FAQs
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Yes, of course! Continuing education is a requirement for CPDT-KAs Did you know that certified professional dog trainers (CPDT-KA s) must take 36 hours of approved continuing education units (CEUs) of study every three years in order to maintain their certification? Dog trainers who are not certified can choose whether or not to invest in continuing education. CPDT-KAs must attain the required CEUS or retake the written exam every 3 years. When interviewing dog trainers, be sure to ask how many CEUs the trainer has earned recently, certifying organization recognized the education units and a sampling of the seminars he or she attended. For this dog trainer, continuing education is a joy. Learning more about dogs and canine behavior is a pleasure for Diane. It is why she chose and remains in the dog training profession. During the past three years, Diane chose to take over 72 CEU hours of continuing education from some of the best and brightest speakers in the profession. Thats twice as many as she was required to by the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers. A sampling of Dianes educational interests: The Association of Pet Dog Trainer Conference (a five day conference featuring speakers from all aspects of the canine behavior community); Clicker Expo (a three day conference which focuses on using behavioral analysis, positive reinforcement and clicker training to modify animal behavior in very sophisticated and surprising ways); Seminars by speakers including academics Dr. Ray Coppinger, Dr. Karen Overall and Dr. Brian Hare; eminent dog trainers such as Dr. Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, Bill Bailey, Karen Pryor, and Terry Ryan; veterinary behaviorists such as Dr. Lore Haug and Dr. Robert K. Anderson; and other canine professionals at the top of the dog training profession and/or academia.
- What types of customers have you worked with?
The Cultured Canine teaches families to begin training their puppies on Day One, as soon as they come home. Every interaction with a dog is a learning opportunity - we show pet parents how to make this work for them! Our services include in home training courses, boarding school and luxury vacations (for toy breed dogs.)
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
Straight forward information about dog training certifications can be found on the Association of Pet Dog Trainers website. Understanding where and from whom a dog trainer obtained his or her education and certification(s) will help you know who you are likely to feel comfortable with. To research a dog trainers education, ask the trainer with who or where he or she studied and for how long, how many people were in the class, etc. Then visit your local library, bookstore or online book vendor and look at books written by the dog trainers mentor. You might even find one of their videos on YouTube or their tweets on Twitter. The point is that if you are drawn to the trainers mentor(s), you will be comfortable with how the trainer handles your dog and the instructions you are given.