professionals will take on more challenging cases where more dangerous, more heavily set, or more complex behaviours are at play. Resource guarding and dog or human reactivity are the most commonly used services provided by these professionals. Many (but not all) behaviourists will look at diet, lifestyle and pain as part of their programme; we will look more into this (and why it’s beneficial) later.
Clinical Behaviourist: your clinical behaviourists are those with veterinary behaviour qualifications. These professionals will take on the severely complex cases, often where severe pain or neurological defects are associated with the behavioural issue. Clinical behaviourists play an important role in the industry, as they are able to prescribe temporary behavioural medication to those most in need.
Training Methods
There are so many different training types/methods, but not all are the ones we want to go for! Some will be long lasting, others will sadly impact your dog’s mental wellbeing and affect your bond with your dog. Remembering that dogs learn through repetition and reward, let’s take a look at the nitty gritty of dog training methods!
The four quadrants of Operant Conditioning are the basis of basic behavioural adjustment methods. When relating to operant conditioning, ‘positive’ means ‘adding to’, and ‘negative’ means ‘taking away’. Let’s take a closer look at the four quadrants:
- Positive Reinforcement (R+): during positive reinforcement we are adding something good in order to encourage repetition of a good behaviour. Do something good, get rewarded for it. Dogs quickly learn through repeated exercises of good behaviour and reward, and that good behaviour then becomes deeply ingrained! Example: the dog lays down when the handler says ‘down’, and the dog is rewarded with a treat. Think Pavlov’s Dog – in Pavlov’s experiment, the dog was rewarded with food every time he heard a bell ringing. Because for a short while the dog was given food each time the bell rung, the dog then associated the bell sound with being given food. Every time the bell rung, the dog would salivate in readiness of his food. This is how positive reinforcement works!
- Positive Punishment (P+): this is the addition of something aversive (pain, discomfort, fear) in response to a dog doing something the handler deems undesirable in order to discourage the dog from repeating this behaviour. Dogs will often end up associating the handler with aversion, which weakens their bond, and causes social anxiety. Example: the dog pulls on the lead, so the handler gives the lead a sharp pull. Those recommending the use of shock collars, prong collars and spray bottles are using positive punishment, and will often be missing basic body language signs of discomfort in the dog.
- Negative Reinforcement: when something aversive is removed from a situation in response to a behaviour the handler deems desirable, in order to encourage the behaviour. Example: the dog stops pulling on the lead, so pressure is released. This often follows an act of positive punishment; the dog pulls on the lead, so pressure is applied, then when the dog stops pulling on the lead (due to the discomfort caused), the lead pressure is reduced.
- Negative Punishment: negative punishment occurs when something the dog likes/enjoys is removed in response to the behaviour being carried out by the dog being undesirable to the handler. Example: a dog who is kept on a house-line lead is sitting on the sofa and resource guarding it, is gently removed from the sofa using the lead attached to it. This takes away the thing the dog liked (the sofa).
We would always recommend using a positive reinforcement approach as it is most efficient, and has the least mental impact on the dog, however sometimes using a little negative punishment is required in severe resource guarding cases where there is an endangerment to human life.
Using positive reinforcement is suitable for almost every dog, but it requires repetition, patience and time; all things that should be sacrificed for your dog’s health and wellbeing. Using other ‘quick fix’ methods will not instil long lasting behaviours, and will impact the bond between you and your pet, and depending on the behaviours at hand, may also become a danger to the wider public through fear.
So, when you search for a local trainer or behaviourist, you will notice a mixture of ‘force free’ and ‘balanced’. Force free would be our only recommendation regardless of the claims made by those providing other services, often with a large social media following for their ‘quick fix’ videos at the expense of a dog’s wellbeing. Here’s a bit more about ‘force free’ and ‘balanced’ training professionals:
- Force Free: behaviour professionals using force free methods, are only using positive reinforcement. These trainers and behaviourists will be using gentle, modern, scientifically proven models to train your dog effectively, and without the use of fear, pain or discomfort. Behaviours are typically altered using only force free methods.
- Balanced: balanced trainers will use a mixture of methods, including positive reinforcement, and positive punishment. The use of aversive methods and equipment may present as a ‘quick fix’ on an undesirable behaviour, however these behaviours are simply supressed. If the aversive tools and methods were removed, and a cue given to the dog, it is likely the dog would stop carrying out the desired behaviour after a few repetitions without the aversives. Behaviours are typically supressed using balanced methods, but are not positively altered. If somebody repeatedly shouted at you, or prodded you in the neck with a fork (bearing in mind our skin is 7 times thicker than that of a dog!) for doing something someone else didn’t like, you would probably stop doing that thing until they stop shouting or prodding you!
Qualifications and Accreditations
Once you have picked the method of training suitable for you and your pet, you will need to consider the qualifications and accreditations a behavioural professional has under their belt! The canine behaviour industry is completely unregulated, so doing your own research into qualifications and accreditations that a specific professional holds is key! Anyone can pick up a dog lead and a whistle and call themselves a dog trainer, sadly!
Accreditations are designed to give the consumer certainty that their trainer has met a specific set of requirements to deem themselves force free. There are various organisations which recognise and list purely force free trainers and behaviourists including:
- IMDT (Institute of Modern Dog Training)
- IntoDogs
- UK Training and Behaviour Charter
- APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers)
- Pet Professional Guild
- ABTC (Animal Behaviour and Training Council)
Trainers and behaviourists wishing to join one of these bodies are stringently tested, and some work on an invite-only basis. Those listed on these websites are typically a great choice due to the accreditation they hold.
When it comes to qualifications, again, not all are equal! Also, just because someone holds a qualification be it a Level 2, Level 3, Foundation Degree, or a Bachelor of Science degree, is does not automatically make them a force free individual! Many people, despite being taught during their studies about the cons of aversive based training, still go on to offer ‘quick fixes’ – a quick fix = more exposure because people want a quick fix = more money.
Some establishments are only online, and may be lower quality, though some online offerings are higher quality than others, and more trustworthy. When asking someone for their qualifications, it is well worth looking at what each course entails, and the ethics the provider has. Those up to date scientifically, will recommend only positive reinforcement, while those lacking in up to date information may not.
Finding the Right One
So, the most important question; how do you source the perfect behaviour professional for you and your dog? There are various ways to find one, and lots of thing to ask and look for in those you consider. Here’s our top tips at finding the right one!
Look through recommendations on local dog-based social media communities! While unsuitable individuals may be recommended, this can be a great place to start, but make sure you do your research on any recommendations.
Have a look at trainers listed on websites of accreditation bodies, especially those mentioned above in this blog post. These options will be an excellent place to start; all you need to do is see what each one offers!
Different professionals will have different specialities, and differing levels of experience in different areas of behaviour. When considering a trainer or behaviourist, check out their experiences and qualifications to see if they may specialise in the area of behaviour you are struggling with.
Before going ahead with an individual, ensure you meet with them in person first. During this meet, you can ask more questions about their behavioural training methods, their qualifications, experiences, and insurances. This meeting will also allow you to get a feel for someone personally. It is very important that you, the owner, get on well with the chosen professional, as it will be you being taught just as much, if not more so than the dog!
Find out if a behaviourist you are considering using, looks deeper into the dog’s lifestyle and wellness; do they ask you what the dog eats? Do they ask you if you treat them for worms/fleas? Do they make sure you have a pain analysis performed at the vet prior to your first session? If the answer to these questions is ‘yes’, that’s a great step in the right direction to choosing your ideal behaviourist, as these all have a huge impact on behaviour. Finding more out about your dog’s wellness regime is such an important part of behaviour work; even better if the professional has recommendations of other professionals to go through these issues with you, and improve your dog’s general wellness alongside the training!
We really hope our blog has helped you in your search for an ethical behaviourist or trainer for your pet. This is a great resource to share with any family or friends if they are in need of a behaviour professional, so please do feel free to share it with them as a concise and easy to understand ‘crib sheet’ for finding someone suitable.
Happy Training!
Team MPN x
