The Dark Side of the Dog Training Industry

In the US alone, there are an estimated 77 million dogs living as pets.

So, naturally, the dog training industry is massive. There are a lot of different trainers out there, using different methods, holding different beliefs, fixing different issues.

It’s also one of the “easiest” industries to get into. Anyone (me included) can just wake up one day, call themselves a dog trainer and then start training dogs and getting paid for it.

Now, I’m not saying this is a bad thing, far from it. But it’s undeniable that it makes it easy for people who don’t know much about dogs to claim they can train dogs, even when they can’t.

And because there’s no legal qualifications needed to become a dog trainer, big training chains will often hire anyone, no experience needed, as dog trainers.

And 95% of dog trainers take on dogs with any issue. It’s rare to see a dog trainer who turns away dogs with complex or severe issues because they don’t know how to fix it, even though they don’t.

Here’s my point: there are thousands of aggressive dogs being sent to trainers who don’t know how to fix aggression, 0 clue.

And some of those trainers aren’t good people. And in order to keep the money that the owner paid them to fix their dog’s aggression, they try to fix the aggression whatever way they can.

This is what leads to abuse, straight up abuse.

People put an aggressive dog in a situation where they know it’ll get upset and bite or growl, then they light it up with a shock collar, prong collar or something else until the dog gives in.

It’s awful and it’s criminal.

And it will never, ever work either. You won’t fix an aggressive dog by punishing it, never.

And it’s happening far too often. Be careful with where you send your dogs.