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Here are the 10 rules that I came up with.
1. Be respectful towards clients, other trainers, and most importantly, the dogs.
2. Be honest with clients by providing realistic expectations to clients and not taking on cases that I am not qualified to take on. I will be transparent about what happens with the dog when the client is not present.
3. Training should be geared towards enhancing the human-dog relationship and improving the dog’s quality of life. Steven Lindsay’s LIMA principles are a core part of the training plan to achieve these objectives.
4. Safety of the dog, client, trainer, and public are a top priority. This includes using training tools that will minimize the risk of injury to the dog and others.
5. Negative side effects of training will be prevented in the training plan. Unreliable “quick-fix” strategies will be avoided in favor of strategies that will get results without creating fear or panic in the dog.
6. Continue to further my education by learning from other qualified trainers so I can improve.
7. Follow local laws and regulations, including leash laws.
8. Refrain from giving veterinary advice unless qualified to do so.
9. Facilitate an uplifting culture for other FSDT members, which includes collaboration and reporting misconduct.
10. Client information will be kept confidential. This includes asking permission before taking photos or videos of their sessions.
I liked that IACP included that trainers shouldn’t use quick fixes and should give realistic expectations to clients. APDT’s code of ethics seems pretty thorough and I like their little tidbit about not saying something is scientific unless it is derived from peer-reviewed research.
