*CPDT is certified by Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers an international testing and certification program for professional pet dog trainers. It is basically to ensure that trainer has a certain level of knowledge and expertise. To be certified, trainers must have at least 300 hours of dog training experience and have passed an exam that assesses basic knowledge of canine training. For more details, visit http://www.ccpdt.org/ There are several things to look out for before you engage a trainer. You might want to consider these factors first before you engage one from a list of good contacts you got. The Trainer must have following traits: - must be humane and gentle with dogs during training. - must be an effective communicator and teacher. Both you and your dog must be able to understand his teaching for effective training. In short, “Do you understand words that are coming out of his mouth?” As dog training involve both you and your dog, you must also be able to understand his teachings so that you can practice them when you get home. - must be experience and up-to-date with latest training methods. You might want to request a sit-in session to observe him and see if he can deal with particularly difficult dogs. Don’t be afraid to ask him questions about his training background, training techniques, methods and etc. An experience trainer should have no problem answering your questions. Distance - This might not be a big factor but certainly one worth considering. Imagine a 4 hours drive for every training session! Hope these tips are useful to help you look for a good dog trainer.

Good luck in your quest for a good trainer!