-
1. Respect- Trainers should have respect for clients, animals, and other trainers. Trainers should not publicly attack other trainers or methods. When giving criticism it should be done in a professional manner. Show respect by being punctual and efficient with your/their time.
2. Confidentiality- Trainers should not share personal information about their clients. Trainers should receive permission before sharing pictures, videos, etc. of clients and/or their dogs. Trainers should not talk negatively to others about their clients.
3. Transparency- Trainers should make known all training methods to their clients. Clients should be made aware of any health issues or injuries that occur during in kennel training. Pricing should be made clear upfront-no hidden fees.
4. Fairness- Treat all clients equally.
5. Abide by the Law- Trainers should follow all federal, state and local laws pertaining to running a business and handling animals (e.g., Obeying leash laws). If there is a grey area or uncertainty, trainers should err on the side of what is legal rather than trying to find a loophole.
6. Trustworthy- Trainers should be worthy of clients trust when handling their dogs and in their business dealings. Trainers should be honest and forthright. Trainers should always strive to do the right things and hold themselves to a high standard.
7. Accountability- Trainers should take responsibility for the jobs they take and should not accept jobs for which they are not yet qualified.. Trainers should abide by what they have agreed to do and perform their services in a timely manner. Trainers should ensure that they always follow the set ethical guidelines.
8. Abide by LIMA- trainers should make sure to train dogs in a way that is least intrusive to the human-dog relationship and use minimal aversives when administering punishments.
9. Communication- trainers should communicate clearly with clients about what they agree to accomplish. Trainers should notify clients of progress as well as set backs. Trainers should communicate to their clients the individual nature of dog training. Each situation and dog breed is unique and may require different techniques and timelines.
10. Professionalism- Trainers should be professional in their conversations, appearance, training environment (facility, cleaning up after dogs at parks, etc.), payment methods, correspondence etc. Expressing and displaying professionalism shows you clients that you have a strong work ethic.
