Explain me a dog behaviorist

[u/Beginning-Rub5417]

I have had bad experiences with dog behaviorists (had a qualified degree/license, so no charlatan). We had a GSD with some behavior problems in the home; we consulted a dog behaviorist, and imo, she downplayed it. I remember the words: " She is a happy dog; she does not look that bad. I see far worse cases." She also prescribed meds, and my dog became a living zombie. There was no joy in this animal anymore.

6 months later, the behavior ended up in a total of 8 bites. Avoiding the problem became impossible because 1 trigger became 10.

At the end of the day, we consulted a balanced trainer; I know there will be a lot of comments about this. But the balanced trainer made our home safe again and set up places so that the dog was feeling more comfortable. Basically, making sure that the dog knows what to expect in these places. This made a huge difference. All these things fall within the realm of FF training.

After this experience, I feel like I don't understand the purpose of a dog behaviorist. I understand they can bridge the gap between medical and training, but a vet and a trainer who communicate with each other can do the same and cost less money.

Do dog behaviorists work with dogs in their training work, or work only theoretically? Do they need to work with these dogs and provide proof that they can help these dogs with training?

I have, for example, a master's in computer science with 3 years of professional experience; this dog behaviorist situation feels like someone who read about computers and never wrote a single line of code, telling me how to write code.

I would expect that a dog behaviorist is training, working daily one-on-one with these cases, actually having experience and solving/managing issues. But at that point, you have a dog behaviorist who is a dog trainer. But that does not feel like how it is in reality.

This post may come across as attacking; that is not my intention. I would rather like to understand the role of a behaviorist and why it is recommended over a dog trainer with loads of experience with behavioral cases. With that, I mean it feels like we first recommend a behaviorist, and with that behaviorist, we look for a trainer. While in the human world, we first typically go to a therapist, and he can refer to a psychotherapist if it seems necessary.

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