Code of Ethics
The South Bay Trainers Code of Ethics provides members with a set of guidelines and goals to assist members in the ethical challenges of their work and to elevate the level of professionalism in animal training, consulting and education of the public. Additionally, South Bay Trainers will apply this Code of Ethics as a set of enforceable standards which members must agree to abide by in order to maintain membership in this group.
As a member of South Bay Trainers (SBT), I will strive to:
Educate the public on, and provide the public with, positive-based training methods.
Refrain from recommending, using, or supporting the use of harsh, forceful, painful, intimidating, compulsive, coercive and other punishment-based methods.
Treat all animals and clients with respect, taking into account their physical and psychological well-being and respecting clients’ wishes regarding the training of their animals, provided they conform to societal and legal standards of humane treatment for their pet.
Assess my own knowledge, experience and qualifications and work within my professional limits.
Refrain from representing animal training and behavioral information as scientific, unless the information is derived from legitimate research.
Provide truthful advertising and representation of my experience, education, performance of services, pricing and expected results.
Refrain from giving guarantees regarding the outcome of training, because there is no way to guarantee the cooperation and performance of all parties involved and because the knowledge of animal behavior is incomplete. This should not be confused with a desire to guarantee client satisfaction with professional services.
Respect the privacy of my clients and hold in confidence all information obtained in the course of professional services. Discretion will be used when revealing information about animals with potentially dangerous behavior.
Continue professional development by continuing my education such as reading relevant material, attending conferences, workshops, seminars, South Bay Trainer meetings, and pursuing other educational opportunities.
Be respectful of colleagues and other professionals and not falsely condemn their character or their professional acts.
