The Certifications You Should Look For In Your Dog Trainer

And What They Mean for Your Experience With Canine Compass

Pet Professionals Guild Member Badge — Logo for the Pet Professional Guild

Logo for the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers

The dog training industry has a vast amount of professionals, but how do you know which ones share the same values as you do? How do you know which trainers are legitimate professionals who are actually knowledgeable about the functions of behavior?

One way to check your trainer’s legitimacy is to ask what certifications and training they have. Have they taken any exams or been tested by other professionals in the industry? Have they worked under any canine behaviorists? Certifications are an easy way for pet owners to read up on what their trainer should know and practice.

At Canine Compass Dog Training, we proudly have our trainers complete the rigorous and comprehensive Certification for Professional Dog Trainers, which requires applicants to already have training experience and work with an already CPDT certified trainer, before they can begin the process of becoming certified themselves. The CPDT certification ensures that any certified trainer’s practice is based on current, sound scientific principles, while continuing to evolve and advance with required continuing education opportunities. With a CPDT certified trainer, you can know that they are proficient in current scientific evidence for dog training and will make decisions based on comprehensive research and aggregate data.

But is one certification enough? What about memberships to highly-trusted professional organizations?

CPDT follows a widely-respected method known as LIMA, Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive effective behavior intervention policy. LIMA describes a trainer or behavior consultant who uses the least intrusive, minimally aversive strategy out of a set of humane and effective tactics likely to succeed in achieving a training or behavior change objective. LIMA adherence also requires consultants to be adequately educated and skilled in order to ensure that the least intrusive and aversive procedure is used.

But unfortunately some trainers will advertise they follow the LIMA protocol, but in reality they readily offer services that involve training your dog to use shock collars, prong collars, or forceful methods like your dog’s leash just to communicate with them.

This is why Canine Compass Dog Training has taken it a step further, to provide dog guardians with safe, positive, and effective methods that won’t cause for your dog to develop other unwanted behaviors from what we call the “fallout” of aversive tools and methods. We are members of the Pet Professional Guild, which is a group of compassionate, humane, and ethical pet professionals that are informed by Science, guided by Empathy, and governed by Ethics. Knowing this, you can rest assured your dog will not only improve their behavior through training with us, but you can feel good about how we’re doing it too.

We at Canine Compass Dog Training want the best for your dog as much as you do. We believe in honest, skilled, and effective training techniques that will help your pet succeed. Text us today at 980-999-3288 to talk with a behavior consultant about how we can work together to help your pet!