The aim of the course is to prepare participants academically to work in the role of canine behaviour advisor.

The aim of the course is to prepare participants academically to work in the ABTC role of animal behaviour technician.

The GDip ABM is a course inspired by the ABTC standard for Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) as an addition to the already established ADip Applied Animal Behaviour Level 5 programmes. It is unlikely that students will be able to start this course without having completed the level 5 programme.

This course is aimed at those planning to work with cats or those already working with cats on a professional basis although it would also be of interest to those cat owners.

Module 1 Learning Theory

• What is learning? An introduction to learning theories
• The different ways dogs learn
• Habituation
• Classical and operant conditioning
• Stimulus generalisation and stimulus discrimination
• Types of reinforcement
• Vicarious learning
• Learning through experience, trial and error learning and one-trial learning and the effects on future behaviour

Module 2 The External Environment

• The external factors that can affect the behaviour of animals
• The environment in which the animal lives, and the experiences it has had
• The interactions between conspecifics and people
• The importance of socialisation in early life
• Scientific research that has been carried out into the social development of young
• The problems that can occur due to poor socialisation
• The importance of consistency when training animals
• The effects of a kennel environment on behaviour and stress levels
• This module introduces some case studies for analysis to identify causes of problem behaviour

Module 3 Theory of Mind

• Do animals think?
• Do they experience emotions?
• Do they recognise themselves in a mirror?
• Are they aware of the intentions of others?
• Can we define intelligence and what it means?
• A review of the scientific research that has been carried out on animal emotions
• An analysis of the selfish gene theory

Module 4 Behavioural Diagnostics

• The many possible causes of a particular behavioural problem (root causes of behaviour)
• Environment, nature, nurture, pharmacological, physiological causes, and how more than one of these could be the cause of a problem
• How we can diagnose the cause of behaviour, by asking questions and analysing the situation
• Drawing on knowledge gained from the previous modules to discuss all the possible reasons why a dog is behaving in a certain way
• Designing history sheets to use during client consultations

Module 5 Application of Theory

• The way we interact when dealing with dogs, and how our own behaviour can potentially influence theirs
• Fear and how to deal with it
• Aggression and why it might occur and how to deal with it
• The scientific study of behaviour, including presenting reports, interpreting data and graphs
• Carrying out an observational study of your own on canine behaviour
• Analysing different methods of dealing with a behavioural problem to determine the likely success of different approaches

Module 6 Animal Aggression

· Examines the many factors that contribute to aggressive behaviour,

· Defines aggression

· Aggression as an adaptive survival tool and the different approaches utilised by prey and predator.

· The effect and requirements of domestication

· How breeding for temperament interacts with natural drives behind aggressive behaviour

· The neurology of aggression.

Module 7 Human Animal Bond

· The human/animal bond research and has proven to be a fundamental factor when examining behaviour.

· The therapeutic advantages of such a bond with companion animals are becoming more and more evident with advancing research

· Understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms at work are essential part of the education of a behaviour specialist.

Module 8 Companion Animal Loss

· Grief as a powerful emotion

· and companion animal loss inevitably represents

· Coping with the end of the bond

· Different people react in different ways to grief and it is this process that is examined in this module.

Module 9 Attitudes and Ethics

· How people develop attitudes,

· What influences their formation and who they choose to associate with through a common interest is often then reflected in society’s values and legislature.

· Strength of opinion can ultimately cause problems with cultural and religious differences

· The law and animal rights,

· It is critical that the student is equipped with the knowledge to take account of how different people regard their animals.

Module 10 Case Studies

• Analysis of case studies to pull together all the knowledge gained throughout the course.
• The examination of ten different behavioural problem case studies
• Suggesting how you would go about assessing and solving the problems.
• Demonstrating knowledge of all factors that might affect canine behaviour, including learning, genetics, and biological and environmental factors
• Suggestions for solving problem behaviour
• Production of professional reports and letters to clients and veterinary professionals

Module 11 Critical Analysis

In this final module students are required to offer a critical analysis of two 'real' cases that were video recorded. Case notes and the video material is provided. Critical thinking is crucial skill for all behaviourists.

This programme is aimed at the more advanced student who needs an understanding of aggressive behaviour in dogs for professional reasons.

This course is designed to equip students with a basic knowledge of normal and unusual behaviours and their purposes or what they can tell us about the dog.

This programme is designed to equip the student with the knowledge to 'read' and understand how and what dogs communicate to each other and to humans.

This course is similar to the standard Canine Nutrition Certificate but it is more technical and designed around the VN’s annual CPD requirement. Topics covered are all built into one large module and include:

As well as being an enjoyable course, this is designed to be a serious introduction to the fascinating subject of feline behaviour.

Gift vouchers are available to purchase from Compass for any value, they
are redeemable against the cost of any of the Compass courses.

This course is designed to equip participants with a more advanced understanding of how and why dogs behave the way they do.

This short course is a useful starting point for people with some experience but no studies to support that knowledge.

Compass, Burgess Pet Care Ltd and the Rabbit Awareness Partners have developed this CPD course specifically for Vets and Veterinary Nurses and counts for 40 hours CPD.