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APDT and CPDT certifications?

Soushiruiuma

Well-known member
I live in south Louisiana, where resources are somewhat limited. There is one APDT trainer in the state, and four CPDT trainers (one has both, so a total of 4 trainers). The dual certified trainer is advertising classes about an hour from where I live.

On the local side, we have a training school in town that is reward based, and has members that compete in both agility and obedience classes.

Is it worth the drive to get the most certified trainer in the state? I haven't started classes with anyone yet, so I'm in no way obligated to one or the other.

There's a free puppy play group on Saturday, so Thistle and I will go meet the APDT/CPDT trainer.

I'm just wondering which trainer others would choose...
 
If you plan to compete I would go with the best trainer I could find within driving distance. There are two people who drive one hour to get to a freestyle class I attend once a week about eight months out of the year in Texas.

If you choose to go with a local trainer make sure they don't advocate leash pops (jerking the leash) or prong collars. These are old methods that will harm your baby.
 
I'd say any of those should be good, as far as approach goes. CPDT are all committed to a rewards based/no punishment, leash pops, 'corrections' approach. APDT is too more or less -- but there are some politics around it as I understand. A lot of people with APDT went on to also get CPDT because they felt it had become too easy to get APDT without any real enforcement of the commitment to rewards-based training. I know of a couple of cases where people with APDT qualifications were using inappropriate training methods (but the actual philosophy that people are *supposed* to comply with is generally the same as CPDT).

So in short: almost all APDT and all CPDT trainers should be a great starting point. From then on it is who runs a class in a way you are happy with, personalities etc.

But I think it is also worth going to check out your local class to observe a class and see if if matches what you want. I think it is worth going for someone with qualifications but a basic local class can be a good place to start too. Most really good trainers in agility etc will have qualifications.
 
A lot of people with APDT went on to also get CPDT because they felt it had become too easy to get APDT without any real enforcement of the commitment to rewards-based training. I know of a couple of cases where people with APDT qualifications were using inappropriate training methods (but the actual philosophy that people are *supposed* to comply with is generally the same as CPDT).

This makes sense, there's an APDT trainer just down the road, and I have heard some negative reviews of his techniques. So we're not going there.

I'm going to watch a class conducted by the local group, I don't know too much about them as trainers, one of their clients is well known in the area, because she was born with no arms, and competes her dogs in obedience and agility (including wins at the national level).
 
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