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Family with terrier dog in front of them

Good Companion Awards

The APDT Good Companion Awards have been carefully designed to help dog guardians attain an award for being good companions to their dogs and their dogs to them.

Your assessor will be a current full member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers in the UK, and as such, they will abide by the code of practice by which the association is bound.

These exercises can be assessed at any time during the training course and can be attempted as many times as is deemed appropriate within a six-week limit. The assessor will ask questions throughout; details of the areas of knowledge that will be drawn upon can be found in the ‘Guardian Information Pack’.

GCA Award Levels

GCA Rosettes Puppy

Puppy

The Puppy award is suitable for all puppies under the age of seven months at completion.

GCA Rosettes Foundation

Foundation

The Foundation award is suitable for all dogs over the age of six months at the start.

GCA Rosettes Improver

Improver

Improver award is available for all dogs who have successfully completed the Puppy or Foundation award.

GCA Rosettes Intermediate

Intermediate

The Intermediate award is suitable for all dogs who have successfully completed the Improver award.

GCA Rosettes Advanced

Advanced

The Advanced award is suitable for all dogs who have successfully completed the Intermediate award.

GCA Exercise Examples

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  • The Puppy Award is suitable for all puppies under the age of seven months at completion. Your instructor will go through each of the exercises listed below. You may be assessed over a period of up to six weeks, either during your one-to-one sessions or during your usual classes. Your instructor will explain how they plan to do this for you. Questions will be asked throughout the assessment on the material provided in the ‘Guardian Information Pack’. This is not a formal examination but enables your instructor to see your level of understanding. All assessments must follow the APDT Code of Practice, which may be found here.

    APDT GCA GUIDELINES DOG GUARDIANS 1 PUPPY AWARD
  • The Foundation award is suitable for all dogs over the age of six months at the start. Your instructor will go through each of the exercises listed below. You may be assessed over a period of up to six weeks, either during your one-to-one sessions or during your usual classes. Your instructor will explain how they plan to do this for you. There will be questions asked throughout the assessment on the material provided in the ‘Guardian Information Pack’. This is not a formal examination, but enables your instructor to see your level of understanding. All assessments must follow the APDT Code of Practice, which may be found here.

    APDT GCA GUIDELINES DOG GUARDIANS 1 FOUNDATION AWARD
  • Improver award is available for all dogs who have successfully completed the Puppy or Foundation award. Your instructor will go through each of the exercises listed below. You may be assessed over a period of up to six weeks, either during your one-to-one sessions or during your usual classes. Your instructor will explain how they plan to do this for you. There will be questions asked throughout the assessment on the material provided in the ‘Guardian Information Pack’. This is not a formal examination, but enables your instructor to see your level of understanding. All assessments must follow the APDT Code of Practice, which may be found here.

    APDT GCA GUIDELINES DOG GUARDIANS 2 IMPROVER AWARD
  • The Intermediate award is suitable for all dogs who have successfully completed the Improver award. Your instructor will go through each of the exercises listed below with the goal being a pass as shown in the table. You may be assessed over a period of up to six weeks, either during your one-to-one sessions or during your usual classes. Your trainer will explain how they plan to do this for you. There will be questions asked throughout the assessment on the material provided in the ‘Guardian Information Pack’.. This is not a formal examination, but enables your instructor to see your level of understanding. There are two sections to the award, the first section is compulsory, the second lists a number of exercises from which you choose three to attempt, in consultation with your instructor. All assessments must follow the APDT Code of Practice, which may be found here.

    APDT GCA GUIDELINES DOG GUARDIANS 3 INTERMEDIATE AWARD

    In consultation with your instructor you should be assessed on three of the options shown in the table below. These exercises are tasters of fun activities you can do with your dog. All assessments must follow the APDT Code of Practice, which may be found here

    APDT GCA GUIDELINES DOG GUARDIANS 3 INTERMEDIATE AWARD
  • The Advanced award is suitable for all dogs who have successfully completed the Intermediate award. Your instructor will go through each of the exercises listed below with the goal being a pass as shown in the table. You may be assessed over a period of up to six weeks, either during your one-to-one sessions or during your usual classes. Your instructor will explain how they plan to do this for you. There will be questions asked throughout the assessment on the material provided in the ‘Guardian Information Pack’. This is not a formal examination, but enables your instructor to see your level of understanding. There are two sections to the award, the first section is compulsory, the second lists a number of exercises from which you choose three to attempt, in consultation with your instructor. All assessments must follow the APDT Code of Practice, which may be found here.

    APDT GCA GUIDELINES DOG GUARDIANS 4 ADVANCED AWARD 1

    In consultation with your instructor you should be assessed on three of the options shown in the table below. These exercises are tasters of fun activities you can do with your dog. All assessments must follow the APDT Code of Practice, which may be found here

    APDT GCA GUIDELINES DOG GUARDIANS 4 ADVANCED AWARD 2
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