Diploma In Animal Care Or Behaviour

ganesh | 16:44 Thu 08th Jan 2015 | Animals & Nature

21 Answers

No real necessity but I have a volunteer job with dogs, cats, (especially puppies) and would love to study a diploma online or something in behaviour or psychology which might be fun, interesting and help with my job too. There are so many and some are quite expensive and I'm a bit concerned at accreditation and which to go for.
Anyone got one or know of the type of thing to look for?

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woofgang

look here for advice and some suggestions.
http://www.apbc.org.uk/info/training_courses
The compass ones look good but are expensive.
If its for your own satisfaction and you don't need a qualification then the webinars are good value
http://www.apbc.org.uk/events
some here too.
http://www.capbt.org/Webinars/index.html

wolf63

I can't help you with your question ~ but I wish you well.

I am interested in cat psychology but the more I look at it the more complicated it seems. They seem to do stuff just to wind us up and they are masters at attention seeking.

Watching puppies develop would be interesting, finding them new homes would be even better. I volunteer in Oxfam doing computer work - alas no dogs or cats - just bald apes.

Have fun!

Buenchico

A recognised course provider. (You can find links to their website on several well-respected sites, such as that of the Government's adult careers' advice service):
http://www.cidbt.org.uk/
(Check the links down the left-hand-side)

ganesh

Question Author

Lol-wolf. Funnily enough your cat is the image of a gorgeous cat I am currently 'looking after' for re-homing.
Although I don't need a qualification woofgang, I kind of want one for my own sense of achievement and would like a certificate. Probably make no difference in my life but you never know.

ganesh

Question Author

Thanks, that's the type of thing, but a lot of those are work-based and I actually want a completely online type home-study course, I certainly don't want to go back to college. I'm sure there was one 'college' that did accredited diplomas online and specialised in 'puppy behaviour' or 'cats' at varios levels and I cant find it anymore.

AlwaysConfused

I do short courses online with coursera. They are free courses, although you can pay to get a certificate at the end of it if you want (I don't bother).
https://www.coursera.org/courses

ganesh

Question Author

That's weird, AC, all I get on that link is a flashing S symbol !!

Buenchico

I've seen online course like those offered among the special offers that Amazon seems to email to me almost every day. I've got my doubts about the accreditation offered by some of the courses that Amazon promote but they might still be worth doing just for the experience.

The most recent animal-based course I've seen in such an email (last week) is this one:
http://local.amazon.co.uk/National-UK/B00NSXZG4Q?src=email&cid=em_ss_101_101_na_s1_&;ref_=pe_1043011_61246431_fd_2
(At that price you wouldn't have much to lose if you gave it a go)

Buenchico

AC's link works for me (after a short delay, with the 'flashing S', while it loads), Ganesh. If you continue to experience problems, try a different browser. (I'm using Firefox).

wolf63

I haven't read all the information on this site http://www.pdsa.org.uk/about-us/pdsa-e-learning-zone but, hopefully, it will have something that may help you.

I started an online course about cats a few months ago. I have really poor cognitive function and memory and all that stuff so I found it too hard and gave up. I can't even remember where I found it - but will try and find out. If I remember that is - and I so wish that I was joking.

You could always go and visit Chris and his five fleabags - that would be some education!

ganesh

Question Author

The amazon ones are reduced from £300 to £40. They look a bit short to me and are incredibly cheap. Just my suspicious nature but they don't look very 'real' somehow and I agree not sure about the accreditation issue.

Buenchico

>>>reduced from £300 to £40

. . . or from £395 to £19 in my link!
That course is apparently accredited by CPD. I'll leave it up to you to decide if that actually means anything!
http://www.cpdstandards.com/

ganesh

Question Author

Yes I wonder if it does. That's what I want to know really, is that the 'accreditation' I should be looking for? seems very odd to buy a course off Amazon, maybe they'd give me a refund though if I failed it!!

woofgang

I am also concerned about course content. Anybody, seriously ANYBODY can write and sell a course or set up as a dog trainer, dog psychologist, dog behaviourist. They can peddle dominance crap, regurgitate disproven theories, even make stuff up and there is no stopping them. That's why I suggested the links that I did.

wildwood

My advice is to seek your nearest animal shelter and ask them where you should start to get a genuine animal behaviour course. I really can't see how you can learn anything worthwhile online when you're dealing with the physic of small animals. Surely an 'hands-on' experience is a must.

ganesh

Question Author

Yeah I do realise there should be hands on work but I do get the experience of working with the animals on almost a daily basis and could observe them .I'm not really interested in the physical or medical side, more on psychology and behavioural aspects and I think a home-study course would compliment it. Its not that i'm after a paid job with the rescue centre, the staff there have animal qualifications from college and uni these days. One young girl there on work experience was taking a course in Animal Management at a nearby college, and whenever they advertise they say must have 'relevant' animal qualifications.