I have found that the hardest part of In-Home dog training is walking into a stranger's home and asking them to trust me. It must be daunting to invite a stranger into your home and trust them with your dog, who has become a member of your family. I know I am asking you to trust me over the other trainers you have spoken with. Trust me over the information you have found on Google. Trust the training tools that I use. Trust that I will treat your dog as if it were my own, with the utmost care and respect. 

Dog training is likened to the Wild West—unregulated, with no clear rules, and anyone can appoint themselves sheriff.This lack of regulation leads to a wide range of training methods and tools with polarizing opinions on their safety and effectiveness. As a trainer, I understand the weight of my words when I walk into your home, especially after you've experienced a challenging situation with your dog, and ask you to trust me. I don't take this responsibility lightly. 

This dynamic also creates tension among fellow dog trainers. Since there is no "right way," many trainers are at odds with each other. With no specific standards, this can result in tearing down other trainers to get new clients to trust you over them. A method that creates toxicity within the industry and often leaves people more frustrated and confused. Coming to a potential client's with reviews, word of mouth, and science-based training often gets you in the door. How do you, from there, gain trust and your clients' confidence that you can help them? If the training requires the dog to be boarded, how do you ask a client to trust you not only with their dogs training but also with their daily safety and needs?

 The biggest mistake we can make as dog trainers is to have cookie-cutter plans and expect them to fit every household and situation. We must walk into our client's homes with understanding and no judgment and work to reach their goals, not the goals we would set for our household. Set realistic expectations and treat their dogs as you would your own. If it is not a training tool you would use in your home, don't bring it into theirs. If you operate from a facility, give full transparency and welcome new clients with tours and assurance. Dog training is an ever-evolving and growing industry, and I hope to see it grow in a way where the trust of our clients is always earned and valued. 

To my potential clients, I know I am a stranger, and I am asking you to trust me. Trust that I have the answers to help you reach your goals and that I won’t guide you down the wrong path. Trust that I joined the industry to make a difference in people's lives, and I will value the opportunity to help you and your pack. I know trusting me can not be easy, but I am asking. Trust me.