Which Qualification

[see_leigh]

I was wondering if anyone could offer me some advice.  I have been plowing through the seemingly endliess options for Dog Handler qualifications and am hoping that people on this forum might be able to give me the benefit of their experience.

My long term plan is to become a Dog Handler (Trainer) specialising in Rescue Dogs.  I live in Spain so unfortunately my options are limited to Long Distence courses. (I will of course be attending practical sessions before I work in this aea)  I am very interested in the Intitute of Modern Dog Trainers course Understanding and Working with Canine Behaviour:Accredited Dog Training & Behaviour Open College Network OCN Level III Qualification

But I am also interested in the British College of Canine Studies course Level 4 Advanced Canine Behaviour Diploma  'This course is a Level 4 accredited course under our NCFE IIQ Licence, using Ofqual’s QCF level descriptors. NCFE is a National Awarding organisation for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. You will receive your diploma from BCCS.'

I don't really understand the difference between the two awarding bodies.  Obviously I want to invest in a course that is nationally recognised and that is respected within the industry and I am struggling to idently courses with unbiased 'student testimonials' let alone respected awarding bodies.

Can anyone shre their thoughts and signpost me in the right direction please?

Thank you in advance.

 

[JoanneF]

Qualification levels are complex. I used to work in Learning and Development management so I know a bit about the subject although not specifically for animal qualifications. 

There is an organisation that compares and ranks qualifications to let you see which ones are more demanding than others, the Credit and Qualifications Framework. You might find this table helpful - 

http://www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk/qualifications-and-credit-framework-qcf.html

 From briefly looking at these courses, from memory I believe the NCFE was previously known as the Northern College for Further Education. They supplied distance learning courses which a lot of our staff completed and they were very good and popular; however the accreditation wasn't recognised as widely amongst employers as, for example, NVQs or HNC/HNDs. Level 4 qualifications do however appear to compare in status with HNC or a level 4 NVQ.

The Open College Network qualifications also not as widely recognised as the more universally accepted NVQs or HNC/HNDs and at level 3 would rank alongside A levels or a level 3 NVQ, so it's pitched a little lower.

In the UK we have an organisation (UK NARIC) which helps employers to assess foreign qualifications against U.K. equivalents. I assume there is a similar organisation in Spain, but I don't know anything about it.

I hope that helped a little?

 

[see_leigh]

Thank you.  That has given me something to think about.  When investing so much time and money it really is hard to know which course offers the best path into a career.  I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

 

[JoanneF]

Why not contact a few of the organisations you might hope to work for, and see if they have a view?

 

[arealhuman]

 I used to work in Learning and Development

That's what I do!  The only thing I can add is that I've worked with NCFE and found them find to work with.  And NCFE, strangely, no longer stands for anything!  Good luck see_leigh whichever option you choose.

 

[JoanneF]

Small world @arealhuman! What areas / subject matters? Sorry to derail the thread @see_leigh

 

[gypsysmum2]

Take a look at the COAPE website. I am pretty sure that they run their seminars at residential weekends. In between seminars the student is supported by a tutor and can submit course work by post. There may be some sort of qualifying experience needed, though, before acceptance on to the course.

 

[leashedForLife]

Jean Donaldson began her 'Academy for Dog Trainers' as a live-in program under the auspices of the San Francisco SPCA - the shelter [IMO & that of many other dog- & pet-professionals] screwed up royally, dumped the training program for would-be trainers, & also scuttled the Hearing Ear program just weeks before nearly-graduated dogs were to go to their deaf / HoH humans... which has to go down in history as one of the most-colossal PR blunders in history. 
The already-trained Hearing Ear dogs were tossed back into the general shelter popn, & adopted by random applicants -- all that time spent training, & all the hopes of deaf handlers, wasted.

Under pressure from fellow trainers to re-start the Academy as a stand-alone, & deluged with requests from disappointed hopefuls who'd planned to take the course via the SPCA before its abrupt termination, Jean decided to make it an on-line curriculum. 

Jean is a wonderful teacher, an excellent handler & trainer, & dogs adore her.
https://academyfordogtrainers.com/

There are 4 segments, each must be completed within 6 months - altho of course, if U are flying thru training goals, U can finish early.
https://academyfordogtrainers.com/the-academy/the-program-in-detail

She's very rigorous when it comes to science / learning theory / applied behavior analysis, etc, & has no tolerance for 'dominate the dog' or 'Alpha wolf' hooey. // If U'd like to sample her writing, she has a blog & has written several books - 'Culture Clash'  about the misunderstandings that arise between dogs & humans is probly her best-known book.

 

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[leashedForLife]

here's a selection of her books, carried by Dogwise -
https://www.dogwise.com/SearchResults.cfm?Search=Jean Donaldson&SubSearch=author

some are in several formats, & there are also revised or expanded 2nd editions of certain titles.

here's the 'suggested reading' list from the Academy - 
http://academyfordogtrainers.com/images/sampledata/pdfs/ADT_Rec_Reading_List.pdf

I just realized that i've read all the 'dog' books listed - but not all the science / critical thinking titles, & i've also missed at least half of the genetics / evolution titles, so i should get cracking.   BTW, the list is missing one book that i think should be read by any dog-trainer, as well as any dog breeder - Padgett's.

https://www.amazon.com/Control-Canine-Genetic-Diseases-Reference/dp/0876050046

George Padgett was a geneticist with a fascination for dogs, & this book talks about breed-specific heritable problems & how to avoid perpetuating them. Excellent text.  [IMO, of course .   :b  ]  He spoke at many dog-shows in an effort to reach his target audience - breeders, professional or hobby, & the dog-fancy.
- terry

 

[see_leigh]

Wow, thank you @leashedForLife for the in depth response.  I will certainly look into it as an option.