Why It Matters That Your Trainer Is Certified.

When we talk about "training," we don't just mean teaching a dog to sit. We mean how an animal is cared for and interacted with at every level. How we walk them, feed them, play with them, and what we expect from them, day in and day out.

If you want a refresher on what force-free training actually means, check out our earlier post here: https://www.humaneanimalrescueaus.org/post/why-how-we-train-and-treat-our-animals-matters

Why Do We Need Trainers?

"I've had dogs my whole life — why would I need a trainer?"

It's a fair question, and one we hear a lot. But trainers aren't just for emergencies, trainer supports you and your pet throughout their entire life. They bring expert insight and resources that can genuinely change the trajectory of your relationship with your animal — not just fix problems as they come up.

Checking Our Knowledge

I've cut my own hair more times than I can count. I've dyed it, too. I own a pair of proper hairdressing scissors and trim my own fringe a few times a year. I've even cut and dyed a friend's hair. All of that experience is real — but none of it makes me a qualified hairdresser.

In Australia, without the right qualifications, I legally can't work as a hairdresser. So why can anyone call themselves a dog trainer?

The dog and animal training industry in Australia is unregulated. That means literally anyone can call themselves a trainer, open a business, and start working with animals with no qualifications required. When the people advising us lack proper education, credentials, and training, it opens the door to harmful advice and poor, unethical, and inhumane treatment of animals.

Red Flags to Watch For

When you're researching a trainer or animal business, keep an eye out for:

• No qualifications listed on their socials or website

• No visible policies or procedures around animal well-being

• Use of aversive tools — slip leads, citronella collars, shock collars, prong collars, or spray bottles used to punish cats

• Animals that look unhappy in photos and videos — stressed, fighting, or placed in uncomfortable situations for the sake of content

  
  

What We Look For Instead

Certified training. A certified trainer has completed extensive, structured training through an established provider that teaches force-free methods. Without that grounding, there's no way to know whether someone genuinely understands how to train using force-free, evidence-based methods — regardless of how many years they've "been doing it."

Some examples of recognised, accredited training pathways include a Certificate IV in Animal Behaviour and Training, and courses through organisations like Delta, Karen Pryor Academy, the Companion Animal Sciences Institute, and the Academy for Dog Trainers.

Continued education. Our understanding of animal behaviour and welfare keeps evolving, and a good trainer keeps learning alongside it. Qualifications from organisations focused on positive, force-free reinforcement consistently point to the same outcome: happier, more well-adjusted pets.

Professional membership. We also look for membership in organisations like the Pet Professional Guild Australia, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) Australia, and Fear Free. In an unregulated industry, these organisations exist specifically to support and uphold force-free training standards.

What Is PPGA?

The Pet Professional Guild Australia was established in 2012 with a simple goal: to serve the pet industry as an educational antidote to the scientifically unfounded, and often dangerous, methods popularised by entertainment TV.

Founder Niki Tudge, a dog training and pet care professional, started PPGA out of frustration with the lack of comprehensive resources committed to force-free training and pet care grounded in current scientific learning theory. (Source: ppgaustralia.net.au/About/Our-Story)

What Is APDT Australia?

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers Australia exists to enhance the human-dog relationship through the education of trainers and the broader community, by advocating for positive reinforcement training methods. Their stated vision is straightforward: that all dogs are trained using force-free, positive reinforcement methods.

You can find a trainer through APDT here. (Source: apdt.org.au/our-mission)

What Is Fear Free?

Founded in 2016 by veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, Fear Free provides education to veterinary professionals, trainers, groomers, and pet owners, with the mission of preventing and alleviating fear, anxiety, and stress in pets. Their courses are developed by veterinary behaviourists, pain specialists, and other experts, and their certification is now widely recognised across the veterinary and pet care industries. (Source: fearfree.com/about-fearfree)

The Bottom Line

Experience matters, but it isn't the same as qualification. In an industry where anyone can hang out a shingle and call themselves a trainer, certification, continued education, and membership with force-free organisations are the clearest signals you have that the person working with your animal actually knows what they're doing — and is committed to doing it humanely.

If you need behavioural support for you and your pet, you can access our Paws & Support, free behavioural training resource with our certificate trainers today - https://www.humaneanimalrescueaus.org/animal-support.