APDT Membership for Dog Trainers
The APDT is improving its membership assessment process. In order to introduce this change as smoothly as possible the old assessment scheme ceased on the 30 June 2006.
The new assessment scheme will consist of three parts:
- Written (this will be sent to you on receipt of your application form and must be returned at least 4 weeks before your assessment date)
- Practical
- Oral
Six questions - which require an essay type answer of between 500 and 1500 words - covering:
- Why do you want to join the APDT
- Reward and Punishment
- Operant and Classical conditioning
- Equipment
- Stress
- Exercises you would teach
You will also be asked for details of:
- Seminars, courses, books and videos during the last two years
- Details of any instructing/assisting undertaken
- Classes (if any) that you currently teach
Your answers need to reach the office at least four weeks prior to assessment.
If, after marking your questions, the Assessors decide that you are not ready for membership you will be refunded £65 of your application fee and your assessment will be cancelled.
You will conduct a one hour class and teach:
- Down
- Leave (food/article)
- Walking on a loose lead
The class will consist of up to six dogs and their owners. These dogs will vary in ages and also in experience. For the purpose of explaining the exercise the applicant should assume that at least one of the dogs and owners has no knowledge of the behaviour. The methods of teaching the exercise should be clearly explained to the class.
The Assessors will need to see that the applicant can teach all the owners how to train their dog to perform the three exercises, and how to develop these exercises. As dogs and owner learn in different ways – the Assessors will expect the applicant to know more than one way to teach each required exercise.
The owners and dogs will be people who have volunteered to take part in a free training class for the assessment process. Some of the dogs will have been to previous training classes whilst others will be new to the environment. It is up to the applicant to make sure all the owners feel involved in the class.
All classes will take place indoors.
This will be assessed by two assessors.
Immediately following your practical assessment. You will be asked about dog matters and may be asked to clarify some points raised in your written and practical assessments and other dog training matters.
There are no trick questions – the idea of the assessment is to ensure that applicants are suitable for membership of the APDT.
This will be carried out by two assessors.
All three of these sections will be scored against a criteria which will include:
- Technical Knowledge
- Understanding of dogs and people
- Conforming to the spirit of the APDT Code of Practice
- Planning and organising
- Communication skills
- Class Dynamics
A report will be prepared by the assessors and they will either recommend you for membership or refer you. If you are referred it will be because the assessors are not confident that you have reached the level required by the APDT for membership. This may because you cannot demonstrate the level of knowledge/experience required, or because you employ methods which are contrary to the APDT Code of Practice. A good instructor needs to understand learning and behaviour theory and have the ability to relate and explain this to a class of owners.
The Assessors decision is final.
However if an applicant feels procedures have not been followed, or an assessment has not been marked against current criteria an enquiry would take place.
APDT Code of Practice requires you to teach in a Kind, Fair and Effective way - all three of these are required for membership.
BEFORE FILLING OUT YOUR APPLICATION FORM PLEASE CLICK HERE
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the assessment process please contact the APDT office.
If you have any special needs or disabilities please contact the office and we can discuss which would be the most suitable venue for your assessment.
2010 ASSESSMENTS
| Whitchurch, Shropshire 27 March | FULL |
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| Whitchurch, Shropshire 28March | FULL |
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| Rake, West Sussex 24 April | ||
| Rake, West Sussex 25 April | ||
| Glasgow, Scotland 8 May | Application Form | |
| Glasgow, Scotland 9 May | Application Form | |
| Hot Dogs Training Centre, Soham, Cambridgeshire 17 July |
FULL |
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Hot Dogs Training Centre, Soham, Cambridgeshire 18July |
FULL |
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| Whitchurch, Shropshire 23 October | ||
| Whitchurch, Shropshire 24 October | ||
| Rake, West Sussex 6 November | ||
| Rake, West Sussex 7 November |
The fee for an APDT assessment is £120.
In the case of cancellation of an assessment, a refund will be made only when the notification is received in the APDT office more than 6 calendar weeks prior to the date of assessment. Such refunds are subject to an administration charge of £15 in all cases. Applicants should note that if the request is sent by email, it will be deemed as received on the next working day following the date/time of dispatch, and the applicant receives acknowledgement by email from the APDT office. Any applicant who fails to meet these timescales will incur loss of the application fee.
Successful applicants must take up membership within 6 months of their assessment date.
IF ACCEPTED FOR MEMBERSHIP A SUBSCRIPTION FEE OF £45 WILL BE CHARGED YEARLY. RENEWALS WILL BE DUE 1 MAY OF EACH YEAR. EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO JOINED AFTER 1 FEBRUARY OF THE SAME YEAR, WHOSE RENEWALS WILL BE DUE 1 MAY OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR.