Société Protectrice
des Animaux du Maroc
The Humane Society
of Morocco

Société Protectrice
des Animaux du Maroc

The Humane Society
of Morocco

Finding a dog behaviorist or trainer

How to find a dog behaviorist

Problem behavior is really any behavior shown by a dog that people find a problem, so can range from jumping up or stealing food to aggressive behavior. It’s really not unusual at all for owners to need a little extra guidance and support at some point during their dog’s life, so don’t worry if you’d like some help.

Do I need to see a behaviorist or a trainer? What’s the difference?

Although they sound as though they do a similar job, trainers and behaviorists have particular expertise in different areas.

Dog Trainers specialize in teaching you how to use rewards that your dog enjoys in order to teach them what you would like them to do, such as walking nicely on lead, not jumping up on people, not begging for food, and settling down quietly when you need them to. Trainers can also specialize in specific types of activity, such as agility, obedience, trick training, or nose-work (teaching your dog to find hidden items by smell), any of which you might choose to do just for fun or even for competition. A trainer will help you to improve your own training skills when it comes to teaching your dog.

Dog Behaviorists specialize in problems that are much more emotional for dogs, for example when they become anxious, frightened, or frustrated. Feeling like this can lead dogs to behave in ways that may be dangerous for themselves and anyone involved, such as chasing traffic, panicking when left alone worrying about noises and causing damage to themselves or the home, or behaving aggressively towards people or other animals. These types of problem behaviors aren’t able to be resolved simply through training, because as well as learning to behave differently, the dog also needs to learn to feel differently about things. Behaviorists will show you how to help your dog feel better and resolve the problem by identifying and removing the underlying emotional distress involved, and then creating a tailor-made plan for you to follow that teaches your dog an alternative, more positive way of behaving instead.

Dog Behaviorist FAQs

Get answers to dog behaviorist common questions.

How do I find a dog trainer to help me train my dog?

The Humane Society of Morocco is currently building a nationwide network of experienced dog trainers, providing high-quality, welfare-friendly dog training instruction during our fun, educational classes. These knowledgeable Dog School Coaches will be delivering short courses for puppies, adolescents, rescue dogs, and adults, teaching valuable skills that enable dogs and owners to live together happily, such as walking nicely on lead, coming back when called, settling at quiet times, being polite around people and food and being examined when necessary.

As a regulatory body, we will maintain registers of animal trainers throughout Morocco fulfilling accreditation criteria and belonging to approved member associations.

How do I find a dog behaviorist to help me with my dog’s behavior?

The first thing to do whenever you see any changes in your dog’s behavior, or behavior that concerns you, is to have your dog examined by a vet.

Why do I need to see a vet first, before seeing a behaviorist?

A range of different medical conditions might affect the way a dog behaves, so sometimes a behavior change can actually be a sign that your dog is unwell or is in pain or discomfort even though you might not be able to find anything wrong. Because medical factors might either cause problematic behavior or contribute to it, it’s important to rule these out or to ensure your dog is being treated for any illness or injury, as sometimes treatment results in a difference in their behavior right away.

Your vet can then refer you to a behaviorist and provide them with your dog’s medical history so they can take any medical factors into account when investigating your dog’s worrying behavior. For example, suffering from sore ears in the past might be an important consideration for a dog who has recently started to growl when being stroked on the head or having a lead clipped onto their collar by their ears.

Behaviorists will investigate all the relevant aspects of your dog’s life to decide the most suitable approach to helping them feel and behave better.

How do I choose a dog behaviorist?

Inappropriate or outdated advice or methods might adversely affect your dog’s welfare and might even make the problem behavior worse in the long term. Because anybody can use the title ‘behaviorist’, even without qualifications or experience, it’s important to check that they belong to an organization where members are required to have good standards of education, qualification, and experience. This will ensure that they will have the right up-to-date knowledge, skills, and ability to help your dog.

Registered behaviorists at the level of Certified or Clinical Animal Behaviorist must hold an approved qualification at a degree level or higher and have undertaken an extensive period of supervised training in order to build up a portfolio of casework. They will only work on veterinary referral, ensuring that any underlying illness, injury, or pain is being treated in conjunction with the behavioral support being given.

Similarly, veterinarians must hold Advanced Practitioner or Specialist Status in Animal Behavior.

When you have located a behaviorist in your local area, it’s always worth checking what their qualifications mean as well as the types of methods they use to address behavioral problems. It’s important to feel comfortable working with your behaviorist and be confident that your dog’s welfare is always prioritized.

Some behavioral support might be covered by pet insurance, so if your dog is insured it is worth checking the terms and conditions of your policy.

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