24/01/2026
I saw this funny post this morning on a page I follow, and it did get me thinking the sad truth Facebook these days is absolutely brimming with experts.
Glossy pages, polished branding, sponsors in the bio, and opinions delivered with great volume and confidence, and the masses follow
They’re vocal. Constantly visible. Always ready with advice, and an opinion,
But once you look past the smoke and mirrors, a reasonable question remains-
what actually qualifies them?
Not follower counts
Not engagement metrics
Not how passionately something is stated or how often it’s repeated
And certainly Not condemning their perceived competitors
Real expertise and worthy experience is built on doing, on outcomes, not just saying you do, results, experience, and accountability.
Achievements in the very areas someone claims authority in genuinely matter, ask to see the proof, do your homework.
Time spent in the trenches matters, and should matter to you.
Mistakes learned from matter. Proven work matters.
And beyond the titles and the talk, there’s another question worth asking if we are talking trainers “are they truly what they proclaim to be?”
Or is how they are with their dogs when the cameras aren’t rolling, when the show isn’t on the road, when no one is watching, are they then something altogether different?
What do their dogs silently tell you, the stoic nature, the averted gaze, the learnt helplessness.
or are they happy and relaxed? Comfortable in their company?
It’s also worth remembering that offering a service does not automatically mean the ability to deliver it, once you drop your dog off to a trainer do you really know what’s happening? And are you interested?
How they are being treated, do you care?
What training methods are used, or are you happy with results at any cost?
Naivety is not an excuse
A price list, a booking link, or a branded page is not proof of skill. Provision is not proficiency.
Because opinion, no matter how loudly broadcast, does not automatically become fact. Confidence is not competence. Performance is not character.
The irony of course, is that those with the deepest knowledge are often the quietest. They’re busy working, refining, questioning, and producing results rather than performing expertise for an audience.
Experience doesn’t need to shout.
Competence doesn’t need a ring light.
And genuine results don’t require sponsorship tags.
So before taking advice at face value, it’s worth pausing to ask-
What have they actually achieved?
Where is the evidence?
What stands behind the words and what happens when no one is looking?
As the old saying goes
“Empty barrels make the most noise.”
Choose who you pay to listen to wisely.
