Level 4 Accredited with OCN London
This course covers in detail the process of behaviour work, from the initial contact, safety, consultations, learning and training, through to report writing and follow-up with the clients and their dog or dogs.
This is an in-depth course, using science and learning theory for both the human and the canine, to enable the student to gain a superior level of understanding in what is the most complex, yet necessary part of any behaviourists toolbox.
The course progresses through four units over 12 months and covers:
Planning behaviour consultations:
§ Essential elements within the consultation process
§ Medical issues and veterinary support
§ Environment; people, animals and the effect on consultation practices
Health & Safety and Risk Assessment:
§ Developing risk assessments based on case specific detail
§ Health & Safety in the consultation environment
Communication with clients:
§ Questioning techniques and information gathering
§ Learning styles and their effects on information gathering and dissemination
§ How much information to give clients
§ Writing initial behaviour reports (case studies)
§ Are follow-ups necessary?
Analysing behaviour cases; determining suitability:
§ Prognosis; when, why and how
§ Referral, when, why and how
Evaluating questionnaires and cases histories:
§ Expanding and analysing client questionnaires
§ Welfare and approaches to consultation
§ Management, safety within consultations and modification protocols (case studies)
Foundation training and mental wellbeing:
§ Foundation training and suitability within initial consultations (case studies)
§ Mental enrichment, mental wellbeing and the effects on behaviour modification
§ Producing suitable hand-outs and information sheets for clients
Motivation and reinforcement; effects on behaviour and behaviour change:
§ Analysis of training techniques in relation to behaviour change
§ Learning theory in depth; relevance to modification and behaviour change in dogs and people
§ Reinforcers; levels of, differences in and suitability for, individual dogs and case types
§ What ‘drive’ is; how this affects motivation, perseverance and behaviour in dogs
It is expected that the course will require between 4-6 hours study, research and writing per week.
This course is best suited to those that are intending to or are already carrying out visits to client’s properties for behaviour modification, or in-depth training consultations and therefore covers the entire process in detail.
The course is designed to be testing, requires commitment and precision alongside good studying processes. The course is accredited by OCN London and falls within their guidelines for assessment.
LEVEL V - 12 MONTHS - Understanding and Working with Canine Behaviour – Analysis & Application
https://www.imdt.uk.com/correspondence-courses/level-five-12-months-analysis-and-application/
This course includes several recorded webinars
Level 5 Accredited with OCN London: 30 Credits
Completion of this Level 5 course results in the successful candidate being listed as a Behaviourist on our directory and gaining permission to use the IMDTB logo and title for all marketing material
The course covers an in-depth analysis of behaviour modification, the science of behaviour, learning theory, functional assessment, emotions, the brain and how, when everything is put together behaviours, whether adaptive or maladaptive, can affect the canine-human relationship. The course then goes on to explore how we can modify these behaviours, change the dog’s perception and emotional responses, and build trust and understanding, by working in close conjunction with the dog’s owners and carers.
The course develops through five Units over 12 months; the final Unit being an in-depth case study of the students choosing, covering all aspects of the preceding Units and focussing on both the canine and human aspects of behaviour modification and learning.
Areas covered include:
The intricacies of canine body language and posture
- Analysis of the meaning of different body postures in different contexts
- Meanings of vocalisations and the emotions ascribed to them
- How misinterpretation can lead to behaviour problems
- How misinterpretation can lead to a breakdown in the dog-human relationship
The effects of interactions between dogs and other animals on body language and posture
- Context and its effects on body language, posture and emotion
- How body language, posture and emotions can be affected by different types of people
Emotions, emotional circuits and their effects on behaviour and behavioural responses in dogs
- Emotional circuits, how they work, how they affect motivation and reinforcement of behaviour
- How these circuits can aid in gaining positive emotional responses within the behaviour modification plan
- The effects of psycho-pharmacology on the emotional circuits and thus behaviour and approaches to modifying it
- Environment and social relationships effects on emotional responses towards other animals
The effects of disease, illness and pain on behaviour in dogs
- How medical issues can affect behaviour
- How certain medications can affect behaviour
- The effects of pain on behavioural responses
Motivation and reinforcement and how they effect the promotion of successful behaviour modification
- Critical analysis of motivation and reinforcement in relation to specific behaviour responses
- The effects of external environments, managing, adapting and the effects on welfare and mental wellbeing
- How similar expression of behaviour might not indicate the same emotional responses
- Effects of owner’s personality and emotional responses on behaviour modification processes
- The effect of owner’s perceptions, beliefs and requirements on behaviour modification processes
- Increasing compliance and motivation for owners within behaviour modification processes
