Much praise indeed for Sheila Harper and this OCN accredited course. It is a 12 unit course which is divided into 3 modules; communication & handling, training and behaviour, and extensively examines these areas. Since starting this enlightening learning experience in June 2003 my fellow students and I, have undergone a complete metamorphosis and many of our thoughts and beliefs have been challenged, discussed, pondered and ultimately changed for the better. It has also been extremely humbling to realise how previous ignorance and arrogance have caused harm and misunderstanding. I have learned that it doesn’t matter if you don’t know what to do – doing nothing is better than doing something wrong or harmful.

 

This form of learning not only teaches you more about dogs but also more about yourself and others and stretches you to think about all aspects of communication, behaviour and motivation. At the start I wanted to understand more about dog behaviour, help my own rescue dog with his many problems and become a better pet dog trainer – all of these areas have been covered along with so much more and my view of how to train and live with dogs has been unimaginably transformed. 

 

The core of the course is canine communication.   How frustrating and awful is it for dogs to be so misunderstood and punished for trying to express themselves? At the IDBTS you learn to watch and observe closely what is really going on and only form an opinion when you have explored the whole picture. By watching and observing closely you are taught that it’s not just the tutors who are teaching but our dogs also have much to teach us if only we listen.

 

In the classroom there is also a wealth of experience, for example IDBTS students who work with or run rescue homes, groomers, behaviourists, dog walkers, trainers, breeders, competitors, police dog handlers and search and rescue team members.

 

At the beginning I asked for solutions to problems.  There were no quick fixes or magic wands here – also no use of any aversives at all which was a huge relief. The easy advice that you get in the park was not forthcoming at Sheila Harper Ltd and I realised that I was going to need to think, learn and find my own way – the support and information is given but you are made to think and work. The reading list is well thought out and giving up novels was at first slightly worrying but now I thirst for more knowledge.

 

For months I kept expecting to be given homework or to be tested in some way to make sure that I’d done all the required reading for each unit but here we are all adults and everyone works at their own pace. I never imagined at the beginning of this journey that I would have travelled so far, a life and mind altering course. 

 

If you seriously want to understand dogs and improve their lives physically and mentally I cannot recommend the International Dog Behaviour and Training School and Sheila Harper Ltd highly enough, too many people involved in canine care/instruction are stuck using traditional and outdated methods and it really is time to move on.