Forum: Do due diligence before engaging a dog trainer

I applaud the move by the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) to require local dog trainers to be certified by reputable animal training organisations in order to be accredited in Singapore (

Dog trainers now need to be certified internationally in order to be accredited in S’pore

, Dec 10).

Dog trainers provide vital services for pets, and the techniques and training devices they use can have a significant impact on an animal’s mental and physical health.

In my years involved in animal welfare work, I have seen far too many cases of dogs being subjected to cruel practices in the name of animal training. These included beating and choking. 

In one particularly horrendous case, a dog trainer with many years of experience hung a Maltese by its leash and then strangled it with his hands. The purpose of this abuse was to teach the dog a lesson and to have it “submit” to the human. These outdated methods have no place in our society.

Thankfully, today, we know of much more effective and humane ways to train animals. The newly announced scheme is a good first step to help promote kinder methods, and to upgrade the animal training industry in general. 

Once the dog training industry has had time to adjust to the new rules, I urge AVS to make it mandatory for all trainers in Singapore to be certified, and not to allow any non-accredited trainers to operate. 

In the meantime, I urge all pet owners to do due diligence before engaging an animal trainer, and to ensure the methods they use will not harm your pet. One way to do this is to engage only trainers who have been certified by the animal behaviour and training organisations approved by AVS under the AVS-Accredited Certified Dog Trainer scheme.

Jaipal Singh Gill (Dr)