Dog training versus dog behavior consulting: How can we tell the difference?

Have you ever wondered whether you're facing a dog training problem or a behavior consulting case?

This could feel like an easy distinction, maybe sorted by levels of difficulty or by how complex the case is: A dog who has never learned to sit seems like a training problem. A dog who growls when someone reaches toward the couch seems like a behavior case. A puppy grabbing sleeves while the kid plays with him feels different from a dog who is lunging and barking at strangers outside the vet clinic in the parking lot.

And it's true that categories of cases are different. We wouldn't try to transpose the same work we do for a puppy house training case onto a dog-dog aggression case. These two cases do not need the same plan, the same level of assessment, or the same kind of support. But all of our cases, whether we call them "dog training" or "behavior consulting," all have one thing in common—they all involve changing behavior.

Sitting? Behavior. Barking? Behavior. Growling? Behavior. Coming when called is also behavior. Taking food softly is behavior. Running away from the harness is behavior.

But this is where it can get confusing. “Dog training” and “dog behavior consulting” are not opposing skills. Training is almost always part of our behavior change plan, no matter how involved the case is. Sometimes we are teaching a new skill, or we are changing the setup or what happens after the behavior, or helping the dog feel safe enough to learn something different. Each of these actions may involve bringing new skills on board via positive reinforcement training.

The professional distinction between "dog training" and "dog behavior consulting" comes up because the cases in question may require different depths of assessment and planning. A basic skills case may mostly need clear teaching, good reinforcement, practice, and coaching. A behavior consulting case may require more careful attention to emotion, safety, history, environment, triggers, household patterns, and whether the plan is realistic for the people living with the dog.

So the question to ask is not, “Is this training or behavior consulting?” as if those are two separate worlds.

The better question is whether a case can be handled with ordinary training instruction, or whether it needs behavior consulting: a functional assessment, a more individualized plan, and closer attention to why the behavior is happening and what would need to change for the dog and people to have success.

If you aren't sure whether the case you're looking at "training" or "behavior consulting," ask yourself these questions:

• Can the dog and client find success with a few new or refined skills, such as a recall, stay on mat, or basic obedience? (training)
• Does the case involve changing the way the dog feels about something in the environment? (behavior consulting)
• Does the dog's behavior put its own or the safety of others at risk? (behavior consulting)

So don’t worry too much about finding the perfect label. Instead, look at what the case is asking of you.

Does this dog need help learning a skill (dog training), or does this situation need a far-reaching behavior change plan (behavior consulting)? Answering these questions helps you choose the right level of assessment, support, and care for the dogs and for the people living with them.