An Explanation of APDT Membership Levels

You will notice when going through APDT's Trainer Search Directory that there are three separate categories of APDT membership. These are:

• Professional
• Full
• Associate

Professional members are members who are part- or full-time dog trainers, animal behaviorists, and others who work in fields related to dog training who are certified by certain associations that the APDT Certification Review Board has determined to fit the criteria for a professional member. While there are many different certifications that can be found in the dog training world, only a few meet the prescribed criteria for APDT Professional memberships. Certifications which qualify are those where:

• The certifying organization must be independent with no ties to schools or academies.
• The certification must require a test or procedure to measure experience, skill level and knowledge.
• The certification must pertain to dog training.
• The certification must require continuing education in the form of continuing education units (CEUs).

The certifications that meet this criteria and allow a member to be eligible for Professional membership are:

• ACAAB (Animal Behavior Society)
• CPDT-KA (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers)
• CDBC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants)
• CAAB (Animal Behavior Society)
• CABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants)
• CCAB (Association for the Study of Animal Behavior)
• DACVB (American College of Veterinary Behaviorists)

Full Members are members who are part- or full-time dog trainers, animal behaviorists, and others who work in fields related to dog training. They may have certifications from schools or other programs but these do not meet the current criteria for Professional Membership.

Associate Members are members who have an interest in the field of dog training, e.g., suppliers of goods and services, shelter/rescue staff/volunteers, dog training apprentices, students, and members of related professions (e.g., groomers, pet sitters, board and kennel workers).

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