Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A. Ask how long a trainer mentored with another established trainer, the most experienced dog handlers/trainers never went to an online school, but were mentored for several YEARS before being allowed to teach and train themselves. Sadly, that's no longer the case with most of the "dog trainers" the online schools are "graduating" at an alarming rate, many of these trainers have spent a mere 6 to 8 weeks working under another trainer, who they themselves have only been training for a few years.
Book schooling is important, but working with animals is not just a science, it's an art, and it can take years before a trainer becomes proficient at their craft.
Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?
A. 1.How long have you been doing this?
2.Who did you mentor with, and what education do you continue to receive?
3.What methods do you use? Are there any methods you won't use? (Be wary of anyone who will only use very specific tools or techniques all the time, what works for one dog will not necessarily work for yours!)
4.Are you insured?
5. What professional affiliations are you a member of?
6. Are you Red Cross Canine first aid trained in case of
an emergency?
Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?
A. No cookie cutter methods used, every animal is different, and we believe is making a method fit the dog, not making the dog fit the method!
Q. What do you like most about your job?
A. The ability to help people actually keep their loved pets, many of them are told that there is no help, and there's almost always a way to make it work.
Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A. Questions about behavior, "why does my dog bark?", "why do dogs dig holes?", "do dogs feel emotions?", pet owners are endlessly fascinated with the why's of their dogs, and I'm always happy to answer them!
