How do I choose a dog trainer or a puppy class?
The title means nothing because the industry is unregulated. What means something is the accrediting body, the method, and whether they will let you watch a class first.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 25 min
- Read
- 3 min
- Safety
- caution
Short answer
Look for membership of an accrediting body with assessed standards — the Animal Behaviour and Training Council maintains a register of practitioners who have met them. Ask what happens when a dog gets something wrong; the answer tells you everything. Watch a class before booking, and for anything involving aggression or serious fear, ask your vet to refer you to a clinical behaviourist.
Anyone in the UK can advertise as a dog trainer or behaviourist tomorrow with no qualification, no insurance and no accountability. That is the single most important fact when choosing one. The accrediting bodies exist precisely because the title does not, and checking membership takes two minutes.
Safety
Step by step
- Decide whether you need a trainer or a behaviourist.Training teaches skills — recall, lead walking, settling. Behaviour work addresses emotional problems such as aggression, severe fear and separation distress. They are different disciplines, and behaviour work should follow a veterinary referral because pain and illness cause a large share of behaviour change.
- Check the accrediting body, not the letters after the name.The Animal Behaviour and Training Council registers practitioners who have met assessed standards. Other reputable bodies exist. Membership of an organisation that requires only a subscription is not a credential.
- Ask what happens when a dog gets it wrong.This one question sorts the field. A good answer describes making it easier, changing the environment, or rewarding an alternative. Any answer involving a correction, a check, a spray, a shock or "showing them who is in charge" is a reason to stop the conversation.
- Reject dominance-based framing.The idea that dogs are constantly attempting to establish rank over their owners has been discarded by behavioural science, and the training practices built on it are associated with worse outcomes. Language about being alpha or pack leader is a reliable marker of outdated practice.
- Ask to observe a class before booking.A trainer confident in their methods will let you watch. Look at the dogs: are they loose-bodied and engaged, or crouched, panting and pulling away. Look at the handlers: are they enjoying it.
- Check the class size and structure.Small classes with room for dogs to be at a comfortable distance from each other. Puppy classes should be structured, with controlled interaction rather than a free-for-all — chaotic puppy play is where fear of other dogs is often learned.
- Check insurance and safeguarding.Public liability insurance is a minimum. Ask about their policy on dogs that are unwell or in season, and about first aid provision.
- Start puppy classes early but safely.The socialisation window closes early, so classes matter before it does. Ask what vaccination stage they require and how they manage risk — most reputable classes admit puppies partway through the vaccination course on a clean indoor surface.
- Take the veterinary route for aggression or serious fear.Ask your vet for a referral to a clinical animal behaviourist. This route also matters for insurance — many policies cover behaviour treatment only on veterinary referral to a suitably qualified practitioner.
- Be prepared to leave.If you are uncomfortable with what you are being asked to do to your dog, stop. There is no obligation to complete a course, and pushing through a method you distrust damages both the dog and your relationship with it.
Questions people ask
Are dog trainers regulated in the UK?
No. Anyone may use the titles trainer and behaviourist without qualification. That is why membership of an assessed accrediting body such as the Animal Behaviour and Training Council is the thing to check.
Are shock collars legal?
Electronic shock collars are banned in Wales and Scotland, and a ban has been legislated for in England. Beyond legality, aversive tools are associated with increased fear and aggression, and reputable practitioners do not use them.
When should I start puppy classes?
Early — the socialisation window closes sooner than most people expect. Reputable classes admit puppies partway through the vaccination course, indoors on a cleanable surface, and manage the risk accordingly. Ask what their policy is.