How to choose an animal trainer? There are certainly a bunch to choose from. All of them train animals in some way - any of us who have animals train them in some way. But when you want professional help, where do you go?
I am not a professional animal trainer. By that I mean that I do not get paid for it. I try to act in a professional manner; I study as if my livelihood did depend on it; I guard my reputation by acting with integrity; I do train other people's animals as well as my own - but I don't get paid for it yet. When the check box asks, "are you a professional animal trainer?", I check "NO". But I am a deliberate animal trainer. I want to be the best "second tier" animal trainer that I can be.
When I choose an animal trainer, it is not to train my animal - it is to train me to train my animal. Generally, this means books, videos, classes, workshops, and an occasional home visit. I have chosen well in some cases - and then there are the other times.
When you choose a book or video, you are not face to face with the person and if you have enough context and previous training to know what you are looking for, you can filter the good from the bad. When taking a class, you are in a more difficult situation because if things don't work out, you have to leave and somebody notices. I had to do this once and the teacher ridiculed me with, "Don't you want your dog to learn to be well behaved?" I had to answer, "Yes, but I don't think you can do that in a way that I will be happy with."
Here's what I look for:
- I want a trainer who does not believe that nutrition is the answer to all behavior problems. There are some who appear to. They willl tell you what sounds like, "if you feed your animal fresh organic balanced food, he will automatically be happier and therefore all of your behavior issues will go away." Nutrition may have an impact on behavior, but when choosing a trainer I want one who will focus on behavior, not nutrition.
- I want a trainer who believes that our main tool in training an animal is getting them to like us. This may not be the only way to go - some people may have to train animals who do not like them, but I am not certain that is the case. Even training a rhinoceros would seem to be based on the positive relationship you can build with the animal. If you want a hippopotomus for Christmas, you better get one that likes you.
- I want a trainer who is not focused on dominating the animal and demanding obedience. I prefer to work with the animal - I ask him to do things and he chooses to do them. I always have a choice - my aninmals almost always have a choice. I prefer to give requests and choices - not commands.
- I want a trainer who understands and employs "clicker training" methods. That includes the use of a marker and bridging stimulus, shaping through successive approximation, capturing of offered behavior, etc.
- I want a trainer who doesn't use quick fixes which frighten the animal or degrade our relationship. I have a long time with these animals and I can afford to build trust.
- I want a trainer who does not focus too much on "spiritual" aspects of training. I am a spiritual guy, but in training, I want to focus on more "science". I don't want a pet psychic.
- I want a trainer with a lot of experience. I want to hear "war stories" of the animals they have worked with. I want them to be able to say, "Oh, yeah, I've seen this a lot. Here's what works here."
- I want a trainer who is still learning. If you know it all, you don't know it all.
- I want a trainer who has written a good book if possible.
- I want a trainer who can teach. It is one thing to be able to train animals, but since I will be looking for people to train me, teaching will be essential.
- I want a trainer who wants a trainer like I want.
- I want a trainer that likes my animals and is liked by them. This is a non-negotiable.
I won't make a list here of the different authors and trainers I do and don't want.
I can learn something from almost any trainer even if they do not meet all of my wants. I have read books and taken classes and attended workshops where the presenter is not entirely what I want - but if I can get 5 minutes and hour of really good stuff, I consider it time well spent. But my ideal trainers would meet the criteria above - and I have met a few: people that I feel lucky to have met.
What is a bite? When does a dog attack?
I so agree with your points as well Jenny!
It is very helpful to understand what the animal is really doing. My wife, who did not grow up with dogs, used to call and say, "Your dog bit me again. He won't stop attacking me." So, I would try to figure out what was happening becuase i could not believe that the dog was trying to hurt her at that point. As you say, he was trying to play. It is the same with the parrots. The parrot didn't attack me - he told me more forcefully that he did not want me to put my hand there (and I wish I had been listening the first time).
Publishing a book is no guarantee of a good trainer by any means. I don't take having published a book or video as credentials - it just makes it a lot easier to get a handle on what the person teaches and is willing to put into writing. Of course, it is a two-edged pen - it makes it a lot easier to weed out the ones I won't get along with. Fame is certainly not a measure of greatness.
A wise person once told me, "Bob, if you speak, be a voice, not an echo." I don't think that I always do that (sometimes I think echo is good and i try to give credit where due), but I keep it in mind and it does impact what I say. I hope that I don't fall into that hole here - I may want to go back and evaluate what I have been saying lately.
The point about "evidence of experience" is where the "war stories" come from. I was at a workshop on parrot behavior recently and the trainer said, ...that's how i trained the rhinocerous. When working with ostriches, I ..." I like that. I like the idea of learning from someone who has trained goldfish and llamas and even lions and tigers and bears (..). But if all they know is dogs - and they know it deep, that is somebody I want to study with as well.