The Cost of “Anyone Can Be a Dog Trainer”

Dog training is one of the few professions where there’s almost no barrier to entry.

In many places, there’s no required education, no licensing body, no standardized mentorship, and no minimum experience. Someone can decide they’re a dog trainer, print business cards, and begin working with real families and real dogs, including dogs who are fearful, reactive, anxious, or struggling in complex ways.

On the surface, this kind of accessibility might seem positive. But the idea that anyone can be a dog trainer comes with a cost and one that’s often invisible until something goes wrong.

The Cost to Dogs

Dogs are usually the first to pay the price.

When trainers don’t have a strong foundation in learning theory, canine communication, or stress and threshold management, dogs can easily be pushed too far or misunderstood. Behaviour rooted in fear or uncertainty may be framed as stubbornness or defiance. Well-intentioned advice can lead to flooding rather than progress. Trainers use intimidation, control, and punishment so dogs will comply.

Over time, this can erode trust. Dogs may become more shut down, more reactive, or more anxious than when they started. In some cases, training doesn’t just fail to help - it makes things worse.

Dogs don’t get to choose their trainer. They rely on humans to make good decisions on their behalf.

The Cost to Clients

Most clients don’t seek out a trainer because things are going well.

They’re often overwhelmed, worried, embarrassed, or scared. They’re looking for guidance and reassurance. And when they land in the hands of someone underqualified, the impact can be lasting.

Clients may receive conflicting advice or be told to use methods that don’t sit right with them but are framed as necessary. They are shamed and led to believe their dog’s behaviour is due to them. They may blame themselves when things don’t improve. Many end up cycling through trainers, spending thousands of dollars and losing hope along the way.

Some are ultimately told that their dog is beyond help and that management is the only option, or that their dog simply isn’t safe. For families who love their dogs deeply, this can be devastating.

The Cost to the Industry

When anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, it affects more than individual families.

It becomes harder for the public to distinguish between experienced professionals and those just starting out. Ethical, educated trainers are undercut by quick-fix promises. Dog training is treated as a hobby rather than a skilled profession that carries real responsibility.

It also contributes to burnout. Trainers are expected to handle complex behaviour cases without adequate education, support, or mentorship. Many leave the industry not because they don’t care but because they were never set up to succeed.

Loving dogs isn’t enough. Caring deeply doesn’t replace competence.

Why Dog Training Is Skilled Work

Good dog training is nuanced.

It requires an understanding of behaviour science, ethics, and welfare. It requires the ability to observe subtle signals, make judgment calls in real time, and coach humans through change. It requires emotional intelligence, risk assessment, and the humility to know when a case is outside your scope.

These skills are learned over time. They are practiced, refined, questioned, and supported. They cannot be absorbed in a weekend or mastered through social media alone.

What Raising the Bar Actually Means

Raising standards in dog training isn’t about gatekeeping. It’s about protecting dogs, supporting clients, and building a profession that can sustain itself.

That means education that goes beyond techniques. It means supervised practice, mentorship, and accountability. It means creating communities where trainers don’t have to navigate hard cases alone.

At Dogma Academy, we built our programs around a simple belief: dogs deserve competent, compassionate professionals and trainers deserve proper preparation and support to do this work well.

A Better Future for Dogs and Trainers

The industry is changing.

Clients are asking better questions. Trainers are seeking deeper education. Conversations around ethics, welfare, and professionalism are becoming more common, and that’s a good thing.

The answer isn’t fewer trainers. It’s better-supported, better-educated ones.

Because while “anyone can be a dog trainer” might technically be true, not everyone should step into that role without understanding the responsibility it carries for dogs, for families, and for the future of our industry.