Choosing a trainer
How to interview a dog trainer
A trainer interview should feel like a conversation about your dog, not a sales pitch. Prepare five or six questions, write the answers down, and compare them later with a clear head. Below are the questions we would ask in your place, what a solid answer sounds like, the warning signs, and our own published answers so you can hold us to them.
Last reviewed October 4, 2026
Questions worth asking
Six questions that reveal how a trainer works.
Start with method: how do you teach a brand new behaviour? Then tools: which ones, how are they introduced, and who teaches the owner to use them? Ask about format, one-on-one or group. Ask what the price includes. Ask what happens after the program ends. Last, ask what they would recommend for a dog who only needs a little help. That final answer tells you a great deal.
Our published answers: new skills are taught with markers and rewards first. Tools are matched to the individual dog, from slip leads and prong collars to modern Educator e-collars, always introduced properly and taught to the owner. Every session is one-on-one. Board and train programs include a handover lesson and free follow-up sessions, and a Private Training session at $150 plus GST comes with a written plan for the week.
- How new skills get taught
- Which tools, and who learns them
- What the price actually includes
- What support follows the program
Red flags
Answers that should make you pause.
Be wary of anyone who promises a fixed result or a set number of sessions before meeting your dog. Behaviour does not run on a schedule, and an honest trainer says so. Another flag is a trainer who will not explain a tool or let you learn it, since you are the one holding the leash for years afterwards. Pricing that only appears after a hard sell is a third.
A good sign, by contrast, is a trainer who talks you down. If your dog pulls but is otherwise easy, the right answer might be On-Leash Foundations at $1,865 plus GST rather than an off-leash program at $3,030 or more. Our consultation is where we recommend a program, and when a smaller one covers your dog's needs, that is the one we put forward.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
What questions should I ask a dog trainer?
Ask how they teach new skills, which tools they use and how you will learn them, and whether sessions are one-on-one. Then ask what the price includes and what support follows.
What are red flags in a dog trainer?
Promised results, a session count quoted before anyone has met your dog, and tools nobody will explain. Prices that only surface after a hard sell are another reason to slow down.
Should a dog trainer teach me how to use the tools?
Yes. You live with the dog, so you need to understand any tool used and how to handle it. We teach owners every tool used with their dog.
Is it okay to ask a dog trainer for prices up front?
It is, and a trainer should be comfortable answering. Our prices are published, from $150 plus GST for a private session to $4,850 to $5,760 plus GST for Behaviour Rehab.
Keep reading
Put us through the interview
Book a consultation and bring your list of questions. We will answer each one plainly and recommend only what your dog needs.
From real owners
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Real Northline dogs