The role of the dog trainer is becoming increasingly important. Many dog owners turn to these experts to resolve small or large issues relating to their furry friends. To better understand who a dog trainer is and what they do, we spoke again with Aldo La Spina, a leading figure in the field, whom we interviewed a few weeks ago. A few simple questions and just as many precise answers, to clarify the situation.
In this article
🎓 Educator, trainer, instructor: differences
🤝 The role of the dog trainer
👨👩👦👦 Work on the human-dog relationship
📚 How to become a dog trainer
🚫 Unrecognized profession
📏 250 hours for certification
💡 The dream of a dog training school
Who is the dog trainer?
Updated December 8, 2020
To outline the figure of the dog trainer it can be helpful make distinctions compared to professional profiles that are often confused, such as trainer or instructor. These are clearly different things.’trainer does work that is focused exclusively on the dog and oriented towards specific objectives: hunting, defense, social integration, etc.’instructor, on the other hand, intervenes in specific areas, such as pet therapy or training for sports purposes. The figure of the dog trainer, on the other hand, is concerned with work on the human-dog relationship, in a perspective of mutual coexistence. So we can say that it "educates" not only the dog but also the owner. Another difference is the re-educator who intervenes when there are behavioral problems.
The role of the dog trainer
As I said, the educator deals with improve the relationship between man and dog, so it works on both. Its task is to prevent possible behavioral problems of the animal, which are often the consequence of mistakes made by the owner. Such as, for example, all those problems involving the control of the loose dog or its behavior when on a leash. I like to say that we We teach owners to be their dog's educators. Many times, at the end of the journey, I hear: “Ah, but then it's me who's wrong, it's me who needs to be educated.”.
How to become a dog trainer
Here the issue becomes thorny. That of the dog trainer is an unrecognized profession which, in recent years, has made a great effort to self-regulate. Unfortunately, there is no single, official, and legally regulated path to becoming an educator. Various institutions offer very different courses.’National Professional Association of Dog Trainers To be recognized, it requires that such courses include at least 250 hours of theoretical and practical lessons. Unfortunately, this lack of clear rules it causes the proliferation of cases of people who improvise as educators, causing a lot of damage. Fortunately, the culture in this field is growing; dog owners are increasingly attentive and demanding, and this helps to highlight those who are truly competent. My dream would be to see the creation of a "dog training school," a dedicated higher education institution. I believe that the age between 14 and 18 is the ideal one to approach this profession and learn best.
Updated December 8, 2020
To outline the figure of the dog trainer it can be helpful make distinctions compared to professional profiles that are often confused, such as trainer or instructor. These are clearly different things.’trainer does work that is focused exclusively on the dog and oriented towards specific objectives: hunting, defense, social integration, etc.’instructor, on the other hand, intervenes in specific areas, such as pet therapy or training for sports purposes. The figure of the dog trainer, on the other hand, is concerned with work on the human-dog relationship, in a perspective of mutual coexistence. So we can say that it "educates" not only the dog but also the owner. Another difference is the re-educator who intervenes when there are behavioral problems.
The role of the dog trainer
As I said, the educator deals with improve the relationship between man and dog, so it works on both. Its task is to prevent possible behavioral problems of the animal, which are often the consequence of mistakes made by the owner. Such as, for example, all those problems involving the control of the loose dog or its behavior when on a leash. I like to say that we We teach owners to be their dog's educators. Many times, at the end of the journey, I hear: “Ah, but then it's me who's wrong, it's me who needs to be educated.”.
How to become a dog trainer
Here the issue becomes thorny. That of the dog trainer is an unrecognized profession which, in recent years, has made a great effort to self-regulate. Unfortunately, there is no single, official, and legally regulated path to becoming an educator. Various institutions offer very different courses.’National Professional Association of Dog Trainers To be recognized, it requires that such courses include at least 250 hours of theoretical and practical lessons. Unfortunately, this lack of clear rules it causes the proliferation of cases of people who improvise as educators, causing a lot of damage. Fortunately, the culture in this field is growing; dog owners are increasingly attentive and demanding, and this helps to highlight those who are truly competent. My dream would be to see the creation of a "dog training school," a dedicated higher education institution. I believe that the age between 14 and 18 is the ideal one to approach this profession and learn best.