The Value of Certification

Why should I get certified? That’s a common question I hear as a dog trainer. After all, you have been training, you have some education, and very few of your clients ever seem to ask you about certification. So what’s the big deal? Why should you pay to take a test for certification?

As a dog trainer certified through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, I’ll give you my view of this issue. For me, the value of certification lies in the fact that it helps to promote a level of professionalism in what I do for a living, and it’s one step forward in the support of the professionalization of the entire dog training industry. It also provides:

• Current skill level: It offers quantifiable evidence that I have received education and training
• Personal recognition: It helps separates me from my peers
• Increased income: It allows me to charge higher rates
• Professional development opportunities: My certification sometimes allows me an edge in applying for additional job responsibilities or speaking engagements

Certification isn’t the only factor in choosing the best dog trainer. However, I do think certification shows a level of seriousness about professional development and it is one indicator that you have achieved a certain level of knowledge and education. This is important in a field where anyone can print business cards and start training dogs. Certification is one point of differentiation between two trainers. 

Certification is not the end game for a dog trainer. It is one step in the professional development of a dog trainer. In order to take most certification exams, you must have a certain level of experience and education. Once certified, you should continue to educate yourself. Certification requires continuing education, which ensures you stay current with the newest training methods and science of learning.

Certification is proof to the pet owning public that I have met an industry standard in terms of my education. Do they ask me about it? Usually not. But do they know I have obtained it? Absolutely. I include it in my marketing and promotional materials. I use it to set myself apart from other trainers who haven’t taken this step in their professional development. I use it to show a higher value in my training (which allows me to charge higher prices). I constantly promote the fact that dog training is unregulated and one way to ensure you are working with a trainer who has some baseline level of education is to ask about certification.

As a professional dog trainer I feel it is my responsibility to be the best dog trainer possible and to work in the best interest of my clients. But I also think part of my responsibility is to work to better the dog training industry as a whole. Supporting a certification process by obtaining certification is one step toward that goal.

If the pet industry is to have any real value as a professionalized industry, there needs to be a quantifiable way for pet parents to find the most qualified pet industry experts. Popularity alone should not be the sole measure of success of a trainer and does not always equate to training with the most current, science-based methods. Finding a quantifiable baseline continues to be a challenge, but I think certification is a step in the right direction.

For all the reasons listed above I am a huge advocate of pet care facility certification and support the mission of the Professional Animal Care Certification Council.