How to choose a trainer for your dog or cat

Choosing a trainer is one of the most important decisions you will make for your pet. A skilled, humane trainer can help your dog or cat learn new skills, feel more confident, and fit more easily into family life. The wrong trainer can worsen fear and frustration, damage your relationship with your pet, and sometimes cause injury. Because animal training is not regulated in the United States, anyone can call themselves a trainer, behaviorist, or behavior expert. Knowing what to look for and what to ask protects your pet.

Start with your veterinarian

Before you hire anyone, talk with your veterinarian. Many behavior concerns, especially sudden changes, growling, house soiling, reactivity, and trouble being left alone, have a medical side. Pain and gastrointestinal disease are among the most common hidden causes. Read more about hidden pain in dogs. A trainer cannot train away pain, and a dog or cat who hurts will struggle to learn.

Your veterinarian can also tell you whether your pet needs a trainer for everyday skills or whether the concern is complex enough to require a board-certified veterinary behaviorist.

What a qualified trainer looks like

A qualified trainer has:

• Education in learning science and animal behavior, not just years of experience.
• A credential from an independent organization or a recognized school, which you can verify on that organization’s website. See what the letters after a trainer’s name mean.
• Continuing education, so they stay current as the science changes.
• A written code of ethics, and a commitment to reward-based methods.
• Clear boundaries. They know what is within their training and what is not, and they refer to a veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist when a case needs it.
• Business basics, such as liability insurance and a written agreement.

Reward-based methods are the standard of care

Research comparing training methods shows that reward-based training works as well as or better than methods that use pain, fear, or force, without the risks. Dogs trained with aversive methods show more stress behaviors during training, higher stress hormone levels, and more pessimistic emotional states. Aversive tools, such as choke chains, prong collars, and shock collars, cause pain and can result in fear, frustration, and defensive behavior, including bites. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends reward-based training for all dogs and cats.

A good trainer focuses on teaching you and your pet what to do, using food, play, toys, praise, and access to things your pet wants. When a pet is struggling, they change the environment, the plan, or the reward instead of escalating corrections.

In 2025, the Joint Standards of Practice, endorsed by organizations including the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), APDT International, Karen Pryor Academy, and the Victoria Stilwell Academy, were updated to make positive reinforcement the primary training strategy and to prohibit shock. Not every credentialing organization follows these standards, so always ask a trainer exactly which tools and methods they use.

In Canada, the BC SPCA’s AnimalKind program accredits humane dog training businesses and offers free resources on humane training and choosing pet care services, which are useful wherever you live.

Questions to ask a trainer

A good trainer will welcome these questions.

1. What credentials do you hold, and from which organizations? Then look them up.
2. What methods do you use? Ask specifically: “Do you ever use leash corrections, choke chains, prong collars, shock collars, spray bottles, or shaker cans?” The answer should be a clear no.
3. What happens when an animal is not responding? A good answer includes making the task easier, changing the reward, changing the environment, or checking for pain or fear.
4. Can I watch a class or a session first? Ethical trainers welcome observers.
5. Do you guarantee results? No ethical trainer can guarantee how an individual animal will respond.
6. How do you continue your education?
7. When do you refer to a veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist? A qualified trainer can answer this clearly.
8. Will you work with my veterinarian? The best outcomes come from a team.

Red flags

• Talk of “dominance,” “alpha,” “pack leader,” or “showing them who is boss.”
• The term “balanced trainer,” which usually means a trainer who uses both rewards and punishment.
• Physical force, such as leash pops, alpha rolls, scruffing, or pinning.
• Promises of quick fixes or guaranteed results.
• Board-and-train programs that will not let you visit, watch, or see video of how your pet is trained.
• Blaming the animal as stubborn, spiteful, or dominant.
• Dismissing your concerns when your pet looks afraid or uncomfortable.
• Calling themselves a “behaviorist” or “dog psychologist” without a veterinary or academic behavior degree or credentials.
• Recommending or adjusting medications or supplements. Only a veterinarian can diagnose medical conditions and prescribe medication.

Green flags

• Animals in their classes look relaxed, interested, and engaged.
• They explain the science behind their methods in plain language.
• They give your pet breaks and let them opt out.
• They watch body language closely and adjust the plan.
• They coach you, not just your pet, and give you skills to practice at home.
• They welcome working alongside your veterinarian.

Finding a cat trainer

Yes, cats can be trained, and a good cat trainer can help with carrier training, cooperative care, and assent-based training for nail trims and medications, scratching, play-related biting, and introductions. Many dog trainers do not work with cats, so ask specifically about experience with cats. Look for a trainer with a cat-specific credential, such as the IAABC Certified Cat Behavior Consultant (CCBC), or one who lists cats as part of their practice and uses only reward-based methods. Cat training often happens in the home, where the cat is most comfortable. Read more in cat training 101.

When you need more than a trainer

Some situations need a board-certified veterinary behaviorist:

• Bites, or a pet who is a danger to people or other animals.
• Intense fear, panic, or trouble being left alone.
• Behavior that started suddenly or changed quickly.
• A pet that isn’t improving with training.
• A pet who may benefit from medication.

A board-certified veterinary behaviorist can diagnose medical and behavioral conditions, prescribe medication, and build a full plan, often working with your trainer and your veterinarian. See the Get help page for options.

Sources: Ziv G. The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs: a review. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 2017;19:50-60. Vieira de Castro AC, Fuchs D, Morello GM, Pastur S, de Sousa L, Olsson IAS. Does training method matter? Evidence for the negative impact of aversive-based methods on companion dog welfare. PLoS One. 2020;15(12):e0225023. China L, Mills DS, Cooper JJ. Efficacy of dog training with and without remote electronic collars vs. a focus on positive reinforcement. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2020;7:508. American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Position statement on humane dog training. 2021. International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. Joint Standards of Practice. 2025.