The Challenges of an Unregulated Industry

I am now officially a certified dog trainer in Australia, although I have been one in South Africa since 2010. Many people don’t know that the dog training industry is unregulated, which presents two main problems:

1. Inexperienced Certified Trainers: Some people can complete a basic certification and claim to be a dog trainer. While they may know more than an average dog owner, it doesn’t guarantee they can help everyone.
2. Lack of Apprenticeships: Unlike tradies, dog trainers don’t have required apprenticeships before qualifying. This means that newly certified trainers may lack practical experience.

What Clients Look For

The average person doesn’t care about certifications. They want results and to achieve equilibrium with their dog. However, this leads to three challenges:

I. Impatience: Clients want a quick fix and may not take the time to find the right trainer.

II. Social Pressure: Clients are often influenced by others’ opinions about training methods, whether it’s positive-only, force-free, or dominance-based.

III. Unrealistic Cost Expectations: Some clients don’t understand the true value of professional dog training.

Grateful for Open-minded Clients

In the last 3 1/2 years of training dogs, not a single potential client has asked for my qualifications. They just want to know if I can help, how long it will take, and how much it will cost. I’m grateful for the open-minded clients who invest their time, money, and effort into the training process. Thank you!