How do I find a dog trainer?

[biochick]

The only suggestion my vet had was bark busters and I was less than impressed when I talked to the woman.

Where do I begin to look? What do I look for and what kinds of questions do I need to ask?

[mom0810]

You can check for local obedience clubs in the area. Also, there is an association of pet dog trainers. Check that website. If you do a search for Volhard trainers, something might come up. Check your yellow pages, call different vets.. call groomers and see who they like, too.

[DogMomforNow]

You could check here:
http://www.apdt.com/

Or google "[City Name Here] Obedience Club" or "Dog Training Club" or any combination. Most cities have a group or two nearby (check major metropolitan areas near you - sometimes they can refer you to a closer, smaller club).

Then I would ask to go watch a class. See what type of training they do and if it meshes with your ideas about how you want to work with your dog. Do people look like they're having fun? Do the dogs? Personally, I work with mainly positive verbal and food reinforcement - so if I saw they did only clicker training (my dog hates clickers) or say, a lot of chain jerking and physical manhandling (I don't believe this is the best way to teach a dog) - then I would say thanks a lot and go elsewhere. That way you don't shell out $80 for a class and find out you and your dog will be miserable

You can also check the akc website and look for obedience shows in your area, they're often sponsored by a club - that could help you find one as well. Good luck!!

[Ola_]

Eww, definitely no bark busters. A friend of mine had a really bad experience with them and stuff I've read didn't impress me either.

Sometimes local vets can have suggestions on trainers. Same for any shelters or humane societies since they often refer people who are having issues there. Some shelters even run their own classes but not many. Check out local pet stores (especially the small, family run ones) as they are often "in the know" about the local dog scene and might be able to recommend a place or have pamphlets on display in-store.

I couldn't agree more about sitting in on a class (without your dog) before you sign up. We went to one class at a disappointing training centre and then I went to get a refund - ever since then I've followed this advice. DogMom had lots of good tips about that above.