Comments on: Why Do People Resist Hiring Dog Trainers?

By: Maggie

Maggie — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 20:23:07 +0000

Yes, yes, yes! I mean, no, I don’t know why, but YES this is fabulous post! I’ve fallen into the “I’ll do it myself” trap and realized, eventually, that I wasn’t actually doing it! So, going to a trainer really helped. And, no, I can’t keep my opinions to myself about these things. What I’ve suggested to a couple people who brought up the cost issue: Skip one date night/night out this month, and hire a trainer for a single session. You don’t have to enroll in a weeks-long program or group class. Do one session to get the strategies and techniques, and use the last 10-15 minutes of that session to write out a plan that you will DIY! Also ask the trainer for recommended resources to continue your own study.

By: KimT

KimT — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 19:13:56 +0000

I think there’s been a shift over time in attitudes toward our pets, and what to expect of and for them. Many people just aren’t “there” yet. There’s also a genuine ignorance about dog trainers – for many, that conjures up an image of some unreachable professional who charges more than lawyers for their services. In fact, most of the people I know around here who have hired a trainer have plenty of spare change in their budget.

Then there’s the plethora of trainers. The market is saturated with Cesar Milan wanna-be’s, certificate-wielding newbies that haven’t a clue, and even plenty of trainers who tout themselves as “positive” – but in fact are not. So many people who hire a trainer end up going through a series of them, in a desperate attempt to find one that finally works well with their dog (and not against them). In the meantime, the dog ends up with more issues thanks to the incompetence of those prior trainers. It can be a minefield in the training world.

There needs to be better oversight, stricter guidelines, better/clearer representations of these trainers. As long as there is such diverse opinions and methods in the dog training world, though, I doubt that will happen.

By: jandunlap

jandunlap — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 17:21:01 +0000

Love this post! Hiring a trainer for our rescued dog was the smartest thing we did. If we hadn’t, I couldn’t imagine how we would have been able to keep her with us, since I had no experience with a dog, and Gracie was a high-energy gal. Training her has changed our lives.

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 16:58:33 +0000

You make a lot of really great points in this post. Were you able to get through to your new friend?

By: lexy

lexy — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 16:17:54 +0000

When I run into people whose dogs are a bit ‘out of control’, who complain about it, I usually ask if they’re taking a class. I try to make it more of an ‘oh, I like to hear how different places nearby are, in terms of classes.’, but it usually opens up a conversation about dog training, even if they aren’t in a class. And once the conversation is open, I can ‘casually’ mention that the classes offered through parks and rec in the city are $85/10 classes… less than 10 dollars/class, and did a great job for Gwynn. It frustrates me when people have no interest in trying to fix the issues they complain about – for anything, really.

By: Jen K

Jen K — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 14:36:44 +0000

I am rarely strong enough to avoid unsolicited advice. It’s something I’m working on.
I’ll never get the resistance to hiring dog trainers. I am all about learning things from experts.
But I wonder sometimes if it’s a culture gap? If people grow up with “farm dogs” or have had dogs all throughout their lives, they seem to think it’s unnecessary or that they can do it themselves. Often, this do-it-themselves technique is… I’ll say “old fashioned”. In my experience. Just like I think nail polish on dogs is ridiculous and unnecessary, they come from further down the spectrum, thinking hiring a ‘fancy’ trainer to tell them things they already know is a waste. It’s not, but I’ve seen that attitude many times having grown up in rural Alberta and knowing many people who also did.

By: Lauranne

Lauranne — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 09:01:56 +0000

In reply to Lauranne. By man I mean some men. Not all men - just to clarify. Do they think they look weak by asking for help and admitting they can't do it?

By: Lauranne

Lauranne — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 09:01:07 +0000

Is it a man thing? And I don’t mean that to sounds sexist but I know my ex wasn’t keen on taking BD to a trainer and it was only after lots of persuasion from me he finally took him. However only once, wouldn’t do a repeat training class . I don’t know why he couldn’t admit he needed help??!

By: 24 Paws of Love

24 Paws of Love — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 06:20:26 +0000

We live in a rural/tourist area and there are very few dog trainers/behaviorist. Out of the two closest to me, one kicked Brut and was more interested in selling herself than helping us. The other told me my situation was impossible and I’d have to get rid of a couple of dogs. Doesn’t sound like much but that was when I gave up. I’d been doing it on my own this far, I decided I would keep doing it.

Understand your frustration. I never get asked advice, so I don’t know what I would say.

By: weliveinaflat

weliveinaflat — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 01:07:14 +0000

I’m like Dawn. Cost is a factor. If the trainer is recommended to be good, I’m concerned she’s too busy or too costly. If a trainer is cheaper but not as well known, I’m not sure if it’s worth it. And of course, I’m part of the research, read it up and test and learn crowd…

And I guess mainly Donna is a very well behaved dog on her own so we don’t have dire problems that would drive us to seek out a trainer.

I read somewhere that every dog owner thinks they know dogs better than everybody else. It makes me irritated when somebody thinks they know my dog better than me when they don’t even try to understand her background, circumstances and context. So I try to keep from giving unsolicited advice. It can be kind of hard though. 😛