The Registration Council for Dog Training and Behaviour Practitioners
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Regulating the industry is still a practitioner-led call as a solution to help raise standards of service to the public. As anyone can set-up overnight and call themselves a trainer or behaviourist, the industry remains divided and confusing to all searching for advice, whether an owner, learner, or provider. Sadly all continues to be held back by the lack of structure and any required registration through government legislation.


 The RCDTBP is a not-for-profit ‘Community Interest Company’ simply aiming to inclusively unite all practitioners and all related organisations as Signatories to the only single nationally-agreed professional code of practice (CAWC Code 2010).


The RCDTBP works on positivity, founded in 2010 to hold the registers of Signatories to the Code, in moving forward has incorporated a structured profiling system to identify all individuals for what they ‘put in’ to the industry. Together with a public feedback facility on services received, it aims to help ensure every practitioner meets, and continually develops to meet, the professional demands of the industry.



RCDTBP Update November 2023

Application Form


Important Downloads


Canine ServicesClick to download Canine Services Document


Individual Signatories

Click to download Individual Signatories Document


Related Organisations

Click to download Related Organisations Document


Code of PracticeClick to download Code of Practice


Policy DocumentClick to download Policy Document

The Registration Council has the responsibility to manage and hold the official register of Signatories to the CAWC Code of Practice

 in regard to dogs. In doing so, it aims to unite all practitioners, service and course providers, related membership organisations

and charities; promote all efforts to advance animal welfare, and increase individual understanding of training, behaviour

and the canine-human relationship, whilst monitoring services to benefit and protect the public.


© All content copyright of RCDTBP Community Interest Company

(Registered not-for-profit CIC number 11941540 limited by guarantee)

History


This page gives a very brief potted history of the RCDTBP and those wishing to research its' development in more detail should visit the archive area where you will find a list of pdf downloads of relevant documents and meeting reports.


The Companion Animal Welfare Council (CAWC), an independent advisory body, produced a report regarding the situation on Dog Behaviour and Training Services in the UK which, following a thorough investigation, was published in 2008. Two years of follow-up meetings led to the CAWC Code of Practice being devised and agreed in 2010, setting minimum professional standards for all Practitioners.


An organisation was required to manage the Code through the voluntary registration of individuals and organisations wishing to sign up to it, and with the Kennel Club (KC) agreeing to act as the ‘Secretariat’ of it under the Chairmanship of the late Bill Hardaway, the Registration Council was founded in July 2010.


The KC dealt with the administration of meetings and acceptance of applications, listing Individuals and Organisations that signed up to the Code. Lack of activity followed the loss of Bill Hardaway in March 2013 and rescheduling of the May meeting to September 2013, the report of which was not received from the KC. Fiona Whelan, previously Vice-Chair took on the role of Chair and liaised with the Kennel Club in 2014, who had now declined administrative responsibility for the Council. Fiona called a meeting on the 1st October 2014, which co-opted several new members on to the Committee, including a new Vice Chair and Secretary; Fiona and the two other officers subsequently resigned in early 2015 (due to lack of time and amount of work involved).


2015 saw further research carried out by the remaining Committee members, by questionnaire, an open meeting in July, and further revisions put forward through a Yahoo development group with 23 participants, finalising in a re-launch meeting in February 2016 and plans for a re-launch in March following Crufts 2016, in two stages: 1. Practitioner Registration followed by 2. Service and Course Provider Registration and formal Affiliation with related organisations.


In 2016 the RCDTBP relaunched under updated regulations. Signatories were now expected to create a professional account on our a sister site, which the majority have done, helping to develop the profile areas and a structure to more effectively manage the register(s).


In 2019 the RCDTBP registered as a ‘Community Interest Company’ to ensure more formal accountability. This is a relatively new company category, better fitting the organisation’s aims and objectives ... working for the benefit of the dog training and behaviour sector in providing appropriate services to the dog-owning and wider public.

Up About Us History Archive