Becoming a dog behaviourist
Discussion
The very scary thing is - anyone can call themselves a trainer and/or a behaviourist. There are the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, both of which require minimum qualifications I think to join.
There are several courses you could do - however (as in all things) some are better than others. Some are just a pile of pants. I would steer clear of anything labelled whisperer/listener.
I am currently undertaking a Foundation Degree in Canine Behaviour and Training at Bishop Burton. Having been involved with dogs for long enough and seen what appauling advice/training can do to a dog (ie anything that remotely mentions 'dominance', 'pack leadership', etc) I have researched thoroughly. This course is thorough and well thought of. I am not aware of any other universities that run such a course, although Southampton used to.
COAPE and Compass are another two organisations which run courses and are good, but my opinion is that nothing beats the Bishop Burton one.
ETA: There is a page on the APBC website about becoming a behaviourist here: http://www.apbc.org.uk/info/careers An excerpt:
[i]To become a pet behaviour counsellor, you will need an academic knowledge of the theory of behaviour and solutions to problems, practical handling skills and experience, and an empathy with, and an ability to communicate and motivate owners. The ability to run a professional, financially sound and accountable practice is also essential.
There is no single recognised route for study, but there are an increasing number of courses related to pet behaviour counselling on offer. A degree in behavioural studies, veterinary medicine, psychology, or one of the biological sciences can provide the best background. There are also degree courses run specifically on animal behaviour. It is also advisable to read as widely as possible and attend as many lectures given by APBC members and other specialist in the field of animal behaviour as you can.[/i]
So - pretty much what the Bishop Burton degree will give you, which is why I chose it.
There are several courses you could do - however (as in all things) some are better than others. Some are just a pile of pants. I would steer clear of anything labelled whisperer/listener.
I am currently undertaking a Foundation Degree in Canine Behaviour and Training at Bishop Burton. Having been involved with dogs for long enough and seen what appauling advice/training can do to a dog (ie anything that remotely mentions 'dominance', 'pack leadership', etc) I have researched thoroughly. This course is thorough and well thought of. I am not aware of any other universities that run such a course, although Southampton used to.
COAPE and Compass are another two organisations which run courses and are good, but my opinion is that nothing beats the Bishop Burton one.
ETA: There is a page on the APBC website about becoming a behaviourist here: http://www.apbc.org.uk/info/careers An excerpt:
[i]To become a pet behaviour counsellor, you will need an academic knowledge of the theory of behaviour and solutions to problems, practical handling skills and experience, and an empathy with, and an ability to communicate and motivate owners. The ability to run a professional, financially sound and accountable practice is also essential.
There is no single recognised route for study, but there are an increasing number of courses related to pet behaviour counselling on offer. A degree in behavioural studies, veterinary medicine, psychology, or one of the biological sciences can provide the best background. There are also degree courses run specifically on animal behaviour. It is also advisable to read as widely as possible and attend as many lectures given by APBC members and other specialist in the field of animal behaviour as you can.[/i]
So - pretty much what the Bishop Burton degree will give you, which is why I chose it.
Pants. Why won't the italics work?
Edited by Mrs Grumpy on Thursday 4th November 15:44
Thats brilliant thank you - I'll look into it. Like you say, I'm certainly not interested in anything that promotes old fashioned 'you must be the pack leader, show it whos boss etc' methods. Don't believe in whispering/crystals either so trying to find a balance! I just adore dogs, and am a true believer in problem (or perhaps thats a bad choice of word, maybe uneducated or misguided) owners not problem dogs! I don't think I would want to do it as a full time job, would just love to learn more about it and maybe be able to help a few friends and family or even a charity.
A long time lurker here but your post has prompted me to sign up.
As Mrs Grumpy has said there are some terribly mis-guided dog behaviourists out there including a franchise whose behaviourists would put a double glazing salesman to shame when it comes to the hard sell and then offered utterly terrible advice and didnt deal with any of the actual issues. I had adopted a rescue dog and sought help with the behaviour issues he came with.
I did however encounter an amazing guy called Damien Isaak who has a Doctorate in Canine Psychology. I'm not in anyway affiliated to him nor even a customer anymore due to a house move but can say without doubt he is excellent at his job.
The reason for my post really was to point you in his direction, his email address is info@petsgo.co.uk as his main living is earned through dog walking and boarding (he is so popular he has a waiting list for these services) and they subsidise his behaviour fee's. He is a very friendly chap and it would be well worth you dropping him an email asking for some guidance. You can even tell him Gus's owner Mike pointed you in his direction.
One example I can recall was when taking Gus for a walk for the first time Gus didnt want to get in his van. Rather than pushing or pulling him like many would he got in the van himself and sat there for 30 minutes until Gus decided to follow him in. I saw nothing but improvement in Gus's behaviour the whole time Damien was involved with him.
As Mrs Grumpy has said there are some terribly mis-guided dog behaviourists out there including a franchise whose behaviourists would put a double glazing salesman to shame when it comes to the hard sell and then offered utterly terrible advice and didnt deal with any of the actual issues. I had adopted a rescue dog and sought help with the behaviour issues he came with.
I did however encounter an amazing guy called Damien Isaak who has a Doctorate in Canine Psychology. I'm not in anyway affiliated to him nor even a customer anymore due to a house move but can say without doubt he is excellent at his job.
The reason for my post really was to point you in his direction, his email address is info@petsgo.co.uk as his main living is earned through dog walking and boarding (he is so popular he has a waiting list for these services) and they subsidise his behaviour fee's. He is a very friendly chap and it would be well worth you dropping him an email asking for some guidance. You can even tell him Gus's owner Mike pointed you in his direction.
One example I can recall was when taking Gus for a walk for the first time Gus didnt want to get in his van. Rather than pushing or pulling him like many would he got in the van himself and sat there for 30 minutes until Gus decided to follow him in. I saw nothing but improvement in Gus's behaviour the whole time Damien was involved with him.
I've been walking a dog for an hour each day over the last 2 weeks and there's a massive improvement in his behaviour.
I think giving them a daily walk at a regular time can probably solve (or help to solve) a lot of issues. Though I also think that the owner should be doing this as part of the bonding process and not a dog walker.
I'm also looking into dog training techniques
I think giving them a daily walk at a regular time can probably solve (or help to solve) a lot of issues. Though I also think that the owner should be doing this as part of the bonding process and not a dog walker.
I'm also looking into dog training techniques
Myc said:
As Mrs Grumpy has said there are some terribly mis-guided dog behaviourists out there including a franchise whose behaviourists would put a double glazing salesman to shame when it comes to the hard sell and then offered utterly terrible advice and didnt deal with any of the actual issues. I had adopted a rescue dog and sought help with the behaviour issues he came with.
Welcome 
I think I know of the one to which you refer
I agree regular exercise can go a long way towards solving a lot of issues dogs display.
My dog was already receiving two long walks a day with me but I wanted him to gain further socialisation with other dogs and get an additional midday walk and whilst I worked from home most the time couldn't always fit in the midday walk but wanted it to be a guaranteed walk so used him for this. My dog is a big lad and likes a lot of exercise.
He was unfortunately displaying behaviour traits associated to his previous bad treatment and not wanting to try amateur psychology I sought professional help.
My dog was already receiving two long walks a day with me but I wanted him to gain further socialisation with other dogs and get an additional midday walk and whilst I worked from home most the time couldn't always fit in the midday walk but wanted it to be a guaranteed walk so used him for this. My dog is a big lad and likes a lot of exercise.
He was unfortunately displaying behaviour traits associated to his previous bad treatment and not wanting to try amateur psychology I sought professional help.
Thanks Mrs Grumpy
They were in my house for 4 hours trying to sell me the more expensive "lifetime package" then for a ridiculous amount of money proceeded to hide behind a door scared of my dog, squirted water at him out of a plant squirter type thing until I told her to stop and she then tried to make me walk him up and down the street on a choke chain making me yank it. I refused and told her to take her cheque and leave.
Oh and there USP seems to be making some bizarre kind of Baah'ing noise!!
They were in my house for 4 hours trying to sell me the more expensive "lifetime package" then for a ridiculous amount of money proceeded to hide behind a door scared of my dog, squirted water at him out of a plant squirter type thing until I told her to stop and she then tried to make me walk him up and down the street on a choke chain making me yank it. I refused and told her to take her cheque and leave.
Oh and there USP seems to be making some bizarre kind of Baah'ing noise!!
Mrs Grumpy said:
I am currently undertaking a Foundation Degree in Canine Behaviour and Training at Bishop Burton.
Slightly O/T: Jo, I knew you were studying but not where - I never knew this place existed. I have a lot of relatives who live in that area, so I'm surprised I didn't know.We were having problems with our dog running away when we took her on walks and other smaller issues. We payed a so called dog listener from this site http://www.the-dog-listener.co.uk/ £125 for about 4 hours training that was supposed to if we followed the guidelines make our dog more obedient. It was an absolute waste of money, we were not really told anything we didn't already know. We went along with what we were told to do, to no benefit. We were also promised follow up phone calls that never happened.
Anyway, we purchased a remote control spray collar, you can make it spray citronella or bleep when the dog misbehaves. It worked over night, our dog no longer runs away and is very well behaved. We very very rarely have to use the spray function anymore, just the occasional bleep.
Anyway, we purchased a remote control spray collar, you can make it spray citronella or bleep when the dog misbehaves. It worked over night, our dog no longer runs away and is very well behaved. We very very rarely have to use the spray function anymore, just the occasional bleep.
Myc said:
Thanks Mrs Grumpy
They were in my house for 4 hours trying to sell me the more expensive "lifetime package" then for a ridiculous amount of money proceeded to hide behind a door scared of my dog, squirted water at him out of a plant squirter type thing until I told her to stop and she then tried to make me walk him up and down the street on a choke chain making me yank it. I refused and told her to take her cheque and leave.
Oh and there USP seems to be making some bizarre kind of Baah'ing noise!!
Yep - they're the ones They were in my house for 4 hours trying to sell me the more expensive "lifetime package" then for a ridiculous amount of money proceeded to hide behind a door scared of my dog, squirted water at him out of a plant squirter type thing until I told her to stop and she then tried to make me walk him up and down the street on a choke chain making me yank it. I refused and told her to take her cheque and leave.
Oh and there USP seems to be making some bizarre kind of Baah'ing noise!!
They take people's money for this sort of thing. All any of that will do is to stop the dog showing the symptoms and not address the underlying emotional response. You can tell dogs that have been 'trained' in this way. They are the ones that go from zero to full on bite with no warning as they've had all the warning signals trained out of them 
. Not recommended. This sort of positive punishment has no place in today's dog training. One of the things I have learnt about in more detail (and with the scientific references) is how dogs learn. They learn much better through the use of positive reinforcement, ie rewarding what you do want and ignoring what you don't want.
Digga said:
Mrs Grumpy said:
I am currently undertaking a Foundation Degree in Canine Behaviour and Training at Bishop Burton.
Slightly O/T: Jo, I knew you were studying but not where - I never knew this place existed. I have a lot of relatives who live in that area, so I'm surprised I didn't know.Mrs Grumpy said:
Digga said:
Mrs Grumpy said:
I am currently undertaking a Foundation Degree in Canine Behaviour and Training at Bishop Burton.
Slightly O/T: Jo, I knew you were studying but not where - I never knew this place existed. I have a lot of relatives who live in that area, so I'm surprised I didn't know.
Mrs Grumpy said:
Myc said:
Thanks Mrs Grumpy
They were in my house for 4 hours trying to sell me the more expensive "lifetime package" then for a ridiculous amount of money proceeded to hide behind a door scared of my dog, squirted water at him out of a plant squirter type thing until I told her to stop and she then tried to make me walk him up and down the street on a choke chain making me yank it. I refused and told her to take her cheque and leave.
Oh and there USP seems to be making some bizarre kind of Baah'ing noise!!
Yep - they're the ones They were in my house for 4 hours trying to sell me the more expensive "lifetime package" then for a ridiculous amount of money proceeded to hide behind a door scared of my dog, squirted water at him out of a plant squirter type thing until I told her to stop and she then tried to make me walk him up and down the street on a choke chain making me yank it. I refused and told her to take her cheque and leave.
Oh and there USP seems to be making some bizarre kind of Baah'ing noise!!
They take people's money for this sort of thing. All any of that will do is to stop the dog showing the symptoms and not address the underlying emotional response. You can tell dogs that have been 'trained' in this way. They are the ones that go from zero to full on bite with no warning as they've had all the warning signals trained out of them . Not recommended. This sort of positive punishment has no place in today's dog training. One of the things I have learnt about in more detail (and with the scientific references) is how dogs learn. They learn much better through the use of positive reinforcement, ie rewarding what you do want and ignoring what you don't want.
Myc said:
A long time lurker here but your post has prompted me to sign up.
As Mrs Grumpy has said there are some terribly mis-guided dog behaviourists out there including a franchise whose behaviourists would put a double glazing salesman to shame when it comes to the hard sell and then offered utterly terrible advice and didnt deal with any of the actual issues. I had adopted a rescue dog and sought help with the behaviour issues he came with.
I did however encounter an amazing guy called Damien Isaak who has a Doctorate in Canine Psychology. I'm not in anyway affiliated to him nor even a customer anymore due to a house move but can say without doubt he is excellent at his job.
The reason for my post really was to point you in his direction, his email address is info@petsgo.co.uk as his main living is earned through dog walking and boarding (he is so popular he has a waiting list for these services) and they subsidise his behaviour fee's. He is a very friendly chap and it would be well worth you dropping him an email asking for some guidance. You can even tell him Gus's owner Mike pointed you in his direction.
One example I can recall was when taking Gus for a walk for the first time Gus didnt want to get in his van. Rather than pushing or pulling him like many would he got in the van himself and sat there for 30 minutes until Gus decided to follow him in. I saw nothing but improvement in Gus's behaviour the whole time Damien was involved with him.
Thanks MYC I will do that! Great of you to respond!As Mrs Grumpy has said there are some terribly mis-guided dog behaviourists out there including a franchise whose behaviourists would put a double glazing salesman to shame when it comes to the hard sell and then offered utterly terrible advice and didnt deal with any of the actual issues. I had adopted a rescue dog and sought help with the behaviour issues he came with.
I did however encounter an amazing guy called Damien Isaak who has a Doctorate in Canine Psychology. I'm not in anyway affiliated to him nor even a customer anymore due to a house move but can say without doubt he is excellent at his job.
The reason for my post really was to point you in his direction, his email address is info@petsgo.co.uk as his main living is earned through dog walking and boarding (he is so popular he has a waiting list for these services) and they subsidise his behaviour fee's. He is a very friendly chap and it would be well worth you dropping him an email asking for some guidance. You can even tell him Gus's owner Mike pointed you in his direction.
One example I can recall was when taking Gus for a walk for the first time Gus didnt want to get in his van. Rather than pushing or pulling him like many would he got in the van himself and sat there for 30 minutes until Gus decided to follow him in. I saw nothing but improvement in Gus's behaviour the whole time Damien was involved with him.
Georgiegirl said:
Is this the one with the television show who looks like some sort of dog dominatrix?
S&M woman No - her later US programmes are pretty good now that she's embraced positive reinforcement methods. Her earlier UK series was a bit iffy.I know people who know her. Apparently she is not really like that at all. The TV people dress her up
. I know others who have turned down a similar TV series as the producers want them just to make it interesting for the telly.
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