Trainers vs. Behaviourists

OUR behaviourist Mary explains the difference between a dog trainer and behaviourist, something we are often asked by our adopters.

A dog trainer can teach you all sorts of obedience work such as recall, stay, leave etc.. but if your dog is reactive, all this obedience becomes control and management and only suppresses the behaviour, which will emerge when you are not continuously controlling what your dog is doing. This is when some trainers reach for non-ethical, or punishment-based options to control the outbursts.

A dog behaviourist can teach you all of the above recall, stay, leave etc. but if your dog is reactive they will work on the reasons behind the reactivity and not just control it. They will teach you how to be proactive and how to change your dog's perception on what is causing the reactivity. Through positive reinforcement your dog will be helped to make the choice to be calm, and when taught correctly, the new behaviour will persist because the dog has been given the choice to change at their own pace.

If you just want basic training, we recommend that you source a FFFFPF trainer, but if you have a behavioural issue, please consult a FFFFPF trainer/behaviourist.