Are Dog Trainers Actually Helping Owners, or Just Creating Repeat Customers?

Well, here I am being the bad guy again.

Let's talk about something that might upset a few people in the dog training industry.

Are we actually teaching owners how to understand and manage their dogs, or are some of us building a business model that relies on them continually coming back for more?

Now, I'm not suggesting that repeat appointments are automatically a bad thing. Behavioural problems can be complicated. Some dogs need months of support. Some owners genuinely enjoy continuing their education.

But there's a rather important difference between a client choosing to come back because they want to and a client feeling they have to because nobody has taught them how to manage without their trainer.

And perhaps that's a distinction the industry needs to think about.

Who are we actually training?

One of the things that frustrates me is seeing owners who have already attended training sessions, sometimes quite a few of them, but still don't really understand their own dogs.

I've encountered cases where owners have spent considerable time and money on training, only for us to sit down, look at what's happening and make sense of the problem in a single consultation.

Sometimes the dog doesn't need another six sessions. The owner needs someone to explain what's actually going on.

I've even helped owners through WhatsApp after they've previously worked with other trainers. A bit of conversation, a few questions, some explanations and practical suggestions, and they've been able to move forward without booking another appointment.

And yes, I've done that without charging them.

More fool me, perhaps!

But that's partly the point. If I can help someone understand their dog and move forward with a little advice, why would I insist they pay me for a full consultation they might not need?

I'm not suggesting trainers should give away their time indefinitely. We all have businesses to run and bills to pay. But surely the priority should be helping the owner, not finding another opportunity to invoice them.

My approach is to listen to both ends of the lead.

I want to hear what the owner is worried about, what they've experienced and what they're struggling with. But I also want to listen to the dog.

Why is the dog behaving this way? What's triggering the behaviour? What happens before things escalate? Is there something in the environment, the dog's health or their previous experiences that we're missing?

I want owners to understand what they're seeing, recognise situations before they become problems and have practical knowledge they can use in everyday life.

Simply showing someone an exercise isn't enough. They need to understand why they're doing it, what they're looking for and when they might need to adapt it.

After all, I'm not going to be standing beside them every time they take their dog for a walk.

The endless lesson cycle

There's a question I think every trainer should be able to answer:

If a trainer can't explain what the next session will achieve that the previous session hasn't, why is the owner paying for it?

And yes, that includes explaining what the owner needs to practise between appointments.

Training doesn't happen exclusively during a paid session. It happens in the kitchen, in the garden, on walks and in all those everyday situations where dogs and owners actually live together.

The owner has to put in the work. That's part of the deal.

But they should know what they're practising and why.

When someone pays a dog trainer, they should have a reasonable understanding of:

- What the trainer believes the problem is.

- What they're hoping to achieve.

- What the owner will learn.

- What progress and success should look like.

- What needs practising between sessions.

- Roughly when they might reasonably expect to manage independently, provided they put the effort in.

Nobody can guarantee a behavioural outcome or promise that every dog will be fixed in six weeks. That's not how dogs work.

But a trainer should be able to explain what they're working towards.

If the answer is always another block of sessions, perhaps it's time to ask a few more questions.

Or perhaps the trainer needs to ask themselves a few.

Support or dependency?

Now, this is where I think the industry needs to have a proper look at itself.

There's a financial incentive to keep clients coming back. That's simply a reality of running a business.

But let's be honest. A client who needs another six sessions is potentially worth considerably more financially than one who leaves after a single consultation with the knowledge to manage their dog independently.

There's nothing inherently wrong with selling ongoing support. But are we always recommending it because the dog and owner need it, or because it's good for business?

What happens when an owner becomes so reliant on their trainer that they don't feel confident making decisions without them?

Is that training success?

I would argue it isn't.

A good trainer should be working towards making themselves redundant.

That doesn't mean disappearing, refusing further help or expecting owners to know everything. It means giving them the knowledge and confidence to handle situations independently wherever possible.

If an owner recognises a problem, understands why it's happening and deals with it themselves, that's brilliant.

If they contact me because they're unsure about something, that's fine too. It's nice to know they trust me.

If they recognise that a new problem is beyond their current knowledge and book another consultation, that's responsible ownership.

And if they enjoy learning and want to keep improving, even better. Although there's only so much I can teach them before I start repeating myself!

Good training never really stops, but it should be owner-led, not trainer-driven.

There's a difference between someone wanting to learn more and someone being made to feel they need another appointment to cope with everyday life.

What happens when things aren't working?

Sometimes training doesn't go to plan.

A dog might not make the progress expected, an approach might not be suitable, or something might have been missed during the initial assessment.

What should happen then?

Personally, I'd expect a trainer to:

- Reassess their original understanding of the problem.

- Consider whether pain, health, stress or environmental factors are contributing.

- Change the approach if something isn't working.

- Be honest if the case is outside their expertise.

Ideally, health and pain have already been considered before behavioural training begins. But that doesn't mean we should ignore them if circumstances change or progress doesn't make sense.

What shouldn't happen is blindly repeating the same exercises and booking more sessions while hoping something eventually changes.

Sometimes the answer is a different approach. Sometimes it's a veterinary investigation. Sometimes it's a referral to someone with more relevant experience.

And sometimes the honest answer is that another session with that particular trainer isn't what the owner needs.

That should be perfectly acceptable.

In fact, I'd argue it's part of being a responsible professional.

A little hypocrisy from the bad guy?

Now, I should probably hold my hands up here.

I would absolutely love to have a regular stream of clients. I'd love to get to know their dogs, watch them develop and build long-term relationships with owners.

I'm running a business, after all. My bank manager isn't particularly interested in my good intentions.

In fact, it's one of the reasons I've recently been changing my business model.

I genuinely enjoy being able to finish a consultation and tell someone:

"You've got what you need now. Go away, put it into practice, and get in touch if you need me."

But I also have bills to pay, and giving someone everything they need in one visit isn't necessarily the most sustainable business model.

So I've been looking at ways of offering more structured support without removing that option.

Because there's nothing wrong with earning money from good training. There's something wrong with earning money from keeping people dependent.

I don't want someone booking another appointment because they're frightened of getting things wrong without me.

I'd much rather they contacted me because they wanted to.

What should dog owners expect?

If you're looking for a dog trainer, I'd encourage you to ask a few questions before committing to a package of sessions.

Don't just ask how many appointments you'll need.

Ask what you'll learn.

Ask how the trainer intends to approach the problem.

Ask what you'll be expected to practise at home.

Ask what success should look like and how you'll know when you're ready to manage independently.

And perhaps most importantly, ask what happens if things aren't working.

A good trainer shouldn't be offended by those questions. They should welcome them.

You are paying for a service, and you deserve to understand what that service is supposed to achieve.

If a trainer can't explain what you're paying for beyond another appointment, perhaps it's worth reconsidering where your money is going.

So, are we helping owners or creating repeat customers?

I don't have a problem with repeat customers. I don't have a problem with ongoing support, regular training or owners who simply enjoy learning more about their dogs.

I do have a problem with the idea that a trainer's success can be measured by how long they keep someone paying.

If your clients become more knowledgeable, more confident and increasingly capable of managing their own dogs, that's something to be proud of.

And if they never need another appointment, that's not a failure.

In fact, it might be the biggest compliment they could give you.

If your training business falls apart because your clients have learned enough to manage their own dogs, perhaps it's time to reconsider what you're actually selling.

Because if your business depends on owners never becoming confident enough to manage without you, who's really benefiting from that arrangement?

Just a thought.

I'll get my coat.