09/23/2025
Incredibly thankful to the CBC St John’s Morning Show for having me on today to talk about some major red flags I’m seeing within the dog training industry.
Did you know - this industry is completely unregulated.. ANYBODY can pick up a leash and charge for services.
This means good people are being taken advantage of, paying money for a service that may be at best unhelpful - at worst, harmful.
I am getting multiple reports each week of new clients who feel that they or their dogs have been mistreated - whether their dog has been treated with a heavy hand and their behavioural issues are worsening, or the human end is being met with gaslighting and guilt trips that they are the sole reason why their dog is having issues.
Don’t get me wrong - we DO need to be open to holding ourselves accountable for our pets, and we need to be open to changing some of our habits to help our dogs become the furry friend we need.. but the only tears I want to see in a consult are tears of relief that you feel seen, heard and supported. You already took the first step by hiring a trainer to help you!
On the dog end of the leash, I am hearing more stories about dogs being treated with REALLY heavy approaches. This goes beyond the debate between balanced vs reward based training, and is nothing short of abuse. If your dog receives such a heavy correction that they are losing control of their bowels, being physically injured, or their issues are worsening - you have been failed. This is not right, and the majority of balanced trainers would agree with me there.
When you hire a professional, you invest time and money - there are some truly great trainers in our province who are honest, hard working, knowledgeable and responsible. The purpose of the segment today was to help dog owners screen who they are inviting into their family to work with their pets, so here’s a little summary of my recommended questions to ask your potential pet professional:
❓What is your background/experience with the problem I want to address?
❓What are your credentials?
❓What was your most recent workshop/seminar for continuing education?
❓Do you require specific equipment?
❓Where can I read your code of ethics/conduct?
❓What strategies do you use if my dog isn’t getting something right?
If you get a bad feeling from any of these questions - ask for clarification. Reputable trainers will have detailed, transparent answers for you to make an informed decision. Certification is not the be all and end all - but it helps demonstrate a commitment to ethics and continuing education.
Some red flags to watch out for:
🚩 Statements like “I’ve owned dogs my whole life” - I’ve been brushing my teeth my whole life, but I’m no dentist.
🚩 Not acknowledging when a case should be referred out - severe cases NEED a veterinarian on board for diagnostics and potentially medication. Some areas of behaviour benefit from a specialist - separation anxiety is best treated by someone who lives and breathes the topic, and can provide extensive support. Service dog training can require more specific liability insurance for public access work and a specific focus on task training. Sports dog trainers for agility need a solid understanding of anatomy, proprioception and safety that goes beyond basic dog training.
🚩 “Real world experience” while negating the importance of education and theory - both are incredibly valuable, but one does not negate the need for the other. You can do something for 20 years and still be doing it wrong. Professionals should have a solid understanding of psychology, animal behaviour and welfare to consult on behaviour cases and provide the care your dog needs.
🚩 Buzzwords or phrases like “pack”, “alpha”, “dominance”
🚩 Offering training guarantees or quick fixes
🚩 Statements like “I’ve been doing it this way for years” - the industry has grown and evolved over the years and we have moved away from archaic tactics. I don’t trust behavioural advice that came from the same era that diagnosed women with hysteria and then treated them with lobotomies.
🚩 Check their social media - do the photos and videos show dogs with bright eyes, and loose relaxed posture? Or are they staying very still, avoiding eye contact, licking their lips, lowering their head, trying to move away from whoever is holding the leash? A shut down dog showing avoidance behaviour may look like they are “behaving” or claim they are “fixed”, but body language doesn’t lie. A reputable trainer won’t purposefully get your dog to react for the sake of a dramatic before and after video - and if they cut out the part where they actually do the work (especially if the owner is not present!) you can be pretty sure they are not using best practices. Good training should be full of optimism and motivation - and good behavioural therapy should be boring.
🚩 Check the registry. Certified individuals need to meet a minimum requirement for continuing education, membership fees, and sometimes re-examination to maintain their status. If you don’t see them listed - ask why. Some trainers outgrow the organization - I personally left the CCPDT because their ethics held me to a lower standard than my own as I grew in my business.
🚩 “Some dogs need a heavier hand” - you may be surprised how many positive reinforcement trainers own large, powerful breeds, some of whom are rescues that came from traumatic or abusive backgrounds. You can’t effectively teach sports like agility and scent detection with punitive methods - and some of these dogs are incredibly high drive! Positive does not mean permissive - there is a misconception that positive reinforcement training is just tossing food at the dogs and hoping for the best. I can assure you, we do so much more than that! If we can teach tigers and polar bears in captivity to cooperate for blood draws and husbandry using positive reinforcement, we can absolutely help your pet dog!
If you have experienced anything like this, I encourage you to speak up. If you feel unsure during a session, ask questions and advocate for your dog. If something doesn’t sit right with you, or you don’t understand the direction - ask for clarification. If your dog has been harmed under the guise of “training” - you can report your experience to the trainer’s certifying body or the provincial Animal Welfare Officer. They cannot help if they don’t know what is happening behind closed doors.
I can promise you - I have my flaws as a person and in business just like everyone else, but I will do no harm, and take no 💩. There is no circumstance where abuse is justified in training.
