’Special offer: Swap an entrance ticket to a TV dog-trainer show for a training session’

This is a cross-border campaign based in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, and was originally Sunny Benett’s idea and should grow internationally as well.

These competent dog trainers, whose methods are science-based, invite dog owners to exchange their entrance tickets to TV dog-trainer shows for a free training session. (Whether this is a group lesson, or a one-on-one session, depends on what the trainer feels is best for the dog).

As the initiators of this special offer can not undertake checks on every single participating dog school, we have a code of conduct by which trainers are obliged to abide. We therefore request that the dog trainers check that they can, and wish to, fulfil the required criteria before agreeing to take part.  Trainers can be excluded if they are found to controvene these criteria.

A ticket can be exchanged up till six months after the show. Each ticket is valid for one training session.

Here you can find the trainers taking part in this campaign.

Are you a dog trainer and you’d like to take part in this campaign?

Please write us an email with the following information through this website’s contact form :

• your commitment to the code of conduct
• postal code/town/city: name of your dog school, full name, telephone, email and website
• qualifications/title
• your offer (e.g. training classes)

We shall then contact you. As soon as you’ve been accepted on the list of participating trainers, please feel free to link the following logo to your website.

Code of conduct

We expect a kind approach to the dog, based on modern learning theory and ‘canine science’.
We do not have to perform as an ‘alpha’ or as a ‘pack leader’. Instead, we have to know how dogs learn and how they express themselves through their body language. Using this knowledge, and with empathy and experience, a good trainer will guide each dog and owner team according to their individual needs.  A trainer is aware that a dog does not learn well when he is intimidated, pressured or made to feel fearful. Furthermore, this treatment can inadvertently lead to negative associations. The trainer will therefore always work in a non-aversive manner i.e. neither intimidating the dog psychologically nor causing him physical pain or discomfort.

The following are explicitly not allowed:

• lead jerks/lead impulses
• prodding either with a finger or with a foot/hissing
• forcing the dog on to his back/turning him over
• hitting and kicking
• imitating bites with the hands
• psychological intimidation (e.g. threatening the dog by bending over him, staring him in the eyes, shouting or growling at him)
• the use of check-chain collars
• prong collars
• working with fright tools, such as rattle-cans and throwing-chains, or by spraying water
• Spray collars (whether they use air, water, chemicals, or an acoustic stimulus)
• groin straps
• everything which frightens the dog or causes pain or discomfort.

Helpful tools

• food
• toys
• friendly body contact (e.g. stroking the dog)
• voice (motivating, praising)
• clicker, target
• food dummy
• harness
• lead, long-line

Competent dog trainers…

• have a professional qualification and educate themselves through continual professional development programmes
• are acquainted with canine health issues which can cause unwanted behaviour
• work with vets to exclude possible underlying health issues
• work with dogs and their owners using praise and rewards
• build the training on the foundation of shared successes
• treat people and dogs respectfully