cant think of a better place to ask, theres literally like 10 dog training schools in every province/state and all these initials before the name that I don't even know what they all mean, plus the online schools, plus fancy sounding canine behavioral science schools and more im probably forgetting. It is kinda mind boggling. So what is legit? Whats a school that is worth something? I know the 3 popular ones on here but they cant be the only decent ones can they? And clearly results are all that matter and I definitely don't think you need to have gone to a school to know what you are doing, just wanna know which ones hold some merit. And if not having gone to school what experience/titles etc should I look for? Does any of this rambling make sense? Help! Thanks!!!!

The "credentials" get you in the door. After that, I couldn't give a hoot what someone's on paper credentials are.
Some of the most competent dog trainers I have ever had the pleasure of meeting never attended a school or course of any sorts.

I may get "flamed" for this but I don't believe any online courses people take should hold much merit.(not saying you won't learn anything). Truth is nothing will ever beat hands on learning from a reputable trainer. So look at actual in person classes. With a couple of the leerburg classes being an exception. They seem to be much more thorough than simply telling you what to do.

I would call around, find the trainers who take time to talk to you.
Then narrow your choices by going in and "interviewing" them. Ask lots of questions.
Personally I avoid any of the trainers who follow the ceaser Milan crap with a 10 foot pole.

Some of the "purely positive" type trainers that have been popping up all over alberta and bc are about as useful as a bag of broken glass. Research all places thoroughly.

Edit:
Sorry I realized my post was more of a rant than giving any solid advice.
Best of luck!

It's tricky. I've met trainers with some supposedly decent credentials who could rattle off behavioral science stuff all day but can't actually train dogs well. All book smarts and no practical knowledge. I've met trainers with absolutely no credentials at all who were fantastic.

I've never met any trainers with IACP credentials but the requirements look good. I've met several APDT trainers who were part of the all positive crowd and really could not train a dog to a reliable level of obedience.

You can ask about titles they've put on dogs but some excellent trainers work with stuff that most titles just don't really apply to.

I'm currently attending the Tom Rose School. We're required to train our 2 pups to pass many AKC and IPO requirements specifically so that we're training to a recognized standard. You probably won't know what I'm talking about if I tell you that my dog passed the Dog House test with a V rating. If I tell you that my pup is required to pass an AKC Open routine you will know exactly what I'm talking about or can look it up easily. At the minimum you know that someone coming out of this school has actually trained dogs to reliable obedience.

I look at either the trainer's accomplishments or the trainer's dogs.

The credentials may pique my interest in the first place but to hold it I need to see results.

Re online courses - I like the good ones. I've taken a few, had some "ah-ha" moments and I'm a better trainer for it. I also appreciate the fact that i can have some access to top notch trainers at home, without travel expenses. But I think the value depends on your learning style and experience

Great advice, and I agree completely. I got my first certification from a national pet store chain. I went through with it simply to be able to work there, but to my surprise it gave me a terrific grounding in dog psychology and motivation.

Then the real, hands on learning started, when I was training there. I only had 8 weeks with each group of 8 dogs - but to my surprise, that was exactly what amped up my skills. I had limited time not only to read and understand each dog, but also to understand, explain to and teach the owners. I find that explaining things out loud, over and over, helps you clarify and refine it in your own mind, as well. That volume, 40-50 new dogs every two months, was a crash course in dog behavior. And human. LOL.

After several years I began working more intensely with individual, problem cases, and I know I am better for that exposure to SO MANY DOGS.

hi, thanks everyone! Theres so much information and of course on the website they all talk themselves up, trying to find a positive trainer but not the extremists that seem rampant around my part. I will let you know if I find someone good!