I've been reading a lot lately on people in various stages of training their dogs (from learners to thinking about competing) so I thought I'd check out the organizations around dog training and found the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).
Vision: All dogs are effectively trained through dog-friendly techniques and therefore are lifelong companions in a relationship based on mutual trust and respect.
Mission: The mission of the APDT is to enhance the human-dog relationship by educating trainers, other animal professionals and the public and advocating dog-friendly training.
They have over 5000 members from all over the world, but mainly centered on the US. You can search the database of trainers as well as getting tips on choosing a trainer.
If you are interested in becoming a certified dog trainer, there's also some good info. If so, you might want to go to the conference coming up September 13-17, 2006 in Kansas City. They promise no hurricanes.
