Vital Questions to Ask When Looking for a Dog Training Class

In this guide, we give you all the questions to ask when looking for a dog training class.

1. Is the Trainer Qualified?

It might surprise you, but the dog training industry in the UK is totally unregulated. There is no requirement for dog trainers to be professionally qualified and, as a result, many aren’t.

The best way to find a competent dog trainer is to look for one that has been rigorously assessed by an independent organisation and agreed to adhere to a code of ethics. Most organisations will also reassess their members periodically. This ensures that their knowledge remains current and that they are using the most up to date training techniques.

At the bottom of the page, we provide links to various organisations in the UK which will help you locate a qualified dog trainer.

2. Which Training Methods Are Used?

The next most important questions to ask when looking for a dog training class are around the training methods used. Neither the training methods nor the equipment used should cause stress or discomfort to the dogs. Be wary if this is not clearly stated on the trainer’s website.

Avoid anyone that talks about showing your dog who’s boss, or you needing to be the alpha of the pack. These methods are very outdated and cause a lot of behavioural problems in dogs, such as aggression. You can read more about this here.

Take a look at some of our other posts which explain why it is important to use positive reinforcement and not the traditional methods which rely on punishment or dominance:

The Best Way to Train Your Dog: A Beginner’s Guide

Learn How Positive Reinforcement Will Transform the Behaviour of Your Dog

It can be confusing as a lot of dog trainers do claim to use positive reinforcement techniques. Significantly though, some also use a lot of old-fashioned techniques as well, which include things that cause dogs mental or physical discomfort and even pain. This is something that confuses a lot of new dog owners. Dog trainers who use a mixture of traditional techniques, as well as positive reinforcement, are known as ‘balanced’ dog trainers.

The important thing to understand is that you can’t be ethical up to a point, you either are or you are not. It’s a bit like saying you’re a vegetarian, but then occasionally eating meat.

3. Is the Trainer Approachable?

If you contact the trainer, can you get hold of them easily enough?

Consider this a good guide for how approachable they will be if you run into difficulties and need a little extra help later on.

When you speak to them, are they happy to answer your questions?
Do they sound like they can explain things to you in a way that you can easily understand?
Most importantly, do they come across as someone you’d like to work with?

4. What Do Other Clients Say?

Social media is a great place to get a good feel for the services a dog trainer offers and what their clients think about them. Facebook seems to be the platform for dog owners to hang-out on. You should be able to find a business page for the dog trainer and see lots of recent photos and videos of clients and their dogs having fun.

Is there plenty of interaction from owners adding comments and likes under the posts?

Nowadays, we live in a world where reviews and customer feedback appear on the internet for everything and this includes dog trainers.

The most useful information you are likely to find is in the form of independent client reviews. Facebook reviews can only be left by real clients and the trainer has no ability to moderate or delete them. So, what you see is as true a picture of what customers think.

Here’s a link to all our Client Reviews

5. How Many People Are There in the Classes?

The smaller the class size, the more attention you will receive from the trainer. Also, the less time you will spend waiting around for everyone else to have their turn at training exercises.

The ideal is around 6 dogs per class (per trainer).

If there is more than one trainer in a class, this number can happily be increased if the training environment is suitable.

This links to the importance of classes being held outdoors (see below). There is nothing more off-putting than the sound of a dog training class held indoors which is full of excitable, barking dogs. If your dog was calm before, he won’t remain calm for long once you walk through the door.

6. What Will Be the Expected Outcome from Coming to the Training Class?

Are you able to see the results your dog is expected to achieve from attending the training class? For example; will your dog be able to walk nicely by your side for a certain number of steps, or recall from a particular distance?

These are tangible, real-life skills, that will allow you to live in harmony with your dog.

A good dog training class will list measurable criteria to achieve before you can progress to another class. That way, you know what you’re aiming for and you can feel a sense of achievement when you get there.

With puppies, socialisation with other dogs is very important and should commence at the earliest opportunity (post-vaccination). Vitally though, it should be conducted by way of supervised, controlled play. It should not be a free-for-all where more than two dogs are left to play for extended periods. An experienced trainer should be on-hand during this part of the session to help new owners learn to read the body language displayed by their dogs. If a dog looks in any way scared, the interaction should be stopped immediately. Sometimes it takes a skilled trainer to spot this early on.

7. Are the Classes Outdoors?

Lots of dog training classes are held in village halls, but the trouble with training somewhere indoors is that it is an unrealistic environment.

Your dog may learn the best recall across the local village hall, but unfortunately, dogs don’t generalise very well. You try getting him to come back when you’re out for a walk in the park. It won’t work. To your dog, recall across the park (where there are lots of distractions) is something completely different to a recall across an enclosed room. Your dog won’t make the connection between the two. Many owners presume their dog is being naughty in these situations, where in reality, it’s simply that they haven’t taught their dog to perform a recall outdoors.

The best classes are those that will equip you and your dog with valuable skills that can be used in real life. For most of us, we need our dog to respond when we are outdoors in the countryside. Teach the response you want in a realistic setting and your training will be much more effective.

8. What Follow-On Options Are There?

For most people, training their dog becomes a great hobby. It allows them to build a strong bond and relationship with their four-legged friend. With this in mind, try to think a little beyond the initial stage of puppy training.

If a trainer only offers puppy classes, it’s not going to be long before you will be searching for somewhere else to further your dog’s education. Contrary to what you may expect, it takes many months, if not years, before you have a well-trained dog. It certainly doesn’t happen after going to puppy class for six weeks.

Here’s a list of fun activities that you can do together in a training class: