By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE
Before I discuss what a dog trainer does, I must explain what a dog trainer is not. The dog training profession is not a recognized one, in other words the government, via the different ministries of education, does not offer a dog trainer curriculum. No official dog training diploma exists in Canada; this means anyone can give himself or herself the title of dog trainer. Private institutions do offer courses, but no educational standard exists. Contents change from one school to another, so titles obtained vary in significance.
Certain people in our profession pretend to be what they are not. They become trainers after reading a book or attending a seminar, while others add behaviourist at the end of their name without having a university degree. Dog training does not guarantee the success of your work. Neither is it assuming you can cure undesirable behaviours. Teaching a dog is not a task; the animal should never be afraid of working. People who say they know it all are usually the ones who need to update their knowledge!
So, what is a dog trainer?
First, let us look at a few definitions in order to clarify the terms used in the business. Titles often used are master-trainer, trainer, instructor, behaviourist, ethologist and cynologist.
• The Master Trainer: a person who trains protection, security and/or guard dogs. No schooling is required.
• The Dog Trainer: teaches owners how to train their dogs to live in our society. No schooling is required.
• The Instructor: a person who repeats what he was taught without necessarily understanding the basis of conditioning. No schooling is required.
• The Behaviourist: from psychology, studies observable behaviours resulting from a strict relationship with the environment (stimulus-response). University degree.
• The Ethologist: From the theory of evolution, causes and consequences are studied from a strict ecological and physiological point of view. University degree.
• The Cynologist: trains and works with dogs. Refers to the French military. No schooling is required.
Behaviourists and ethologists generally do not train dogs so that we will skip the explanations. The two definitions that retain my attention are master trainer and trainer. In French, the two are very different. The master-trainer trains dogs for protection, guard, security, search and rescue and attack. From the old school, they sometimes practice outdated and dangerous techniques. Training techniques are often negative. The dog is a victim of coercion. Many of these trainers treat the dog as if it were a wolf without even knowing the Canis Lupus ethogram. The trainer teaches people how to train their dogs. In French, we call them canine educators because they teach people how to train their dogs. They generally practice more secure and humane techniques based on positive reinforcement, although this is not a prerequisite for the definition. These trainers usually do obedience and various sports. A good trainer will prevent and/or modify certain minor behaviour problems.
Next on the list is the trainer specializing in behaviour problems, not to be confused with a behaviourist. He has the same aptitudes as the regular trainer but his training will be centred on behaviour problems. This type of trainer does not have a university degree but generally studies the same course content. Curiously, behaviourists teach many trainers specialised in behaviour. These professional trainers can modify or manage serious behaviour problems with a very high success rate. Note: The University of British Columbia is the only institution offering a degree in applied behaviour in Canada.
Good trainers are conscientious people when it comes to their schooling and don’t pretend to be someone they are not. These people attend conferences, seminars and private courses on training and modifying behaviours. They work hard to perfect their knowledge; it’s not rare to see two trainers exchange information regarding the latest scientific findings. As a reference point, here are some aptitudes a good trainer should possess:
• Master the different characteristics of individual breeds of dogs
• Have pertinent experience in his respective domain
• Know the training terminology
• Identify the physical and emotional language of the dog
• Be aware of new scientific discoveries
• Offer himself a continuous education
• Have a basic knowledge of health and nutrition
• For specialists, master the complexity of behaviour problems