Marcia Welch Earns Pet Dog Trainer Certification

Edgecomb—Local dog trainer, Marcia Welch, CPDT, owner of Positively Best Friends of Edgecomb has earned Level I certification through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), the first national certification for dog trainers. Marcia now joins the more than 1200 Certified Pet Dog Trainers in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Japan and the Bahamas.

Up until the creation of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers in 2001, there was no true certification process for dog trainers. Many schools teach dog trainers and offer certification for their specific programs. These certificates, therefore, reflect the teachings and quality of a specific school. Other organizations offer take-home tests for “certification”. The trainers are not monitored to make sure they are completing the test without any assistance or collaboration, nor is the testing process standardized.

This unprecedented process was originally implemented by the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers), the largest association of dog trainers in the world, founded by noted veterinarian, behaviorist, and author Dr. Ian Dunbar. Early on, the APDT recognized the need for certification for its profession. Pet dog trainers needed a credible means of measuring their knowledge and skills and the dog-owning public needed a credible barometer for choosing a trainer. A task force of approximately 20 internationally known dog training professionals and behaviorists worked for three years to research and develop the comprehensive written examination. The APDT also hired Professional Testing Corporation to ensure the process met professional testing standards. It then created a separate, independent council – The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers – to manage the accreditation and pursue future development.

Candidates who pass the exam earn the title Certified Pet Dog Trainer and may use the designation, “CPDT”, after their names. All certified trainers must earn continuing education credits to maintain their designations, or take the examination again in three years.

The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers administered its first test on September 28, 2001. The most recent administration was held in various cities in the United States, as well as Singapore, Canada and Bermuda, and there will be a test in Tokyo in 2007. All test sites are professionally secured and moderated by Professional Testing Corporation of New York.