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PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP: APPARENTLY, I'M SUPPOSED TO JOIN A CLUB.

 

You may notice that I'm not a member of one of the larger professional organisations for dog trainers and behaviourists.

No, it's not an oversight. I haven't forgotten to fill in a form, misplaced a certificate or failed to discover where the membership payment button lives.

It's a conscious decision.

And before anyone gets their training whistle in a twist, I have nothing against professional organisations or the many excellent trainers who belong to them.

They can provide valuable education, resources, professional support and opportunities for development. There are some very good people working within them.

But I've chosen to remain independent.

Why?

Because I have a few questions about what professional membership actually tells an owner.

Does paying a membership fee automatically make someone a better trainer?

Does having a particular logo on your website guarantee that you have good judgement?

Does belonging to an organisation mean you always make the right decisions for every dog?

And perhaps most importantly, does not belonging automatically mean someone is less competent?

I'd suggest the answers are worth thinking about.

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DOGS DIDN'T READ THE MEMBERSHIP HANDBOOK.

 

Here's the problem with dog training.

Dogs are individuals.

Their genetics, experiences, environment, health, relationships and learning histories all matter.

What works beautifully for one dog might be completely ineffective for another. Something that helps one dog might make another considerably worse.

Yet we seem rather keen to divide the industry into camps.

Positive. Balanced. Force-free. Traditional. Holistic.

Apparently, if you haven't picked your team, you're not allowed to play.

I'm not particularly interested in team colours.

I'm interested in the dog standing in front of me.

I believe training should be informed by evidence, experience, welfare and context, rather than loyalty to a particular ideology.

That doesn't mean anything goes. It doesn't mean ignoring welfare, dismissing research or using whatever equipment happens to be lying around in the boot of my car.

I believe in using the least intrusive approach that is effective and appropriate for the individual dog.

I believe management, prevention, reinforcement, boundaries and clear communication all have their place.

And I believe we should be able to discuss training methods honestly, including their limitations and potential risks, without immediately reaching for the pitchforks.

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I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. NEITHER DOES ANYONE ELSE.

 

One of the things that concerns me about this industry is how comfortable some people seem to be presenting themselves as the final authority on canine behaviour.

The reality is that we're still learning.

Research develops. Our understanding changes. New information challenges old assumptions.

And occasionally, we discover that something we've believed for years wasn't quite as straightforward as we thought.

That's not a weakness. That's learning.

If I don't know something, I'll tell you.

If the evidence is uncertain, I'll explain that.

If I think something needs veterinary investigation or a different professional's involvement, I'll say so.

I'm not going to invent an answer just to protect my reputation.

I'd much rather admit I need to find something out than confidently give you rubbish.

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OWNERS DESERVE INFORMATION, NOT IDEOLOGY.

 

I don't believe owners should have to subscribe to a particular training philosophy before they're allowed to ask questions.

You should be able to understand the options available, the potential benefits and risks, and why a particular approach might be appropriate for your dog.

You should be able to disagree with me.

You should be able to ask why.

And you should never feel that asking questions makes you a difficult client.

My job isn't to tell you what to think.

It's to help you understand your dog, make informed decisions and develop the confidence to manage real-life situations.

Which brings me to something rather important.

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I TEACH OWNERS, NOT JUST DOGS.

 

I'm not interested in creating a situation where you need a trainer standing beside you every time your dog encounters something difficult.

Your dog lives with you, not me.

I want you to understand what's happening, recognise the early warning signs, make sensible decisions and know when to change your approach.

I want you to become better at solving problems together.

Ultimately, the best outcome isn't a dog that behaves perfectly while I'm holding the lead.

It's an owner who understands their dog well enough to manage life without needing me to do it for them.

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INDEPENDENT DOESN'T MEAN UNACCOUNTABLE.

 

Let's be clear about something.

Remaining independent doesn't give me an excuse to stop learning, ignore research or decide that my experience makes me infallible.

Quite the opposite.

I intend to continue undertaking relevant education and CPD, keeping up with emerging research and challenging my own assumptions.

I have no interest in becoming one of those trainers who discovered everything there was to know about dogs twenty years ago and has spent the intervening years explaining it to everyone else.

Although, judging by some corners of the industry, that does seem to be a rather popular career path.

I respect good trainers regardless of which professional organisations they belong to, and I believe we should be able to learn from people whose approaches differ from our own.

Sometimes the most valuable thing you can do is listen to someone you disagree with.

You might even learn something. Horrifying prospect, I know.

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SO, WHY AM I INDEPENDENT?

 

Because I want my decisions to be based on the individual dog, the circumstances, welfare and professional judgement.

Not on the need to demonstrate allegiance to a particular organisation or training camp.

Professional membership can be valuable. It can demonstrate a commitment to professional development and provide useful standards and support.

But a logo isn't a substitute for good judgement.

A membership certificate isn't a guarantee of competence.

And independence isn't a guarantee of it either.

Ultimately, you should judge a trainer by their knowledge, their conduct, their willingness to learn, their honesty about their limitations and, most importantly, how they treat the dogs and people who trust them.

For me, professional integrity isn't about which logo appears on my website.

It's about being prepared to question myself, admit when I'm wrong, change my mind when better evidence becomes available and put the welfare of the dog ahead of my own ego.

I'm quite happy to be the Bad Guy.

But I'd rather be an independent trainer who keeps learning than a member of any club who thinks they've stopped needing to.

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