[rds7015]

Do you have to have several dogs that have HT/FT champions, to be a good trainer?????? Is the dogs title the gauge we use to judge the trainer??? What happens when one person trains the dog an another competes with the dog???? How do we novices know to pay attention to on the forum???
Just want to know how the group feels.


Jim Schaefer

 

[Christa McCoy]

It helps, but everyone has to start somewhere. Just my opinion.

 

[Dan Boerboon]

IMHO if a trainer hasn't titled a dog or dogs I would look for another trainer. That doesn't mean the untitled one isn't as good it just means that I have something to look at for accomplishments. To me accomplishments equate to knowledge or luck. If someone saw my dog run and was impressed and wanted to hire me I would decline. I have titled several JH and have senior legs on 2 of my dogs, and plan to be running master later this year however that doesn't mean I can train dogs to a level that someone may want. If I hang a MH or some FT points on a dog then that is a different story. There are plenty of accomplished trainers out there. Proven trainers can command a higher fee than others. There is the old saying you get what you pay.

 

[CMRR&GC]

Do you have to have several dogs that have HT/FT champions, to be a good trainer??????

No... Best trainer I know does dogs for the military and service. She could a train a dog to cook your eggs the way you like them...or blindly retrieve a duck in a war zone. Do your homework and find a trainer that takes your dog where you want them.

Entry Express can be your best friend if you are going to use titles as your guide....see what the trainer's pass/fail rate is as a handler, do they have titles because they pass consistently or because they have the time and people to pay them to run a ton of tests.

 

[HuntinDawg]

People, I don't think the OP is asking about sending their dog to a pro, they are asking how to know who to listen to on this forum.

How do we novices know to pay attention to on the forum???

I guess you just have to hang out here to get a feel for it.

Some of the posters here are known hunt test pros. There may be field trial pros on here, I am not sure. The pros generally have credibility.

Some of the posters here are known to have had some success (varying degrees) in field trials. If the topics are field trials then listen to those known to have achieved something in that venue, or possibly to field trial judges, depending on the topic.

Some of the posters here are known to be veterinarians. I would listen to them on health/disease/injury topics. A lot of the pros (and some others) are pretty knowledgeable too because of the sheer number of dogs they deal with they see a lot more illness/disease/injury than the average dog owner.

Most anyone here can tell you how to get ready for a Junior hunt test or something like that.

Most anyone can help you figure out what "AFC" means or what does *** mean behind a dog's name.

There are some folks here whose methods are somewhat to very unconventional. If you are following a conventional training program then I would hesitate to follow their advice although you might find something you can use there too.

The bottom line is that it depends on the topic and you sort of have to figure out who folks are. I wish there was an easier answer, but that is the best I can tell you.

Good luck to you and your dog.

 

[Bruce L]

The pros and amateurs that have accomplished the most with dogs, don't post on this forum - maybe sparingly. You will learn more spending time with a dog, or traveling to a training group that has members that have accomplished what you desire to accomplish. There are lots of arm chair quarterbacks on the forum.

 

[Granddaddy]

Titles are certainly a reasonable consideration in determining the skill level of a particular trainer. There are other considerations but they require the one making that determination to do some investigation. Even the investigation requires a level of skill many interested in using a trainer don't have. So titles become all the more important as a means of consideration. If you (anyone) don't have the skill to make a determination, then ask several folks who have been around dog training for a number of yrs to help.

 

[redleg06]

Do you have to have several dogs that have HT/FT champions, to be a good trainer?????? Is the dogs title the gauge we use to judge the trainer??? What happens when one person trains the dog an another competes with the dog???? How do we novices know to pay attention to on the forum???
Just want to know how the group feels.


Jim Schaefer

I think having the titles gives someone credibility and the more titled dogs they have, the higher the credibility IMO. Makes sense to me that if a trainer has had repeated success for an extended period of time, then they are obviously doing something right or they wouldnt be able to consistently produce results.

On the flip side...
I dont think that having a lack of titles automatically reduces the credibility of a trainer because I dont know their situation, goals or motivations for training dogs. Not everyone that trains, does so in order to chase HT or FT titles.

I think most people would agree that if you are going to take advice on ANYTHING (maybe financial advise, legal advise, dog training advise etc...), you would be inclined to take it from someone that has a proven track record of success.