Dog Trainers' Methods are Linked to Views on Vet Referrals, Studies Show
It turns out that some dog trainers are more willing than others to suggest referrals to a veterinarian.
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| Photo: Danielle W Press |
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For dog trainers and behaviourists, there are times when a vet referral is helpful or even essential for dog behaviour issues. But some types of trainers are more likely to suggest a vet visit than others, according to two studies. They show that trainers who use out-dated aversive methods are less likely to suggest referrals to a vet than those who use reward-based methods.
But first, it’s important to know why vet referrals may be advisable. One reason is that pain and other medical issues can play a role in behaviour cases, something that we are increasingly aware of (Mills et al, 2020). Any time you notice a sudden change in your pet’s behaviour, it’s important to see your vet to check for medical issues. Another reason is that in some cases of fear and anxiety, the veterinarian may recommend the use of psychoactive medication, often to be used alongside behaviour modification and environmental management.
But two studies suggest that some dog trainers won’t make the recommendation to see a veterinarian.
Australian dog trainers, separation anxiety, and veterinary referrals
Separation-related behaviors such as whining, barking, destruction, and house soiling (when the dog is already house trained) affect many dogs. A survey in Australia looked at dog trainers’ views of separation anxiety and compared the opinions of trainers who use reward-based methods with “balanced” trainers who use aversives (Hunter et al 2020).
The results show that reward-based trainers are more likely than balanced trainers to refer their client to a veterinarian for separation anxiety:
- 72.5% of reward-based trainers said that they “always refer [to a vet] when necessary” compared to 36.4% of balanced trainers.
- Only 4.9% of reward-based trainers said that “medication [is] rarely necessary in the cases I see” compared to 50% of balanced trainers
- Reward-based trainers were significantly more likely than balanced trainers to say that referral for medication was an important factor in managing separation anxiety
- Reward-based trainers were significantly more likely than balanced trainers to say that assistance from a veterinary behaviourist or behaviourist and the owner’s willingness to try medication were important factors in the success of dealing with separation anxiety cases
In fact, psychoactive medications are a standard part of the treatment protocol for separation anxiety, alongside management (not leaving the dog alone for longer than they can handle) and behavioural strategies (desensitization to alone time).
The authors write that,
“It is therefore concerning that a number of trainers in this study felt confident to decide that medication was not indicated. This highlights two points: firstly, the importance of ongoing education for trainers on the potential for an affective basis for behaviour problems; and secondly, the need to encourage collaborative care between trainers, veterinarians, and other qualified animal behaviour professionals to most effectively support the dog and owner.”
63 dog trainers completed the survey, of whom 41 were classed as reward-based and 22 as balanced. Interestingly, more of the reward-based trainers had completed a tertiary or vocational educational program (95.1%) compared to the balanced trainers (63.6%).
This was a small study, but it prompted another set of researchers to include questions about veterinary referrals in their research.
Canadian dog trainers and veterinary referrals
A study published in Animals looks at the education and views of dog trainers across Canada (Cavalli and Fenwick, 2025). While I already reported on this research, it’s worth looking in more detail at the findings regarding referrals to veterinarians.
As part of the survey of more than 700 dog trainers in Canada, they asked about whether trainers would refer to a veterinarian. Overall, 71.95% of respondents said they were likely to recommend a vet consult.
As you can see from the table below, trainers were less likely than expected to recommend a vet consult if they said the words “balanced”, “obedience”, and/or “pack leader” described their training methods, if they were opposed to the regulation of dog trainers, or if they were in the province of Ontario.
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| Reproduced from Cavalli and Fenwick (20205) under Creative Commons licence |
Trainers were more likely than expected to recommend a vet consult if they were in favour of regulation or lived in Alberta. And trainers were less likely to not recommend a vet consult (note the double negative!) if they said the words “science-based” and/or “force free” described their training methods.
The paper notes that some trainers took the time to write comments saying either that they often require their clients to have a vet consult prior to working with them or that they would only suggest their clients see a veterinarian as a “last resort.”
Another issue identified in this study is to do with the kinds of recommendations that some trainers make in behaviour cases. Some trainers recommended non-training products or services to their clients, of which the most common were pheromones (21.95%), massage therapy (17.56%), a calming diet (17.28%), a raw diet (16.85%), Tellington Touch (16.71%), cannabis products (15.15%), and acupuncture (11.47%).
Cavalli and Fenwick write that,
“Survey responses in this research indicated that a minority of professional dog trainers may lack clarity regarding the scope of practice for trainers, as some of the non-training services or products they may recommend to clients fall under the areas of authorized practice for licensed veterinarians.”
In particular, the authors point out that cannabis cannot be recommended by veterinarians in Canada (and therefore not by dog trainers either). It's not known if certain trainers were more or less likely to make non-training recommendations.
Dog guardians' views on psychoactive medication for dogs
Given that no education is required to work as a dog trainer, it is perhaps not surprising that views on veterinary referrals and medications varied in these studies, because the same is true of the general public’s views of psychoactive medication for dogs (van Haaften et al, 2020). This research shows that people’s own experiences of psychoactive medication can influence how they feel about its use for anxious dogs, and also that people want to know there is scientific evidence for any treatment given to their dogs.
When I wrote about this research for Psych Today, Dr. Karen van Haaften, first author of the study, told me,
“This study shows that behavior problems in dogs are very common, and that most dog owners are open to treatment plans that include the use of anxiety-reducing medications. Owners bring a variety of preconceptions to conversations about anxiety-reducing medications and alternatives, and are also affected by their own previous experience. The authors found it reassuring that dog owners considered scientific evidence of efficacy and recommendation by a veterinarian as the two most important decision-making factors."
Of course, other issues are also likely at play in making decisions about vet referrals, including low levels of education amongst “balanced” dog trainers.
How many dogs are on these meds?
In fact, very few dogs on are behavior medications. A new JAVMA paper looks at the records of more than 32 million American dogs between 2010 and 2020 and found that 0.03% were prescribed clomipramine, 0.02% were prescribed fluoxetine, and 1.33% were prescribed trazodone (Weng et al 2025). Clomipramine and fluoxetine prescriptions remained steady over the ten years of the study, while trazodone prescriptions have increased.
These numbers are especially low when you consider how many dogs have some kind of fear or anxiety.
Medication can also be used to help dogs and cats who are fearful, anxious, or stressed at the vet, as Dr. Adrian Walton explains in the video below (this part of the discussion starts at 16.22).
It’s also hard to judge how many dogs have pain or other medical issues that are the cause of or are contributing to behaviour issues, but it seems to be much higher than previously thought (Mills et al, 2020).
More research is needed on the relationships between dog trainers and veterinarians and how they can work together.
It’s a case of dog owner beware
Dog trainers and animal behaviourists are not veterinarians, so they cannot recommend medications for your pet (and to be clear, I’m not a vet either!). But they should be willing to suggest that a client see their vet if needed. If pets are not getting needed medical treatment, that’s a serious issue.
Dog training is not regulated, so it’s important for people to choose dog trainers with care and make sure they only hire a trainer who will use reward-based methods.
If you’re not sure if your dog needs to see a veterinarian or not, the best way to find out is to see your vet.
If you want to learn more about fear and anxiety in dogs, check out my book Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. I spoke to several veterinary behaviourists about the role of pain in behaviour and about the use of psychoactive meds, and you will find them quoted in the book.
References
Cavalli, C., & Fenwick, N. (2025). A Survey of the Professional Characteristics and Views of Dog Trainers in Canada. Animals, 15(9), 1255.
Hunter, T., van Rooy, D., McArthur, M., Bennett, S., Tuke, J., & Hazel, S. (2020). Mental health disease or preventable problem? Australian dog trainers’ opinions about canine separation anxiety differ with training style. Animals, 10(8), 1393.
Mills, D. S., Demontigny-Bédard, I., Gruen, M., Klinck, M. P., McPeake, K. J., Barcelos, A. M., Hewison, L., Van Haevermaet, H., Denenberg, S., Hauser, H., Koch, C., Ballantyne, K., Wilson, C., Mathkari, V.C., Pounder, J., Garcia, E., Darder, P., Fatjó, J. & Levine, E. (2020). Pain and problem behavior in cats and dogs. Animals, 10(2), 318.
van Haaften, K. A., Grigg, E. K., Kolus, C., Hart, L., & Kogan, L. R. (2020). A survey of dog owners’ perceptions on the use of psychoactive medications and alternatives for the treatment of canine behavior problems. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 35, 27-33.
Weng, H. Y., Morrison, J. A., Topdjian, K., & Ogata, N. (2025). Real-world data on behavioral practices for dogs in primary care veterinary hospitals in the United States (2010–2020). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1(aop), 1-7.
