Instructor versus Trainer, what is the difference? There is one. Here’s a brief overview:

Instructor Training

Instructors teach group classes or one-on-one sessions with owners. Instructors train people with their dogs. They are the only teachers of any skill who work simultaneously with two species of beginners—teaching an unskilled human how to train an untrained dog. The focus is on teaching training skills to the human student.

Dog Training

Dog trainers work hands-on, one-on-one with the dog, without the owner. The trainer teaches behaviors the owner wants. Once the dog is trained they then teach the client how to handle the trained dog. Trainers do the “heavy lifting” of training the dog—then teach the human client how to communicate with the dog. Becoming a dog trainer requires training dogs—lots of them.

Behavior Counselor

Behavior counselors or consultants deal with owners and dogs one-on-one assessing and addressing behavioral issues from housebreaking to dealing with aggression. Common tasks include: interviewing techniques, assessing dog temperament, eliminating variables and designing and setting up problem-elimination sessions.