Distance learning dog training course?

[feesh]

Please help if you can advise.

I am an expat in the Middle East and our one and only decent dog trainer (i.e the one who uses positive reinforcement and doesn't follow the Jan Fennell method) is suddenly leaving the country!

There is a huge need for someone like her as there are loads of unwanted dogs here which get adopted by expats, and unfortunately there is also a massive culture among the dog-walking community of advocating dominance-based training methods. E.g I see one couple with electric shock collars on their dogs for recall :(

I am just wondering if there were any distance learning courses I could do to qualify as a dog trainer - even if they included a short residential module, I could manage that as I could easily go back to the UK for a few weeks.

Does anyone know of any? E.g. Minimuu?

Bump in case anyone can help :)

I presume you know about Karen Pryor?

You won't find better.

The problem with distance courses is that they are theoretical rather than hands on however a few here to help (not necessarily qualify you to be a trainer but a good starting knowledge

clever dog courses good starter courses at several levels all positive based

coape courses

this is great is you can commit to 3 years and residential a few times a year This course would give you a great start and would equip you to be a trainer if you were able to get hands on experience yourself

Don't the dogs find it difficult to use the keyboard and mouse?

Some do but most of them get the hang of it if you use the clicker!

Terriers however are dreadful spellers although great at maths

Thanks Minimuu. I know an online course won't make me a great dog trainer, but honestly anything is better than nothing over here. Someone was advising on a local Facebook group this morning to put a naughty dog into its crate as punishment to show it who's boss.

I honestly despair at some of the bollocks I have to put up with from other doggy expats over here sometimes.

Minimuu, what do you think about me doing the ADPT course? Good idea? www.apdt.co.uk/apdteducation.asp

It seems to be perfect for my needs, and the March residential module ties in nicely with me being back in England anyway.....

I am keen to do a course now, as I am really sick of seeing people with citronella and electric collars on their dogs over here.

Anything by the ADPT is great. You may not get much actual dog training ie how to teach a dog to do things on this course but more dog training class management.

However be prepared for lots of discussion on operant conditioning, counter conditioning etc - that will certainly get you away from the citronella and electric collars

Make sure you tell us about it when you have done it.

Any practical courses by Sarah Whitehead would be good here

Also could you get to any of Mary Rays Cabaret evenings here although not truly training nights you will learn a load and be very motivated to get clicking!

Mary Ray is the trainer who usually does the HTM display at Crufts. It was also her dog Levi in the Will Young Come on video.

I'll hunt for a few more courses coming up this year

Has anyone tried any of Ian Dunbar's SIRIUS courses?

Thanks Minimuu - the ADPT course sounds great and it means I can get started teaching here by the end of this year, which would be great - I can then build on my knowledge and experience by doing some more advanced courses the other posters have suggested.

All the stuff about operant and classic conditioning is really interesting to me, as I have a biologial science degree and covered animal behaviour in my first year, so I have a natural interest in this kind of stuff anyway :)

The Sarah Whitehead website is REALLY out of date - it lists 2010 courses when I try and book up, so I had to give up on that, unfortunately, but will check back periodically to see if she updates it.

The Mary Ray kind of stuff isn't really my bag to be honest, all that doggy dancing stuff makes me cringe to watch it! Also none of her dates fit in with me going back to England.

Feesh Do not dismiss Mary Ray If you want to know how to train dogs she is the lady to listen to!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is top of her game in every dog discipline, obedience,agility, flyball, etc.

Agree dog dancing is not my cup of tea BUT her training methods are second to none - if you think of each movement as a trick or advanced heel work she is amazing.

Do not cringe but keep an open mind on all dog disciplines especially if you are going to train dogs. You don't need to dress up in a clowns outfit though!

Sorry for old link to sarah here is the new one here

You will need loads and loads of practical experience before you are able to start training other peoples dogs but once on the APDT course you can make more connections.

I think it unwise to consider you would be qualified to teach at the end of this year to be honest unless you are planning on gaining more hands on experience

Really Minimuu? That makes me sad :( that I couldn't teach straight off, as the APDT website seems to imply that you do the foundation course first, go away and get a year's work experience and then come back to do the advanced course.

I would NEVER set myself up in the UK as a dog trainer after doing just one course, but my situation is very different to how it would be in the UK; here we are basically all living in the desert trying to lead as normal a life as we can under somewhat challenging conditions, especially as dog owners!

There is SUCH a problem with dog ownership over here and there are no dog trainers at all in the whole country. I'm not going to big myself up as a 'qualified' dog trainer, but I would really like to start trying to help people ASAP, which I already kind of do with a couple of people on an informal basis, but would like to take the message out there to the uninformed masses.

There are thousands of Western expats here and 3 rescue charities which rehome approx. 150 dogs in total every year between them, most of which go to first-time owners who have taken the opportunity of the time afforded to them by an expat lifestyle to finally get that dog they have always wanted, but without really thinking it through first, plus there are a lot of VERY tragic dogs needing homes, so people do tend to rush into it and aren't vetted very well first by the rescues. A large number of rescued dogs here get re-abandoned eventually, either because people can't cope, or because they can't afford to take them back to England when they move back :(

There are a couple of local expat dog ownership Facebook groups and SO many people are advocating dominance theories, and it's all I ever hear when I'm walking with other dog owners. I see 2 families regularly (both South Africans, coincidentally enough!) who have electric shock collars on their dogs FOR TRAINING them, including one horrible incident when a dog jumped up at me, but suddenly yelped in pain and I was then told by the owner that she had 'pressed the button' as he needed to learn not to jump up at people :( Nearly every other dog owner I know here uses citronella collars to 'control' barking.

Because it's a small country, you tend to cross paths with people in lots of different contexts, so it's very hard to fall out with people as you know you will end up going out for dinner with them at some point! So I want to take a softly, softly approach, by organising training classes and teaching people from my heart.

Somebody needs to step up and do something, through working with those rescue charities to help people taking on rescue dogs, and it needs doing URGENTLY. I am sick to the back teeth of seeing so much crap thrown around by people who don't know what they're talking about and seeing already delicate and nervy salukis getting 'disciplined' and 'corrected' into becoming shadows of their former selves.

Sorry, that was a massive rant - I am not looking to fast track myself into a new career, but someone needs to step up now that the country's only dog trainer has left and I feel that it should be me, as I have a lot of love and passion to give.

I used to be a socialiser for Hearing Dogs, so I know what amazing things positive training can do for a dog, and I want to help other people to change their POV.

PS there is one other woman who I know quite well who charges for 1-2-1 dog training sessions (?!!) and she doesn't have a bloody single clue about what she is doing, she has never been on a course in her life.

PPS It's not ALL bad, there are at least 3 people I meet at the beach regularly who always have a clicker and bag of treats on them :) This is entirely because of the wonderful lady who just left the country who used to offer dog training sessions. She really did start to make a difference, even though she was only here for a few months, and she's left a big hole which I want to try and fill.

It is a bit of a soap box issue with me so please don't think I am making this personal - I know nothing about your qualifications and experience.

So many people set up as dog trainers and give out wrong advice, they mean well but just do not have the experience to deal with some situations. Then the main victim is the dog, literally at times their life is on the line because of bad training or lack of knowledge

A dog trainer could own their own dog and then set up their class and that be the wealth of their experience. I think all dog trainers should have qualification and minimum dog ownership experience, they should shadow in a dog class for a substantial period before they are allowed to take individual cases they are fully responsible for.

It is easy to get a dog to do basic obedience but many of the cases will be much harder to deal with.

You have a big mountain to climb to change the mindset of people but if you are not fully competent with positive training you could actually re-enforce peoples view that their method is preferable.

Out of interest how are you going to stop that dog from jumping up on people when it is off lead?

Minimuu, I totally get where you are coming from - there is nothing worse than putting years of your heart and soul into something to be the very best you can be, and some other young upstart just leaping in purely to make money out of the same thing.

I am very much aware that there are some really crap dog trainers practicing in England and it must be hard to have to deal with the fall out from some of their work.

You have made me think twice about it - it would cost me well over £2,000 including flights, just to do the foundation course alone, and I don't want to invest that sort of money if I won't be in a position to help anyone at the end of it. I was weighing up returning to my normal career anyway, which will mean going back to work as a consultant, so it's got to be one or the other and I am leaning away from dog training now after sleeping on this overnight.

Re: your last question, I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean the poor, poor dog I see on the beach with the electric collar? He is not on a lead anyway. The way I've trained my dog not to jump up at people was to use innocent victims guinea pig friends who turned their back on her and ignored her when she did it, while I had her on a lead and taught her to sit with a clicker and treats (and eventually progressed to off-lead); the same way me and my husband taught her not to do it at home with us. She knows to sit now when someone approaches or comes to the house, which I taught with a clicker and treats, although we still have a long way to go in that she is not yet consistent at it when we're out and about, but we're getting there. I am very lucky in that I have 2 good dog-owning friends and we act as guinea pigs for eachother, so when I need to train my dog with visitors or around other dogs, they are my 'dummy stand-ins' and I do the same for them. One of them came over every day before our Xmas visitors arrived, purely so I could teach my dog how to react to the doorbell, it was great!

I don't want to put you off (bugger I really don't) just thought it may take a bit longer than the one course.

Sorry what I meant by the last question - was that the current owners of that dog think they do have a training solution. You are going to offer a solution which will take time and will take training from them. Your biggest obstacle will be converting people and in my experience they will judge you on your dog and your training abilities. So the more courses and more training you can do with your dog the better. This will all be a major window to start converting others that your training methods are the best. Again unfortunately something that can not be done in a short time.

Another thing to do is to work/volunteer at the rescue, then you can start to train their dogs before they are rehomed. Many of the owners will then ask the rescue for training advice and you are able to show how it has worked already.

Don't give up please

Thanks Minimuu. It's all becoming a moot point anyway to be honest, as the airline won't let me change my flights to do the APDT course (I was going back to England anyway around then for a wedding, but a week too late for the course); I was going to buy another outbound flight but this would then negate the return portion of my flight as well, so it's not looking possible :(

I'm not expecting people like the electric collar types to come to training classes as they are so set in their ways, but I would like to capture people who have just adopted a puppy or dog and stop them getting led down the wrong path. By other dog owners they meet.

Anyway it's all moot if I can't arrange flights :(((

PS had a tweet this morning from a local girl who currently lives in England - she wants to buy an Alaskan Malamute or Samoyed and bring it over here with her :(

Am trying to put her off; it's hard in 140 characters!!

Ask her if she's going to bring a snow-machine with her!

That would be crazy.

I know. There are a few over here already, I dread to think how they cope in the summer :( And I certainly never see them on the beach, which is pretty much the only place you can go to give a dog a decent run here.