Maryland residents, Frank Petracci, founded the first Maryland dog owners training club in 1995. Today, there are more than one hundred dog training clubs in the state of Maryland. Of those, nearly a dozen are “neighborhood” or community-based organizations that focus on specific interests or problem areas in the region. They also work with other nonprofit organizations and the communities to help pet owners, and dog training experts, teach basic dog obedience skills, including effective communication and behaviour training. Here are some of the Maryland dog training tips that have been learned by the members of these Maryland dog training clubs:
o Establish the Club: To become a Maryland dog owners training club, you need at least ten members. Once you have ten members, you can then apply for certification. The certificate will come from the Maryland SPCA, and it is valid for up to three years. The certificate provides an individual with the necessary knowledge to assess his dog’s behaviour and to ensure that he meets the criteria set out by the Maryland Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MCA).
o Review the Code of Ethics: Maryland has many nonprofits dedicated to animal welfare and awareness. You may want to join a Maryland dog owners training club that is associated with one or more of these nonprofit organizations. When a club applies for certification, it must display a current and accurate list of current charitable organisations with which they are affiliated. If they do not, they are not certified by the BBB. There are currently four BBB-accredited dog training clubs in Maryland.
o Comply with Audits: In order to gain membership to the Maryland dog owners training club, you will need to submit to and complete an audit. The audit consists of a questionnaire that solicits a variety of constituent feedback regarding the club’s performance as well as its relationship with other nonprofit organizations. The questionnaire is broken down into two main areas: first, feedback regarding service and program development; second, feedback regarding effectiveness in handling conflicts; and third, feedback regarding the organization’s overall infrastructure development. The result of the audit will provide the club with a report outlining the results of the audit and will ultimately serve as the basis for the board’s recommendation if the club is granted certification.
o Cease Activities: At the conclusion of the audit, the Maryland SPCA will determine if the dog owner’s training club in Maryland is in fact in need of certification. The Cease Activity report contains the following data: the number of complaints received; the number of unresolved conflicts handled; and the number of unresolved license renewals or terminations. The Cease Activity score provides the club with an indication of its effectiveness in dealing with current problems. The score is primarily based on the number of unresolved conflicts handled, but can also take into consideration the number of pending license renewals and license terminations.
o No Score: As mentioned above, the absence of a Cease Activity score does not indicate a negative or positive assessment. However, the absence of a Cease Activity score may indicate that the board lacks the required expertise to make important decisions regarding the future of the club. For example, the absence of a Cease Activity score might indicate that the board members currently lack the specialized knowledge to effectively manage a dog training club. The score provides the dog owners an opportunity to apply for professional assistance if they believe that their dog training club is in need of special management.
o Number of Clubs: As previously noted, the absence of a Cease Activity score doesn’t mean that the board members lack the required expertise to manage a dog training club. The data available does indicate that there is a low percentage of dog owners currently enrolled in dog training clubs. This means that there are opportunities to increase this number significantly if the dog training club can demonstrate that it meets its own standards. The data available also indicates that the dog training clubs that are currently evaluated have a total revenue of about $500 thousand dollars.
While the data available does not provide a clear picture of how each club would perform based on current standards and measures, it does indicate that the dog training clubs that currently have a membership meet many of the same standards as larger dog training organizations. It is also important to note that a large number of dog training clubs are supported by national organizations like the Dog Whisperer’s Association. The Dog Whisperer’s Association is a voluntary organization that exists to support dog owners throughout the nation. Many of these organizations have formal policies regarding the quality of dog training and the performance of dog trainers.
