May 18, 2026, 11:17 am | Read time: 6 minutes
How reliable are dog trainers and “academies” that are present on social media? Torsten Bencke, a dog trainer from Hamburg, was a trainer for protection dogs for more than fourteen years. Today, he trains private dogs–including numerous hunting and guide dogs, as well as the terrier owned by PETBOOK author Nina Ponath. In the interview, he talks about dog trainers on Instagram and why every dog needs an individual learning method.
“On Social Media, Everything Always Looks Easy”
PETBOOK: Torsten, when I open Instagram, I see trainers walking 20 dogs at once or taming every aggressive dog with just a treat. You come from service dog training. When you see that–what goes through your mind?
Torsten Bencke: “Honestly? I’m sometimes completely stunned. It’s a lot of self-promotion. As a user, you shouldn’t believe everything you see. Many trainers show their own dog, which is easily 14 years old or older–of course, that dog doesn’t act up anymore. Or they work with functioning, established packs. Everything works with such dogs, but that’s not always the case.”
When Treats Suddenly Become the Solution for Everything
Do you have a specific example?
“I recently saw a post: A trainer was attacked by a dog in front of her car because she wanted to get him into the car. She then clearly set boundaries–without violence, of course, but she physically showed that it wasn’t going any further. A discussion then arose below. It felt like every hobby dog trainer, without even having a training certificate, voiced their opinion–saying you could have approached it with a treat. Or: ‘Then the dog just shouldn’t get in the car!’
I just think: ‘Yeah, right.’ As if that’s the solution–to take in a dog and, because he attacks you, just stop driving. That’s when I first noticed how oversimplified such discussions are. Everything is kept very general: give a treat, change direction when the dog pulls–there’s very little focus on breed-specific things and the individual history of the dogs. A dog from a shelter that hasn’t learned ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ until adulthood has completely different needs.”
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A Dog Trainer in a Year? Reality Often Looks Different
How does one actually become a dog trainer? What is the training path, and is there a protected job title?
“The title is still not protected; however, there is something like the classic path. For that, you turn to a certified institute. In Hamburg, for example, it’s ‘Ziemer und Falke.’ They work closely with the Hamburg Veterinary Office. I believe the ILS (Institute for Learning Systems) now also offers training through distance learning. Then there are crash courses–but they are hardly recognized. They only last three or four weekends.
The office has now recognized that they aren’t worth much. Therefore, you have to prove training that lasts about a year and additionally complete 60 to 80 practical hours with a verified dog trainer. This means you can do training, but without the subsequent practical hours working with a dog trainer, you don’t receive the so-called Paragraph 11 certificate. However, you need that to work with animals.”
“Many Don’t Know They Have to Complete Practical Hours”
And you officially need this certificate?
“Yes. Many trainers active on social media don’t have it, though. Some trainers in training don’t even know they have to complete such practical hours because it’s not properly communicated by the schools. They just say beforehand: ‘Become a dog trainer in a year.’ I recently had a client who got a training certificate and was then quite surprised when she had to prove additional practical hours. Sometimes it’s also difficult to find a trainer willing to take you along and let you work with their clients.”
Would you take someone who wants to become a dog trainer?
“Of course, I’ve done that before. A former client had such a talent–I told her: ‘You have to quit your job and become a dog trainer.’ She accompanied me for almost six weeks straight during her training. Afterwards, I issued her a certificate stating that she interned with me, didn’t actively intervene, and is characteristically suitable. In classic private training, that’s rather rare. A dog school is better suited for that.”
How big do you think the problem of lack of qualification is?
“On one hand, you want to limit how many dogs there are–at the same time, there are de facto more and more. There are fewer and fewer dog walking areas, and in Hamburg, there’s a leash requirement unless you have an exemption through a passed test. For that, you naturally also need trainers.”
How to Recognize Good Dog Trainers
When you search online for dog trainers, you first find a lot on YouTube and Instagram. How can I tell if such social media trainers are really competent?
“If a trainer only ever shows the ideal case–if everything works perfectly with their dog–then I’d be more suspicious. Watching measures online often falls short because you can’t individually address the dog. Of course, you don’t have to show a ‘best of negative’ on social media–but a bit of reality would be useful.”
What would you specifically advise dog owners when looking for a good trainer?
“It’s important that the trainer focuses on the dog’s character and breed. You can’t train an Australian Shepherd or Border Collie the same way as a pointing dog, like a Vizsla or Weimaraner. The breeds make a difference.
Especially today, when many dogs come from shelters, trainers need to be flexible. They should ask about breed and origin–and especially where you want to go. What should work in everyday life?”
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“There Are YouTube Trainers Who Work with Guilt”
What do you think is particularly important?
“Very important: A trainer shouldn’t make you feel guilty. Recently, I had a client with an eight-month-old Kromfohrländer who was doing agility with him. The dog was already in full teenage mode and dealing with completely different things. As a trainer, you should have told her: ‘Come back in two years–then the dog will be out of the peak of his puberty.’
There are also these YouTube trainers who work with guilt: ‘You call your dog and he doesn’t come? He’s not the problem–you are.’ Everyone who has done recall training knows that. It’s not a personal failure. That’s life–you don’t always do everything right. It’s not all black and white. If you’re really unsure, you can ask the veterinary office about trainers.”
“There Is No One-Size-Fits-All Solution”
You come from protection dog training. That sounds like a tough school. Why did you switch to the private sector?
“Protection dog training eventually became too monotonous for me. I wanted to work with other breeds, not just protection dog breeds.”
What is the most important principle in dog training for you today?
“That there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Every dog is different, every story is different–and that’s exactly how you should train.”