Tips to Finding a Professional Dog Trainer There are no legal certifications or education requirements for dog trainers. That means that anyone can say they are a dog trainer, even if they have no actual experience, education or training. This can make it difficult to know if you are hiring a true professional or not. If you find yourself looking for a dog trainer but cannot decide who to choose, there are a few tips that can help you find a qualified trainer. Find a Trainer Who is Trained and Certified A true professional dog trainer should have some type or formal education and should have experience training dogs other than their own.  There a few reputable dog training groups that can help you find a good trainer. Certified Professional Dog Trainer (Knowledge Assessed or Knowledge and Skills Assessed)- these trainers have a required number of hours they must complete before they take a standardized test. To renew the certification, the trainer must get 36 continued education units within three years. (This means they must continue their education all of the time!) Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner- these trainers take a 6-month course that involves hand on skills as [...]