09/09/2025
What qualifications do you have? 🤔 A great question that not everyone asks of the person they ask to help train part of their family with whom they have invested a lot of money, love, and time for! 👍🐾🐕🦮🐕🦺🐩🐶
With the dog training world being unregulated, anyone can start up a dog training business without any qualifications at all! Even many so called ‘qualifications’ can be obtained by simply completing a few hours on a Zoom course or an online course, and are then apparently labelled ‘specialists’! 🤔
I was recently asked by a client what dog behaviour qualifications I had and what qualifications and tests did I have to pass to become a Police Dog Handler.
That got me thinking about what I actually had to go through to achieve my life long ambition of becoming a fully qualified Police Dog Handler and being the successful dog behaviour professional that I am today.
The truth is, the process is both demanding and thorough, ensuring only the most capable officers and dogs are selected for this highly specialised role.
First of all I had to pass a paper application to be selected for interview. Often many applications are processed each time vacancies arise within the dog unit. Being so keen to become a Police Dog Handler I basically applied every year for my first few years before only being able to apply when a vacancy was advertised. Finally after ten years of applying, I was selected for interview.
The interview consisted of a panel of four male officers of various ranks, Sgt, Inspector, Chief Inspector, a Police Dog Trainer, and a civilian female from the HR dept. From there, those successfully selected then undertake a two-week ‘suitability course’, where their ability to handle dogs, maintain welfare standards, and manage kennel care is closely assessed.
Successful candidates from that course then progress to a 13-week basic Police Dog course with their newly allocated police dog. (Sometimes the first time the two have met each other). This intensive training course covers obedience training, searching (for people and property) tracking, and manwork (i.e. chasing and detaining criminals,handler protection) culminating in a final test overseen by an independent assessor. Passing this course marks the beginning of operational duties as a police dog team.
Once operational, handlers complete monthly training days where they are continually assessed. Any failure could mean the dog and handler are removed from operational duties. They also have to pass an annual fitness test and partake in a two week ‘Police Dog refresher course’ where again they are assessed as a ‘team’ to make sure they are capable of working the streets in a safe and controlled fashion.
Every year I would also compete in the Essex Police Dog Trials, an inter force competition to showcase our dogs skills in tracking, obedience, agility, searching (for people and property) and manwork.
I finally achieved my lifelong ambition when in 2013 I won the overall competition plus the Tracking trophy with my last Police Dog ‘Rapha’. ❤️
Having explained all that to my client, I must say they were quite impressed and stated ‘Wow! Not many people have qualifications like that!’
In addition to that, in order to keep my learning up to date, since retiring from the Police I have attained a Dog Behaviour Practitioner Diploma qualification with Merit from The British College of Canine Studies’ (BCCS) and I have nearly finished a Level 4
‘Understanding and working with Canine Behaviour: Consultations, Foundations and Function of Behaviour’ Course with the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT).
I have also attended an in house course with The Dog Training College (DTC) where I attained their qualification as a Canine Body Language Instructor and approved dog trainer.
Nb.
Funnily enough I still do not qualify for certain pet insurance companies to work with their clients, not having been associated with certain dog training
establishments. 😱
As you can hopefully tell, I love the job I do and feel I have worked hard to achieve where I am!
Being paid to do your hobby is the most satisfying thing a person can do! Happy days! 👍🐾🐕🦺🐕🐩🐶🦮
