“I’ve been told nobody cares about my qualifications, so I shouldn’t talk about them. All clients care about is being able to fix their pet.”
I hear some version of this from the pet business owners I coach a lot, and every time I do, it makes me sad.
Somewhere along the way, someone has told them that owners don’t want to know which courses they’ve done or which letters come after their name, they just want the problem sorted.
So their years of study get buried at the bottom of the about page, or left off altogether.
I think the idea that nobody cares about your qualifications is rubbish, and in this post I want to explain why, and why now is a very good time to say so.
‘People want to know you can fix their pet,’ versus ‘There’s no such thing as a quick fix’
In the same breath as being told owners only want a fix, I see people ranting and raving about Graeme Hall on the telly because he goes in and fixes things.
But anyone who works with animals knows there’s no such thing as a quick fix.
We can’t have it both ways.
If we know the fix is only the bit you see on screen, and that the knowledge, training and practice never make the final show (mostly because it would go on for months), then that’s exactly why qualifications are worth talking about.
The situation with regulation and dog training in the UK in 2026
Back in 2024, I recorded this podcast episode asking whether qualifications matter as a pet professional.
At the time, much of the pet industry was unregulated, which meant anyone could set up as a dog trainer or behaviourist without a single qualification. That’s still the case, but things are starting to change.
In September 2026, the Responsible Dog Ownership Taskforce, an independent group set up by Defra, published its report.
One recommendation is that the government explore options for regulating dog trainers and behaviourists.
The report acknowledges that, as things stand, anyone can call themselves a dog trainer or behaviourist, regardless of qualifications or experience.
The ABTC, the Animal Behaviour and Training Council, which sat on the taskforce, posted this on Instagram.
“The Taskforce recognises the potential value of UKAS-accredited organisations within a future regulatory framework and identifies the ABTC’s approach as worthy of further consideration.
“The ABTC already have a professional system designed to assess competence, provide accountability, and promote good practice.
“Professional competence involves more than theoretical knowledge.
“ABTC-recognised practitioners are required to demonstrate practical skills, supported by education, assessment and ongoing CPD.
Our approach is founded on science-led, compassionate, non-punitive methods, with animal welfare at its core.”
Read the full post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd8l9XYlHi1/
It’s a recommendation to explore options rather than regulation, and there’s a long way to go. But I don’t think a government taskforce spends its time on things nobody cares about.
So, do pet owners care about qualifications?
When I hear that nobody cares, my first question is: ‘Who’s nobody?’
The people who come to me care. The taskforce cares.
And I’d imagine plenty of owners lying awake worrying about their dog care very much whether the person they’re about to trust has been properly trained, and whether that person answers to anyone if things go wrong.
We have a huge responsibility for the animals in our care, and I think if you’ve gone and got qualifications, it’s because you recognise that.
Whether they’re dogs, cats, horses or guinea pigs, these are precious members of the family.
We wouldn’t take our child to a dentist who wasn’t qualified, so why would we hand over another living being to someone who hadn’t had any formal training?
Yes, there might be some people who don’t care, in the same way there are people who hire builders with no qualifications and no reviews.
But we certainly can’t say that nobody cares, when people look for qualified, accredited professionals in just about every other area of their lives.
Do you want to work with clients who care about this?
It’s also worth asking yourself which clients you want to work with.
The ones looking for the cheapest option, who never ask about your training, or the ones who want the reassurance of someone who’s committed to learning?
So if you’re a qualified and accredited pet professional, please don’t hide it away.
People might tell you nobody cares, but tell me now that nobody has ever asked you whether you’re qualified, or whether you’re accredited with anyone?
If you can say that, hand on heart, then fair enough. I just don’t believe it’s true for most people.
How to talk about your qualifications
Talking about your qualifications isn’t about adding ABTC to the end of every post or turning your website into a list of acronyms.
You can talk about what you learned as part of your studies, and go in with that, through the stories of the animals you’ve helped.
So instead of “I’m a qualified behaviourist”, it might be something like this, with your own details filled in:
Patch used to eat chunks out of the sofa every time his human left the house, because his separation anxiety was so bad.
We worked together on [what you did], and [what changed].
Now Patch is happy and settled on his own, and his human can go to work knowing that [what it means for her].
One of the techniques we used was [X], which I learned as part of my accreditation with [Y].
The qualification is still there, and it’s part of the story, as the reason Patch got better.
That’s what the owner reading cares about, and it’s what makes them think, “That’s who I want for my dog.”
Why I decided to become an accredited coach
Being qualified is something I feel strongly about and I have my own experience of working as a coach without formal qualifications.
I was coaching people on how to get press coverage, and I am an NCTJ-trained and qualified journalist, so I can speak on the topic and have worked in the industry since 1999.
A few years into my business, I realised that despite calling myself a coach, I wasn’t formally qualified, and that bothered me.
I wanted to know I had the knowledge to support my clients, particularly when it came to mindset and emotional support, so I went and got my ILM Level 5 and 7 qualifications in coaching and mentoring.
I’ve also trained this year as an Emotions Coaching Practitioner.
It’s given me confidence, and I’ve had clients come to me because of it, and because I speak out on this and say I do think qualifications matter.
Why qualifications matter if you want to be in the press
With my journalist hat on, if you want to be featured in the press as an expert, any decent journalist will want to know you’re qualified to comment.
And if a brand is looking for an in-house expert to quote, they’ll ask about your credentials and experience.
Conclusion
You can probably tell this is a topic I feel quite strongly about, and I know there are a lot of brilliant pet pros out there doing great work who haven’t been through formal training.
I don’t want this to sound like I’m knocking them, I’m not. The pet pros I am speaking for here are the ones who feel they should hide away their credentials.
Because this taskforce is evidence that times are changing. So please share those badges you worked so hard for, and if you’d like some support with this, I’d love to chat.
We can work together in my membership, The Planner Club, or via 1-1 coaching if you prefer. Head to the contact page here to find out more.
Further reading/listening
Do qualifications matter as a pet professional?
Why I am an accredited pet business coach
What is The Planner Club and should you join?
9 things dog trainers need to know about dealing with journalists
Why I trained as an accredited coach and what this means for your business
