QUALIFIED TO LEAD?

 Recognizing the Attributes Of A Legitimate Trainer

Believe it or not, there are people who have the job of identifying counterfeit money.  Most of us can’t help but be intrigued by this profession and are usually curious as to how these people become so adept at spotting counterfeit money when it looks so real. 

The answer, they say, is not found in analyzing the ever-changing variances of the counterfeit currency, but rather in having a thorough and complete knowledge of the real thing.  It is only by knowing and recognizing what is legitimate, that you can ever hope to distinguish it from the counterfeit.

It is precisely this same principle of discernment that we should employ when considering, and subsequently following, the training advice of anyone who calls themselves a trainer in the field of dog training.

Just because a person tells some good stories, has written a book, or has a website, does not necessarily mean they are legitimate trainers with advice worth taking.  There are literally dozens of individuals whose claims of expertise and experience in this field of training convince many unsuspecting handlers of their authority. 

So how can a new or inexperienced handler recognize whether a trainer is authentic or counterfeit?  Is there a litmus test that can help us know how to recognize the counterfeit from the real?  The answer lies in becoming familiar with the attributes of a legitimate trainer.  This is the only way to know whether you can trust your sources of information.

Let's take a look at some of the characteristics of a trainer that can likely be trusted.

First of all, a legitimate trainer should have sought and obtained a substantial degree of formal training in his or her field of expertise.  There are many self-described trainers who have failed to obtain their own formal training, yet feel justified in promoting and dispensing their own training philosophies.  Legitimate trainers are not defensive or vague about their training background and even invite investigation into their claims of experience and scrutiny of their training methods. 

Legitimate trainers have a great deal of practical experience.  Even though a trainer may have had a considerable amount of formal training, there are still many situations that arise when working a dog in the real world that cannot be planned for in day-to-day training. In other words, life can’t be learned from a book.  Seasoned trainers have the practical experience necessary to use field expedients to solve problems, make rapid, correct decisions and be able to direct and counsel in these same areas.

A legitimate trainer enjoys the confidence borne of training and successfully working his or her own dog.  When someone claims to be a good trainer, his own dog will reflect the expertise he purports to possess.  A trainer, who fails to achieve consistent, professional success with their dogs, should be a clear indicator of a grievous lack of credibility.    

A legitimate trainer remains teachable and open to learning new things.  Too often insecure trainers espouse a "my way or the highway" attitude towards training.  This should be a red flag to anyone seeking their advice.  No one trainer has all the answers.  A handler must use good judgment and common sense before embracing any training techniques or philosophies.  Make sure that the trainers and the training techniques they employ have gained the respect of other professional trainers.  Regrettably, wanna-be trainers tend to develop far-out training tricks in hopes of being viewed as unique in the eyes of their followers.  This is one area that new handlers are particularly susceptible because of their inexperience in distinguishing the off-the-wall pet tricks from the legitimate, proven training techniques. 

A legitimate trainer has a history of tenure with a bona fide law enforcement agency and/ or a long-standing relationship with a credible Search and Rescue organization.  It is important to understand that not all Search and Rescue organizations are credible.  While many of these organizations are good, there are too many that utilize poorly trained, ill-prepared dogs to do work that neither they nor their handlers are prepared to do.  Make sure that any organization that your trainer is affiliated with has a high degree of integrity, success and only utilizes highly trained dog/handler teams.

Much of the harm that is done in the world is done by people who want to feel important.   Mantrailing is often a game with very high stakes and investing substandard training into your dog/handler team is nothing more than a dangerous game of Russian roulette with far-reaching consequences.  Make absolutely certain that your trainer is all that he/she claims to be before you give any credence to their training philosophies. 

A legitimate trainer is credible. Credibility can be defined as having a documented history of their claims of success.  If there is no credibility, there will be no real success in the long-term picture.  Credibility includes a history of having both obtained and dispensed good training techniques and knowledge, conducted seminars in which even professional handlers can gain useful information, is capable of reproducing superior results in the dogs they work with, and enjoys a solid reputation borne from years of experience and success.  It bears repeating that a book published, a lecture held or a good story told does not an expert make. 

As K-9 handlers and trainers, we tend to gather our information from the printed page and the lecture hall.   Sometimes people get so much common information that they lose their common sense.  However, it is your responsibility to make sure that the information you absorb come via experienced trainers whose commitment to excellence is evidenced by their success on the trail and in the field.  Make sure you find credible sources for your training information.

If your goal is to become a superb handler/trainer with an exceptional dog, you must set the bar high and then strive to clear it.  Reject any training philosophies that are not rooted and grounded in clear-headed, field-proven facts about the way dogs learn. Embrace the time-tested, respected trainer who has the background and experience to justify their training methods. There are many self-proclaimed experts in this field; it's not that they are ignorant; it's just that they know so much that ain't so.

Copyright © 2000 by Behesha (Grist) Doan & Jack R. Shuler

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