What’s turned me off of working with dog training professionals

I want to be clear right out of the gate: We have still worked with dog training professionals. We plan to continue working with professionals. Professionals are great!

But we’ve also had several experiences—especially in my early days of dog ownership—that put a sour taste in my mouth. I’ve been reflecting on them lately as I think about how dog trainers can best serve their clients (both pets and people) and what we owners need to feel safe.

Here are some of the top things that have turned me off of signing up for, or continuing, a trainer’s services.

Related reading: This article has some overlap with my How On Earth Do We Find Dog Trainers We Can Trust article, though the main point of each is slightly different. Three cheers for having my own blog where I can ramble as much as I want! 😉

1) When trainers were condescending

This is listed first because it’s been, unfortunately, the most common dog trainer turn off I’ve experienced. I do think me being a young woman plays a part in this…