That’s a really great question – and something that’s recently come up in a few different professional contexts. In some ways “certified” has different meanings to dog trainers vs to a dog owner. There are many variables depending on “completed a program” vs “showing a minimum competency” vs “completed a rigorous program.” I know very skilled trainers with and without certifications.
There are no legal requirements in most of the country – though there are a few counties in the US with specific requirements. “Dog trainer,” “Dog behaviorist” and such terms are not standardized.
Variations of Certification
photo by t tepper 2008! At a trainer certification with Blaze
Program Completion: There are some dog trainer programs that give certificates to all trainers who complete the program. Sometimes these are challenging and rigorous programs. Sometimes they are not. Some are knowledge based, some have hands on components, some have tests associated with them and others don’t. At least one of them has a teaching-people test portion as part of the program. One (I won’t name) in particular has a hands-on portion, but even students who do not pass this part will pass the overall program. A program completion certification does mean someone invested their time, money, and energy into the program.
Test/Process Based: Some certifications are not affiliated with a “dog trainer school” contexts but are more stand-alone test/certifications and are sometimes associated with professional associations. There are variations which are multiple choice test based, some that are video examples of training skills and some that require writing up case studies of actual clients. A certification does mean someone invested their time, money, and energy into preparing and doing the test/paperwork.
Maintaining Certification
Some programs have requirements for maintaining certification such as attending continued education events. But that’s not always the case or sometimes membership fees are required. These days, attending seminars or watching videos of seminars can count as the continued education credits which may or may not mean a person actually did it (though arguably – even attending a live event – someone might not be very attentive!).
The Myth of American Kennel Club (AKC) “Certified”
A CGC test in action.
This comes up on a lot of dog trainer websites. I wish I could politely include images where I’ve seen this – but I don’t want anyone to be upset. Trainers will list that they are AKC “Certified” trainers or “Certified by the AKC” when they really mean that they are Canine Good Citizen Test (CGC) Evaluators. It’s not hard to become an evaluator. Pay a fee, take a simple open book test, and pay additional fees every 2 years. This doesn’t say anything about how well you train dogs or teach people – only that you are able to give the CGC tests. The AKC does not certify dog trainers.
So What Does Certification Mean?
Someone took the time, money, and energy to obtain the certification. From my viewpoint, I can get an idea of how much time and money someone spent and the kinds of training that person is likely to do. Karen Pryor Academy graduates are highly unlikely to use electronic collars, Animal Behavior College graduates are not going to have extensive behavior modification as part of that program. But the certification doesn’t tell me much about what experiences the person has had outside of that certification. It doesn’t tell me their skill level at training dogs or teaching people. It doesn’t tell me how familiar they are with behavior modification for anxious dogs.
What do I do?
Sometimes I think about doing additional certifications. I’ve done my best to focus on spending my time and money on opportunities that will give me more experiences more than just additional credentials. So instead, I attend seminars, go on training-related trips, and prepare/compete with my dogs. Most of the dog owners don’t really care what certifications – they just want results. I don’t need to impress other dog trainers by having multiple certifications. I’m not applying for dog training jobs out of the region where credentials will get my foot in the door – though these days, I think sending video examples of working with dogs and/or clients is likely more meaningful than just credentials.
Additional Reading:
- Marc Bekoff article: “Dog Training’s Dirty Little Secret. Anyone Can Legally Do It
- American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior: “How to Choose a Dog Trainer.”
- Todd Zazie: “Barriers to the Adoption of Humane Dog Training Methods.”