Dog training is an unregulated industry. That means that any random person can wake up and declare themselves a professional, whether they have the knowledge/experience or not, and start training dogs.
There's some good news though. Just like many other professions there are credentials trainers can earn to prove that they are well educated and informed about various training practices.
Bad new is that so many people in the general public have no clue that these credentials exist. In this blog post I want to cover some of the most common dog training credentials, what is required to earn them, and what they mean. Please keep in mind that these are the credentials I'm personally aware of and that there may be newer credentials that aren't listed as time passes.
Let's dive into the alphabet soup!
Academy for Dog Trainers
Online class.
Animal Behavior College
Pass assignments and online class.
Animal Behavior Society
Requires holding a Ph.D. from a college in biological or behavioral science.
5 years professional experience.
30 semester credits in behavioral science courses. 9 credits in ethology, animal behavior and/or comparative psychology and 9 credits in animal learning, conditioning or animal psychology.
2 years professional experience.
Certification for Professional Dog Trainers
300 hours experience in dog training in last 3 years.
Pass proctored examination.
Hold a current CPDT-KA credential.
Complete online application and upload video of assigned training exercises.
300 hours experience in canine behavior consulting.
Pass proctored examination.
International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
4 years professional experience.
500 hours of experience.
400 hours of education.
Knowledge of counterconditioning, desensitization, training and husbandry.
Pass written essays with a score of 80% or higher.
4 years professional experience.
500 hours of experience (250 hours in shelter animal behavior consulting).
400 hours of education.
Knowledge of counterconditioning, desensitization, training and husbandry.
Pass written essays with a score of 80% or higher.
2 years professional experience.
100 hours of education.
Knowledge of learning science, training, and husbandry.
Pass written essays with a score of 80% or higher.
200 hours experience in shelter animal care and welfare.
Knowledge of learning science, training, and husbandry.
Pass written essays with a score of 80% or higher.
Karen Pryor Training Academy
Awarded to graduates of the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional Course.
Northwest School of Canine Studies
In-person certification program.
Pet Professional Guild
Submit videos of dogs in training.
Submit videos of dogs in training.
University of Washington
Pass online certification program.
Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training and Behavior
Graduates of Victoria Stilwell Dog Trainer Certification course.
So what did you think? Does your favorite trainer have any of the credentials listed above? Let us know below!
Until next time-
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