An effective, caring dog trainer has to have many traits and qualities that allow them to communicate well with both people and animals. People and dogs have different needs when it comes to communication and a dog trainer needs to be able to meet both.

Being knowledgeable

Being a good teacher has several factors but the most important one is being comfortable and confident in the knowledge that they are trying to teach. Dog training is something that cannot be learned solely from a textbook, so a good dog trainer will have experience as a student of classes and maybe mentoring from another trainer.

Good communication skills

Knowledge is useless if you cannot make others understand what you know. A dog trainer needs to be able to communicate what it is that the owner needs to do and what the dog is expected to do as well.

They need to be able to adapt this communication to different learning styles. No two humans learn exactly the same way and that’s true of dogs, too. They need to be able to do this in a chaotic environment, too. A room with a bunch of dogs new to obedience training is going to be chaotic and they have to be able to communicate clearly and calmly in these types of situations.

This also includes maintaining a positive attitude. Dog training is hard. Dogs will pick up on the mood of the people around them and it is important that they associate obedience training with positive emotions.

Patience

Just like some children need more time and effort to learn certain things, so do some dogs. Understanding that a dog might be having a hard time learning something like stay or heel and not becoming impatient or overly critical is very important.

The dog owner is just as new to this situation as their dog. They can’t be expected to master everything immediately. This is especially true if the owner and the dog don’t already have a strong relationship. A good dog trainer will not immediately blame the owner or the dog without evaluating the situation and making suggestions for improvement.

There are going to be days and sometimes weeks where a dog might not show a lot of improvement. Dogs have good days and bad days just like humans do. A good trainer needs to be able to stick with the animal and not give up on them. They also need to be able to encourage the owner to do the same.

Compassion and a love for animals

Dog training can be difficult and a good trainer needs to really love what they do to be effective. The trainer has to want to help the owner and the dog to improve their lives to stay engaged and enthusiastic throughout the whole process. Working with animals can be emotionally and physically exhausting and the compassion and love of the animal can sometimes be the best reward. Loving your work can make all the difference between work that is fine and work that is exemplary.

This also means that a dog trainer needs to love all kinds of dogs. There isn’t just one kind of dog that benefits from obedience training and a good trainer needs to be able to work with all breeds and sizes and temperaments with the same level of commitment and compassion.

A caring dog trainer has a lot of good qualities but finding a Dog Trainer in Houston that’s right for you doesn’t have to be difficult. Find a dog trainer in Houston here.