Animal Welfare Professionals

I am looking for professional feedback on public safety standards for trainers working with high-risk or aggressive dogs in public spaces.

My concern is not ordinary obedience training. My concern is public exposure work involving dogs with severe reactivity, muzzle use, bite history, ACO involvement, or poor handler control.

Should trainers working these cases in public be required to wear visible identification, follow handler-to-dog ratio limits, document incidents, and use staged exposure protocols before entering areas with other dogs and the general public?

I am developing a trauma-informed canine assessment model and would value input from shelter, ACO, veterinary, behavior, and legal professionals.

#AdmissionsandIntake(includingIntake-to-placement)
#CaseManagement*
#EducationandTraining
#FieldServicesandPublicSafety*
#LawsandPublicPolicy

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Richard Klapko
independent Forensic Investigator
Compassion in Action
CO
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This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

I'm not a behavior professional, but I would argue that the bigger issue is that dog training is an unregulated field. Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, and your average member of the general public doesn't know what certifications to look for. A legitimate, educated, professional trainer should be using reliable equipment, safe handler-to-dog ratios, and won't take a dog into public spaces until they're ready, and even then will maintain a safe distance from the general public or ask permission before allowing interactions, depending on the circumstances.