Benefits of getting a trainer instead of owner trained? - Page 1

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IMO
If an owner doesn't have the will, time, knowledge or support hiring a trainer may be the right thing to do, but finding a really good trainer is not easy or cheap. Once a dog comes back "trained" it may or may not "preform".  The owner must know how to handle and must also take time to work the dog. Spending many 1000's to train a dog and doing nothing with it is a waste, as it will revert back to whatever it was before the training.

I agree, finding a good trainer is tough and not cheap but they are there if you look hard enough.  Are you talking about sending the dog somewhere for training or are you talking about working with the trainer to train you and the dog.  I know with my trainer they demonstrate what item we are working on then they turn it over to me to perform, it is a collaborative effort.  They only step in to correct mistakes I am making or if they see something that the dog is doing that isn't right.  That way I can train on my own and cover what we learned daily, then it's a matter of fine tuning.  So I think owner trained definitely with the guidance, support and knowledge of a good trainer.

If someone does lessons or a board and train their dog will always turn out better than if they trained it themself on their own.

Think of it like this- a dog owner may have trained 1, 2, or even 10 dogs in their lifetime.  But a dog trainer has trained hundreds or thousands.  Trainers will have more experience and insight into helping you achieve your goals, and have likely worked with many dogs similar to your dogs temperament.

You are right that a dog could be highly trained by a pro trainer but not work for another person, the new person needs to learn handling and responses, in the same system the dog was trained on. Do you think a well trained dog should listen to different people, or only their main trainer?

That's an interesting question.  My short answer is yes, they should listen to other people.  I have family and friends over all the time and I want my dog to listen and obey for the basic commands, sit, down, come, etc.  The other commands for protection should not be common enough to come up, although many of my friends are LEO's so they know the german and czech commands.  I'll have to ask (or I would take suggestions) on how to proof that.

Doberdoodle ~ "But a dog trainer has trained hundreds or thousands."

Yeah, like Petsmart... Numbers don't necessarily translate into ability.


For sure, everyone needs a trainer to teach them the training for a particular sport such as schutzhund. And to be honest, if you are serious about top sport, you need persistent training... Even if you are really good, another set of eyes, especially with more credible experience than you, never hurts.

But whether it is for sport or just basic obedience for a companion dog, it is always better for the handler/owner to participate in the training. My limited experience has shown me that it is the HANDLERS not the DOGS that really need the training... Be it for sport or basic obedience. Especially if that training is expected to be maintained.