Dr. Terry Curtis, recommends:
*A trainer who treats dogs and owners with respect.
*A trainer who uses treat-based, positive-reinforcement techniques.
*A trainer who uses good-fitting harnesses, head collars, or other non-choking, non-shocking collars.
*A trainer who teaches the owner what to do and how to do it.
*A trainer who uses a variety of non-aversive techniques.
*Training that is tailored to the individual dog.
*A program that allows the dog to progress at its own speed and that isn’t forced into situations that he/she isn’t comfortable with.
*A trainer who applies basic learning theory correctly.
Dr. Curtis cautions dog owners to avoid:
*A trainer who uses correction collars (choke, prong, shock) as a primary way to train.
*A trainer who uses harsh/repeated corrections.
*A trainer who hits the dog with hands, leash, or feet.
*A trainer who takes a dog away to its facility for “boot camp”.
*A trainer who says that an owner is “loving too much” or is “being too soft”.
*A trainer who follows a dominance-based training model.