Who are they? What are they?
by Colin Tennant
Well, they are people who are referred to as all of the above,
as there is no universally accepted generic title. I am the
chairman of the CFBA www.cfba.co.uk, The Canine & Feline
Behaviour Association of Britain and all our members are known
as Canine and/or Feline Behaviour Practitioners - this helps
the public to identify what we are. The interest I receive each
year from would-be practitioners is growing all the time.
Historically the very best trainers and people who understand
animals and their behaviour are those who train and care for
them. The very best stock farmers, horse trainers &, dog
trainers in Britain are those people who passionately enjoy
the species they work with. They do have a ‘degree’
of devotion and knowledge, which is often unrivalled and through
the time spent in their chosen field many become experts.
Of course, that begs the question - where does trainer end and
behaviourist begin? They are, on the whole, one and the same
and in my view levels of knowledge are the determining factor.
I have specialised as a Dog & Cat behaviour practitioner
for many years and have trained more than 12000 dogs and hopefully,
during that time, I have accrued knowledge, the most important
of which concerns about the psychological owner perceptions
and expectations of their dog’s behaviour.
Understanding the psychological needs of the client and the
relationships between people and dogs teaches one to utilise
particular skills and specifically, to be a pragmatist and to
offer training and behaviour advice which is workable within
the client’s lifestyle. Lack of this consideration is the
major factor in badly behaved dogs - having seen an expert -
failing to improve. The necessary knowledge is not obtainable
in a classroom or on a course. To me this is a very important
aspect of the work. It is wrong to offer people idealised and
theorised training or behaviour advice which has little chance
of success because the imparter has not gained the hands on
experience of implementing the same training time and time again.
The bottom line is that if YOU the advisor cannot implement
the training proffered to clients and with all types of dogs
then you should not be in this work.
The definition of a practitioner can be quite complex depending
on whom you speak to but in brief I define it thus: A practitioner
is an expert who helps people solve their pet’s problem
behaviour.
So how does one set about being a Behaviour Practitioner?
Can I get a Government recognised qualification in Animal Behaviour?
Yes, you can. Southampton University runs courses. These are
general animal care courses but I would not consider a person
who was successful in such a course thereby qualified to see
and advise my clients, though it would certainly be a great
benefit for beginning the long learning curve.
The ACC, Animal Care College, based in Berkshire also runs thirty
or more correspondence courses in many pet disciplines, of which
some are NVQ recognised. All correspondence courses, which are
well written, help with knowledge but do not qualify you to
operate as a canine behaviourist.
Contrary to some people - having a degree in Zoology, Biology
or other similar disciplines does not equip you to practise
as a behaviour practitioner in dogs any more than my having
a degree in law equips me to practice as a veterinarian or person
with a degree in sports science to claim to be a top athlete.
The
True Route of Qualification with Dogs
At present the only route which would provide the very best
of behaviourist training is to work alongside a known expert
as their assistant for many years. My current associate has
completed his training, a three year course specifically written
by me for this work. He has observed and taken part in over
650 behavioural consultations with dogs and cats to date.
He also operates the local Dog Training School which is an
incredible asset in the learning curve. His previous experience
in dog husbandry was also taken into consideration. That is
the only true way to learn, practically and at the side of
the expert. There is no short cut.
I cannot name any one Canine Behaviour Practitioner in Britain
today, who is well thought of as competent, who did not previously
train dogs. Dogs which are well trained rarely give people
problems. Therein lies the answer, for prevention is the key
word. Dog trainers who endeavour to acquaint themselves with
canine behavioural psychology are the undisputed champions
of the pet dog owner because they ‘do’ as well as
‘say’. The best Canine Behaviour Practitioners,
without doubt, are those who have come from the Dog Training
disciplines. Around 96% of all cases brought to my centre
are dogs and we are one of the most successful centres in
Britain today.
Cats
Cat behaviour is a grey area and more difficult to define.
I learned my cat behaviour knowledge and skills from several
highly respected experts and therefore like canine behaviour
it is a case of learning from an experienced expert.
But it is more of a twilight zone, a very vague area. First
I think it is unlikely that any person in Britain could make
a decent living only seeing cats for behavioural problems.
There are simply too few owners who need, or feel the need,
to see a specialist - or are cats just a better behaved species?
This is now changing and we have noticed a slow but significant
increase in cat behavioural problems presented to this centre.
Also cats’ behavioural problems are generally not as
serious in the same way that dogs’ can be. Dogs usually
need remedial help more quickly and their behaviour can affect
all parts of society’s social interaction. Of course
cats simply don’t do the things dogs get up to like chasing
sheep, horses or the postman, although I did once deal with
an ‘attack cat’.
Cats are definitely more hands off and the advice is normally
more psychological. Dogs are definitely hands on. Cat knowledge,
in all its forms, is essential and some ACC courses address
this matter. If you have experience in cat behaviour specifically
then CFBA will assess you in just that capacity if you wish.
New
Methods. Dog Training - Dog Behaviour
Most behavioural techniques used, especially on dogs, are
only refined or ADAPTED Dog Training techniques. Most techniques
I use came from my Dog Training tutors as a young man. The
names of the training have changed and the new jargon, as
always, has fulfilled its role of keeping the public mystified.
Words like inter specific aggression simply means dogs that
don’t get on. Bored and lonely dogs now suffer from ‘separation
anxiety’, boisterous and badly behaved dogs are termed
‘dominant’, but most of these dogs change quickly
with a good training course.
Detective Work In Solving Problems
More often than one may expect, I apply and advise practical
tasks around the home by, for example, altering the geography,
the furniture of the clients home, their routines and general
lifestyle, building fences, designing door panels to prevent
dog destruction – in other words being very innovative
in each individual circumstance. One dog which could open
doors of many handle types was stopped by my spraying each
door knob daily with lemon juice and placing small bolts at
the door top and on every door in the house. Placing Perspex
sheets on valuable antique doors is a way of ignoring a dog
which scratches for attention, but which we are trying to
ignore simultaneously. This is what I mean by being pragmatic.
Knowledge
and Essential Skills
In the majority of cases CFBA members have proven their dog
training ability by competing and winning in dog training
competitions or have professionally trained dogs for a living.
That means proven results, person to person or dog, not just
regurgitating advice from a book.
To train dogs very well one has to learn a range of communication
skills, breed specific behaviour traits and drives and motivation
skills above all. This critical knowledge, learnt over thousands
and thousands of interactions between the dog and trainer,
is what understanding dog behaviour is about and that is the
crux of the problem today. Too many people assume otherwise,
backed up by their pieces of university note paper. Obsession
with paper and memorising useless self serving jargon is not
a substitute – never will be. Reading about dog behaviour
is good for us all but it cannot replace experience or learning
from an experienced teacher.
Has
the person been a successful dog trainer?
Qualifications are KC Test A B C Obedience, Beginners and
Novice standards. KC Working Trials CD UD TD PD WD. Without
doubt this proves an understanding of the dogs mind and how
to redirect instinct into training which the critical part
of much behaviour modification is.
Has
the person qualified in any human interpersonal skills or
obtained an NVQ? Do they have to know how to operate a business?
Most practitioners operate from home and visit the client.
This is because they do not have a centre of operation. We
all have to start somewhere and making visits to owners and
their pets is fine. Cats, especially, are better dealt with
on their own territory anyhow.
The Canine & Feline Behaviour Centre operates a professional
system which has evolved over a period of more than 20 years.
And while this may sound like trumpet blowing it is really
intended to illustrate that it is a long term affair with
pets and not something that can be cobbled together from a
few quick courses over a year or two.
Intuition
& other personal skills
An ability to converse with any type of personality, shy or
extrovert is essential. Understanding how to convey complex
information in short periods of time and remould a person’s
attitude to their pet is a part of this work. Understanding
human psychology and how people perceive, read, see or access
their pet’s mind is also critical to being a competent
practitioner. I learnt a good deal about these matters in
the Police force and added more from courses in Psychotherapy
and Hypnotherapy. They have all helped me personally. I would
suggest that any prospective practitioner should learn these
human communication skills in addition to canine or feline
behaviour.
Tips
on running a good practice
At my centre all enquiries are taken down on a form listing
the pet and owner’s details. The average telephone enquiry
is 15-20 minutes whether you eventually see the client or
not, a very time consuming part of the work.
Stage 2 is the Canine & Feline behavioural psychology
profile forms containing about 150 questions per pet. This
is sent out to the client with a three page letter outlining
- clearly - what they should expect from a consultation. That
stops any misunderstandings.
Use answering machines only after hours (there are exceptions)
Nothing bugs people more than an answering machine when they
wish to contact an expert during working hours.
Respond to an enquiry the same day (most people regard their
problem as urgent and you should respect that viewpoint)
Don’t try to persuade a client to see you. Explain your
work and let them decide after the telephone conversation
and your letter outlining procedure and expectations
Your consulting room(s) should be comfortably furnished and
spacious with appropriate lead restraints for the dog or cage
for the cat - and escape proof.
Always explain again at the beginning of the consultation
what will happen over the following two hours or more. This
removes uncertainty and relaxes the client.
Record (with permission) on audio or we may use video, in
all consultations for later reference and to prevent misunderstandings.
Make notes of the main points the client imparts during the
consultation
Be insured third party.
Don’t be mean with time - an extra 30 minutes free of
charge could make the difference between success and failure
Write a thorough report reflecting the client’s points
and your advice. The average report is about 3000 to 5000
words.
Follow up ALL cases within 3 - 9 days by letter and telephone
this helps you ascertain your success and the client’s
progress.
The internet and email accounts for about 20% of our continuity
correspondence with clients and a good source for new enquiries.
I believe web sites will become more important during the
next few years. It also save a lot of telephone time.
Except for emergencies, where time does not permit, allow
the person to read your letter and information package in
the quiet of their own home before deciding on whether they
wish to see you with their pet.
Telephone manner - Many people use your line as a Samaritans
free phone and thereby block your clients from contacting
you. However, we do try to help, allocating on average about
200 hours free a year for genuine cases. You do have to learn
the skill of handling this type of call, otherwise business
can come to a halt. Have some free contact numbers available
if possible. When dealing with people on very low incomes
in desperate situations try and allow for a small charge,
it really does make the difference to the entire business
and feel good factor for all concerned.
Well I am now preparing for a filming trip to South Africa
about the wild Dogs of that continent and for new videos and
a TV series next year. Learning about our wonderful dogs continues.
Colin Tennant is based at his Centre in Hertfordshire, England
and is Chairman of the CFBA. He also is director of BT Productions
one of the worlds largest Pet Education & Video makes.
He is a writer and broadcaster on television and regularly
works for the BBC & ITV. He has just published through
InterPet, a new book on Dog behaviour – BREAKING BAD
HABITS IN DOGS.
Web
Contacts
Canine & Feline Behaviour Centre: 01442 842374
web www.colintennant.co.uk
Pets On Film Education Videos www.bowetennant.co.uk
Animal care College correspondence courses
www.corsini.co.uk/animalcare
