🚨 IACP Member Alert: Oppose NY Senate Bill S.7723 / Assembly Bill A.6985

Date: August 5, 2025
Audience: All IACP Members – Especially New York State Residents

📜 What’s Happening

New York State lawmakers have introduced legislation — Senate Bill S.7723 and companion Assembly Bill A.6985 — that would establish mandatory licensing requirements for individuals providing basic obedience training to pet dogs.

These bills direct the Department of Agriculture and Markets to create licensing standards that exclusively endorse “non-aversive, evidence-based, positive reinforcement” training methods and prohibit others.

As a leading organization of professional dog trainers and canine behavior experts, the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) does not support licensure or regulatory schemes for the dog training profession.

❌ Why the IACP Opposes This Legislation

1. Licensure Limits Owner Choice

This bill would restrict the type of training methods available to dog owners, removing their ability to choose a professional whose approach aligns with their needs and values. It would penalize effective, humane, and balanced training methods that are widely used and supported by decades of real-world application.

2. “One-Size-Fits-All” Approach

Mandating that only one methodology — positive reinforcement — is acceptable excludes legitimate tools and techniques used by balanced and multi-modal trainers. This approach is not appropriate for every dog or every behavioral issue, and may jeopardize the success of rehabilitation cases or complex behavior modification programs.

3. Government Overreach Into a Profession Without Defined Standards

Dog training is an unlicensed, results-driven profession. There is no scientific or legal consensus around what qualifies someone as a “trainer” or which methods are most effective across all cases. Imposing government-defined criteria creates unnecessary bureaucracy without addressing actual public safety or animal welfare concerns.

4. Harmful Precedent for Other States

If New York enacts this licensing framework, it could pave the way for similar restrictive legislation across the country — legislation that often lacks input from working trainers, behaviorists, and those who handle dogs professionally every day.

🗣 What You Can Do

📨 1. Contact Your State Legislators

Let your Senator and Assemblymember know you oppose S.7723 and A.6985. Urge them to reject unnecessary regulation that would eliminate consumer choice and harm the training profession.

We recommend focusing your message on:

• Preserving access to a variety of effective training methodologies
• Opposing government control over an unlicensed industry
• Promoting ethical accountability through professional organizations — not bureaucratic licensing

➡️ Find your New York State legislators here

📣 2. Speak Out Professionally

• Share this alert with your clients, colleagues, and training networks.
• Prepare respectful and informed responses that highlight your expertise and real-world success with balanced methods.
• Let the public know how this bill could harm the very dogs it aims to protect.

🤝 3. Support the IACP Legislative Mission

The IACP’s Legislative Committee is working to educate lawmakers and regulators on the value of professional self-governance and voluntary certification. We support ethical standards, continuing education, and accountability — without government mandates that exclude entire methodologies.

🧭 Our Position

The IACP stands firmly against the licensing and regulation of dog trainers by state governments.
We advocate for educational freedom, methodological diversity, and owner choice, while supporting professional development and ethical standards through voluntary associations.

📬 Questions or Media Inquiries?

Contact the IACP Legislative Committee at:
📧 [email protected]
📞 Or reply to this alert with your questions or concerns.