DEI SPOTLIGHT
DEI Survey Report
The term Diversity , Equity , and Inclusion ( DEI ) can be a polarizing one – for some people , it is the new catchphrase of the moment , for others it is a cause that touches all aspects of societal life . We ask ourselves : does the cause of DEI deserve the attention it gets from advocates ? Is there a need to promote equal treatment and opportunity to segments of the population ? Are certain communities underrepresented ? All these questions apply to the professional dog training community , just as they do to our society at large .
In October 2021 , a questionnaire was sent out to the APDT membership with the intent of uncovering the status of DEI amongst our professional community . The results were , in some regards , striking :
• Fewer than one third of all respondents answered that the professional dog trainer community reflected the diversity of the areas that it served .
• About two thirds of respondents felt that it was important that dog trainers represented the diverse populations of their communities .
• Even though about half of respondents felt that all dog trainers had equitable professional opportunities , the reported experiences of trainers of color versus those of trainers who identified as white differed .
• Dog trainers of color were more likely to find locating training-related education opportunities challenging or extremely challenging .
• Dog trainers of color were also much more likely to experience social discomfort in face-to-face professional situations . They reported that their peers and clients were less likely to respect their expertise and were much more likely to report that people felt surprised when they demonstrated skill in dog training .
• Few trainers of color reported having taken advantage of scholarships meant to defray the challenges of affording professional education opportunities despite the demonstrated need , and respondents from targeted populations commented that they were not aware of the existence of these scholarships .
The survey , answered by 532 APDT members , investigated dog training professionals ’ access to educational and professional opportunities , their experiences with bias on the job and amongst peers , and their perceptions regarding the importance of diversity in the dog training community .
LOCATION OF DOG TRAINING PRACTICES Respondents reported dog training practices in 14 countries : 491 of the participants were from the United States , 20 were from Canada , 3 were from Australia , 2 were from Singapore , and 1 each
were from Argentina , Denmark , Italy , Japan , Sweden , Switzerland , The Netherlands , United Arab Emirates , and the United Kingdom . Six respondents did not answer this question . Of the respondents practicing in the United States , they were distributed as shown in figure 1 .
Figure 1 : Distribution of survey respondents within the United States
SELF-IDENTIFICATION To compare the experiences of trainers of color with those who did not identify themselves as Black , Indigenous , or People of Color ( BIPOC ), respondents were asked whether they identified as Black / African American , Hispanic or Latinx , East / Southeast Asian or East / Southeast Asian American , South Asian or South Asian American , West Asian / Middle Eastern or North African , Native American or Alaska Native , Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander , or White . They could select as many options as applicable . For analysis , based on their selection , the respondents were separated into the categories “ Non-POC ,” “ POC ,” and “ Other ” ( if the response did not indicate a selection ). It was then possible to compare the responses of white and non-white self-identifying respondents ( see figure 2 ).
Figure 2 : Racial self-identification of survey respondents
COMPARISON BETWEEN EXPERIENCES OF TRAINERS OF COLOR VS . THOSE OF WHITE TRAINERS Overall , there were several areas of experience that did not differ , no matter the background of the respondent . For example , trainers generally felt that there was a great deal of demand for their services , despite finding it difficult to make a living as dog
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Winter 2022 17