Do you need a Dog Trainer or a Dog Behaviourist?

In general, dog trainers (such as myself) deal with the following:

• How the dog acts
• Preventing problems
• Coaching or teaching life skills and useful tasks
• Younger dogs and puppies
• Activities and sports
• Obedience – recall, lead walking, settle, etc.

However, behaviourists will deal with the following:

• How the dog feels
• Diagnosing problems
• Enabling behaviour change
• Vet involvement and referral
• Interpreting emotions
• Abnormal or extreme behaviours (e.g. barking, biting or trauma)

I am a dog trainer and offer my dog training classes and one to one services as such.  I am not a dog behaviourist and so if I feel that your dog requires the services of a dog behaviourist I will not give you any inappropriate advice and instead I will recommend an appropriate specialist behaviourist if I feel that your dog requires more specialist care and training.