Dog Trainer Regulation

With the debt brake, the government promised to remove bureaucracy and not create more of it. So, it is curious to say in the least that while dog owners can expect an ever growing list of regulations, dog trainers themselves do not face any. With all of this happening, it is very difficult to see recent policy proposals, such as a mandatory dog license, as anything but a money grab. 

A Conflict of Interest

Dog schools are generally quick to back any policy supporting mandatory dog training or certification. This is understandable; mandated exams and training means a steady influx of business for training schools. Some readers may recall a few instances of shameless self promotion by a dog school in our Facebook discussions whenever the topic of legislation arises. Meanwhile, community training clubs (which are run on a cost-only basis) are being forced off their training grounds by supposed animal welfare initiatives.

(No) Trainer Regulations

It is no secret that many dog trainers, animal sitters and walkers work without a proper permit in Berlin. That said, it certainly would not be difficult for them to acquire the paperwork. One can submit any evidence of training and it is then up to the Senate whether or not they issue a permit for working with animals on a commercial basis. There is no requirement for number of hours spent actually training, there is no thought given to the curriculum of the course, no credibility criteria for the educational institute, nor is there a requirement for any work to be performed under supervision.

There is no "Dog Trainer License" and no standardized training programs offered state-wide or nationally. While it is necessary to obtain a "Paragraph 11" permit to work commercially with animals, the same permit is issued to all sorts of animal businesses: doggy daycare, animal training, grooming, catteries, large scale breeders etc. To receive the Paragraph 11 permit, one must submit evidence of having undergone some kind of animal-related formal training but there is no mandatory exam. To get this training recognized, there are no required number of hours for real life animal handling experience - it is completely subjective and up to the decision of the Veterinäramt.

Biased and Missing Data

I'd like to invite you to consider mandated dog training from another perspective; there are statistics aplenty for dog aggression but none for the efficacy of any given dog school or trainer. And while I would like to be able to rely on Google reviews etc., Germany is notorious for removing bad reviews under the pretext of defamation - in fact, whole agencies even specialize in this.

There is no data published about passing rates of each school or trainer for the dog license or Begleithundeprüfung. If introducing a civil measure such as the dog license, one should liken it to the Leben in Deutschland test. It should be standardized across the country, and undergo quality inspections to make sure that it's having the desired effect and that when undergoing training, people are getting what they paid for.

No Standards for Dog Training

Ultimately, one must remember that there is no internationally accepted standard qualification for dog training. There are many respectable certifications, yes, (most of which originate in English-speaking countries) but there is no standardization even for these qualifications across countries and the dog training world remains deeply polarized in terms of philosophy, methodology, and efficacy. Compared to regulated professions such as those in veterinary care, dog training is still very much the wild west.

For all you know, a legitimate and licensed dog trainer could have had no physical exposure to animals before starting their business. No quality control means that dog owners can be essentially milked like cash cows by ineffective trainers in the best case scenario. And dogs can be ruined - problematic behaviours can be exacerbated and the dog can be traumatized by poor training. And yet to comply with government regulations, dog owners must continue dealing with such people on a trial-and-error basis.

In sum, much of the responsibility of filtering out the noise remains squarely on the shoulders of the dog owner. People can be forced to take a minimal number of obedience courses, obey leash laws and be restricted from owning a dog of a certain age. But if someone was never educated about the appropriate exercise and stimulation needed for their breed or type of dog, or whether a canine individual is even compatible with big city life, behaviour problems are inevitable. And in all cases, it will be the dog that suffers.

Other Perspectives

Antonin Brousek, an independent politician, is one of the only ones in the Berlin government against rolling out such a blanket policy, comparing it with a sort of weapon license. Owning a dog in most countries hardly constitutes owning a weapon - in many cases, a pet is the only emotional connection people have.

Some may argue that investing the time in a mandatory dog license is for the benefit of the animal. But then I wonder why mandatory licenses are not required for other types of pets. Or why training permits are issued on such a subjective basis and are not standardized for any kind of animal. Parrots, especially, are an extremely intelligent species, often neglected and abused and yet there are no bleeding hearts petitioning for a training course or permit for bird owners.