Humane Hierarchy & Equipment

All trainers make ethical decisions regarding which techniques they will and will not use when working with animals. The Humane Hierarchy adopted by the CCPDT is a useful guide for trainers. When well understood, the Humane Hierarchy is an excellent tool, and with regular use will not only make one a more ethical trainer, but a better trainer.

Hand in hand with the Hierarchy are the tools we use in training. If we choose to be an ethical trainer, the tools we use must be carefully considered. Many of the common training tools are aversive and fall within the last two tiers of the Hierarchy. Other tool can be quite humane and useful as both management tools and training tools.