Here is a part of an article written by Adrienne Mesko, she is a Dog Trainer serving Dover Plains and surrounding New York area.
Ask them About Their Experience
Certifications can be misleading. As the field is unregulated, there is no singular certifying authority for dog trainers. Many different organizations offer their own programs with their own criteria for achieving certification. Some are downright bogus and only serve to indicate that that a trainer has paid for a program that offers a certificate.
Rather than asking for certifications, ask them about their education in the field. How did they get started? Did they go to school or train in an apprenticeship position? Who have they worked under and for how long? What special skills do they have?
Getting personal can be a great way to get to know someone you will be working closely with. Ask them about their own personal dogs, and what training goals they have for themselves. Trainers that have titled their dogs have put themselves “out there” to be judged within a standard set by the discipline. It’s certainly not a necessity for a pet dog trainer to have titled a dog in a discipline but it is a good sign that a trainer is willing to be judged by their peers.
Read more about Adrienne Mesko here…