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Has anyone been asked to work on training their dog?

In the past, I have had a couple of customers strongly hint that they would like their dog trained to "Sit", "Stay", etc. I have told them that I am Not a dog trainer but they sometimes do learn from the other pups when I tell them to "sit" before going out the door for a walk. My "specialty" is taking walks, romps in the greenbelt, play time and Lots of loving and pampering. Is sitter a "trainer" or have had customers ask to train their dog while they are away?

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How you handle it depends a lot on your own history and your comfort with training. There are a number of certifications you can get for dog training, but in the US, dog training is an entirely unregulated industry where anyone can say they are a trainer without any background or skills at all. I never represent myself as a trainer to clients because to me, a real trainer is someone who has gone the extra mile to learn from professionals and has sought out and understands the current research on canine cognition and behavior. They likely have a certification, or extensive experience in the field. I am someone who has put in a lot of effort on my own time reading the research, studying videos and blogs, but I don't have the amount of practical experience that I would consider proficient to consider someone a trainer (though I'd love to someday!). All that said, I discuss with my clients if there is anything they are working on with their dog and I'm happy to keep up with their current routines (provided they are using humane methods). I am also happy to work on a variety of basic issues, like not charging the door, not barking at the neighbors, leash manners, etc, but I mostly see that as a way of making the stay safe and manageable rather than as providing training. These are just skills I want dogs in my care to have, and I'd encourage desirable behavior regardless, so I put in the effort to show guests what's expected of them. I care a lot less about classic "obedience" training. Beyond sit, a basic stay/wait, and good recall, I don't see much of a point to it, especially as a sitter. Good manners without direction is far more important to me than a dog I can boss around.

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Thanks Laura. I wasn't sure if any sitter offered training as an extra service and/or fee. I do consider dog training a different area from pet sitting. I am not a dog trainer and don't want to owners misunderstand my services. I haven't had a request since I updated and restated my profile. Kathleen D.

I don't charge any kind of fee (again, I'm not a trainer, so I don't really offer training as part of my services). If a dog were particularly untrained/poorly behaved, I'd consider a premium rate because of the amount of work it would require, but not for training per se.

Love your comment, Laura. I think most dogs benefit from what we consider basic issues that make the stay more enjoyable. I don't "train" every dog that comes through, but I can't separate the "trainer" side of me from the "sitter" side.

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Sitter's are NOT dog trainers. There are many dog sitters on Rover with additional animal care experience from past jobs like vet techs, dog groomers and dog trainers, among many others. I might recommend them to another sitter who has that experience or you might tell them you could try to work on those basic commands and watch some YouTube video's, but can't guarantee anything as you are not a certified dog trainer. If for some reason the dog didn't learn the command then you might get a bad review for promising something you couldn't deliver.

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Thanks Cori. I grew up with horses and was mentored by several Natural Horsemanship horse trainers. Equestrians and horse trainers used the training as a cross-over for training their dogs and it works great. I "had" a mention in my profile about the above information as part of my experience with animals in general. I think these customers figured since I provide walks and a few other perks -all inclusive in the rate- they believed I would also train their dog and get a REALLY Great deal. I have since removed my experience with horses from my profile so there is no confusion. P.S. I meant to ask if Any other pet sitters either provide training for their customers or been asked by a customer to train their dog.

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I do train in addition to boarding, but I don't generally offer a Board AND Train style service. I don't think the average stay length is long enough to deliver what owners want. I have done it for several of my training clients, but that was after several weeks of private training sessions in their home. I do discuss my training background in my profile, and I just met with an owner who was interested in boarding her dog with me because of it.