Due to the lack of a central authority to regulate animal trainers and behaviourists the standard of advertising used by course providers and organisations claiming to represent people doing the job is in many cases quite appalling. Anyone approaching the industry would be well advised to keep their eyes open to the frequent misleading and unsubstantiated claims they will be faced with by those whose aim is ultimately to relieve the unsuspecting individual of their money.

Looking back through my earlier blogs you will see that I have written about underhand marketing in various forms before but with an ever growing number of membership organisations and course providers it has become more and more apparent that complying with advertising standards is really not on the agenda for many.

The latest trend is to offer a pathway to become a certified trainer or behaviourist, it sounds grand and the unsuspecting researcher might be forgiven for feeling that being certified adds an air of authenticity or superiority to the role. The truth is the addition of that one word is meaningless and of no value whatsoever because there are no accredited certification schemes in existence. There is the possibility of one becoming available by the end of 2024 but it is doubtful that anyone offering certified status now will qualify to be a part of it.

Another type of misleading advertising is known as using subjective language, where unsubstantiated claims are made such, ‘we only use the very best instructors’ or ‘our members include world leading practitioners’. As there are no league tables of competence or any way of objectively measuring how good such people are at their jobs these are also misleading statements that are there solely for the purpose of trying to convince the reader they are associated with the upper echelons of the industry and you could be too if you spend your money here.

A common ploy that many fall for is the promise of post nominals (letters) to put after your name on completion of a course. The uninitiated often feel that this too adds value to their investment when the truth is they are also of no value at all. If anything they advertise to future customers that the individual has studied with someone who is prepared to use underhand methods as part of their marketing strategy. These letters are invented by the provider of the course and do not appear on any register of qualifications anywhere and are therefore worthless.

Claiming (or inferring) a relationship with auspicious organisations such as the government, the forces or high profile animal charities and in some cases even illustrating the point with images or logos that there is no permission to use is another bad practice. The aim is to enhance the perceived stature of the organisation in the eyes of the reader when the reality is that any such link is often highly tenuous and of little or no consequence at all.

In these times of financial stress it is all the more important that people have all the facts before they part with their hard earned cash and that they have a chance of getting value for money. The good news is that the situation is not all bad, ABTC has set standards for advertising that all its member organisations must adhere to. It also sets the highest standards for qualifications and assessments for the trainers and behaviourists that appear on its registers. At least here there is a good chance of getting quality advice before making what could be a substantial investment.