How important is it to you that the community of professional dog trainers reflects the diversity of the caregivers they serve ?
All Respondents
BIPOC Respondents
The majority of survey participants from all backgrounds rated diversity in the professional dog training community as important or extremely important .
Lastly , BIPOC trainers reported that their feelings of inclusivity in face-to-face professional settings were generally of lower quality than their white peers and they were also slightly less likely to report that their training expertise was respected by their peers and clients .
RESPONSES REGARDING THE STATE AND IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY , EQUITY , AND INCLUSION Respondents of all backgrounds overwhelmingly agreed that there is a lack of diversity amongst dog trainers . Fewer than one third of all participants felt that their local dog training community reflected the diversity of the areas where they practice . Furthermore , respondents expressed the importance that the community of professional dog trainers should reflect the diversity of the population that they serve : about two thirds of all questionnaire participants responded that reflecting a diverse population was “ important ” or “ extremely important .” BIPOC respondents were even more emphatic – over 76 % of them responded this way . And , in support of the efforts of the APDT DEI Committee , more than three quarters of all survey participants voiced a willingness to continue to contribute to
future questionnaires exploring diversity , equity , and inclusion in the professional dog trainer community .
NEXT STEPS The APDT DEI survey was created in the spirit of developing an understanding of the experiences of the membership around issues of diversity , equity , and inclusion . And , if there were pain points that were revealed in the data that came from the results , they would decide the direction towards which the DEI Committee would apply efforts towards promoting inclusivity in the field . Thanks to the participation of survey respondents , it is clear that there is a need to foster access to career development and continuing education for trainers from underrepresented populations . Likewise , there is demand for commitment from APDT to strive to make professional settings welcoming to trainers of all backgrounds . Lastly , the clear support from the membership as a whole towards advancing diversity amongst dog trainers shows that DEI is more than just the cause du jour – it is a permanent and transformational element to the vision of our professional community .
The questionnaire ' s sub-questions on how easy or challenging it was for certain aspects of being a professional dog trainer , such as being able to support oneself or locate continuing education opportunities , revealed that trainers of color were about twice as likely to report difficulties locating professional education opportunities and more than 20 percent more likely to experience challenges in being able to afford educational opportunities in the field .
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Winter 2022 19