At this time there is no legal degree or license required in this country before a person can advertise their services as a dog trainer. In some states, but not all, there is a certification test that must be passed before a person is permitted to train guide dogs for the blind. As a result, there are some very skilled dog trainers and then there are many people calling themselves professional trainers who are unqualified. The problem with trying to regulate dog training is that it’s a lot like trying to standardize religion! There are many different beliefs and approaches to training dogs. The only thing all dog trainers agree on is that they don’t agree with each other. Assuming you wish t
Clicker training was originally developed for the training of sea mammals at Sea World Marine Park performances. It involves the use of a hand held device that makes a click sound much like the sound a Dolphin makes. Initially, the trainers were looking for a way to communicate success to a whale or other sea mammal at the precise moment that the animal offered the desired behavior. During training, the whale was usually rewarded with a fish but if the behavior involved sending the whale to the opposite end of the pool to jump through a hoop, then it was a long time before he came back to get his fish. The clicker became the “bridge” between the desired action and the fish reward. The traine
