With so many people involved in the field of professional dog training today, trying to determine who's truly qualified can be a difficult task. Your dog is a member of your family so you should make enquiries as to whom you will entrust your pet. Remember that the wrong person or techniques can have damaging consequences for your relationship with your pet.
However, a good trainer will be able to enhance the bond between you and your dog.

There is a difference between competition obedience and pet training, although they share similarities. I have worked with clients who have had a good competition dog with excellent recall if it was started in the correct position ie. a sit. However it would not return if called from the garden or any other position. This was because it was trained for competition work only. Generalisation of training is important and should be explained by a good trainer, as should other important areas of learning theory.

Class or individual training? If you can afford the time and cost, then personal tuition over a graded programme is ideal. The combination of personal attention to address specific training issues means training problems can be more quickly resolved and any potential behavioural problems prevented. Once the basics commands have been learnt then you can graduate to a class situation, where the other dogs can act as a ready-made distraction for your dog