CPD

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

  1. INTRODUCTION 

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) prides itself in the exceptionally high standards of professionalism, education and practical skills achieved by its members. 

The APDT encourages a lifelong initiative of ongoing improvement, encompassing a wide variety of academic and professional activities through Continuous Professional Development (CPD). 

CPD involves maintaining and developing the skills and experience related to members’ professional activities. Any learning activities undertaken for the purpose of developing new skills and enhancing current capabilities represent elements of CPD. 

CPD may follow a formally structured educational programme, with assessment of learning, it may take the form of seminars, conferences and workshops or may simply be self-directed reading. 

  1. OBLIGATIONS 

2.1. The APDT is a Practitioner Organisation member of the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC) and a Signatory Organisation of the UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter. 

2.1.1. The ABTC requires member organisations to evidence CPD of their membership. 

2.1.2. The ABTC can call for evidence through spot checks on any member(s) recorded CPD. 

2.1.3. The ABTC minimum annual hours of CPD by role are: 

Animal Trainer 15 hours CPD 

Animal Trainer Instructor 15 hours CPD 

Animal Behaviour Technician 20 hours CPD 

Clinical Animal Behaviourist 30 hours CPD 

2.2. To meet the obligations of the ABTC, CPD must meet the following criteria and be: 2.2.1. Continuous 

A structured approach should be devised each year. It is an essential component to professional life, not an inconvenience. 

2.2.2. Professional 

The content should be relevant and at an appropriate level for the role undertaken. 

2.2.3. Individually focused 

The individual is responsible for completing the minimum number of hours as directed by their parent organisation. 

It must be tailored to the needs of the individual once they have identified their own weaknesses. 

 

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2.2.4. Recorded 

A record should be kept for assessment by the parent organisation as evidence that the obligation has been satisfied in an appropriate manner. 

2.2.5. Reflective 

When recording CPD it should be done on an evaluative basis. The individual should describe what they have learned rather than describe what took place. 

2.2.6. Monitored 

A process of monitoring that appropriate CPD has been undertaken should be in place and available for audit if necessary. 

  1. APPLICATION 

3.1. The APDT requires all FULL members to complete not less than 15 hours CPD, and STUDENT members to complete not less than 30 hours CPD. 

3.2. The APDT CPD year runs from the date from which you subscribed to your membership. 

3.3. If a member’s personal circumstances create difficulties for them to fulfil their CPD requirement they are encouraged to contact the Director of Membership – Management who will be able to offer them advice/support. 

3.4. Any member who fails to achieve 15 hours per CPD year will be required to submit mitigating circumstances to the Director of Membership – Management who will treat the individual on a case-by-case basis. 

3.5. Honorary and retired members are exempt from CPD requirements. 4. MONITORING 

4.1. CPD Director of Membership – Management shall call an audit check on up to 10% of members requesting to see their CPD records. 

4.2. The ABTC have the right to request CPD to spot check evidence from any member of the APDT. 

  1. RECORDING 

5.1. Members will record that they have completed CPD when renewing membership. 

5.2. Records are to be kept by members for a minimum of 3 years and held either electronically, on the APDT membership platform or in handwritten files. 

5.3. Records shall contain as a minimum; Date, Title of CPD, Reflective learning points, CPD hrs allocated. 

 

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

Date 

Completed, not started

Title 

Book title and Author 

Webinar title and presenter 

Presentation and presenter

 

Reflections What or why you chose this 

What you learned and how this may impact/change (or not) what 

you currently do 

CPD hrs Allocated, and recommended including a cumulative total. 

1.1. Allocating hours. 

5.3.1. Members are asked to be fair in allocating hours to CPD undertaken and be able to support their decisions with the reflective learning recorded. 

For example: Books, not more than 4hrs, recommended average 2hrs 

The reflective section of the logbook will validate the choice of the number of hours allocated. 

5.3.2. Where a CPD event already has allocated Continuing Education Units from another governing educational body members may use those as a CPD recording guide. 

 

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

  1. EXAMPLES 

6.1. The table below is not an exhaustive list but gives examples of where CPD may be available to members: 

WORK BASED LEARNING 

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Shadowing another trainer/behaviourist. Discussions with colleagues. 

Teaching your own dog a new skill or sport in order to expand your practical skills.

Planning and running a new course or webinar. 

Mentoring. 

Being an assessor or examiner. 

Giving presentations at conferences. 

Researching, planning and delivering a webinar. 

Participating in or supervising research studies.

FORMAL EDUCATION 

Workshops. 

Courses (in person or distance. learning). Seminars. 

Webinars.

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING 

Reading books or articles. 

Updating your knowledge through television or the internet. 

Planning and recording your progress.

 

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT APPENDIX 

  1. EXAMPLE CPD LOGS 

EXAMPLE 1 

12th November 2020 10am-2pm 

What: Practical Workshop – in person. 

Title: Teaching Hoopers to Clients 

Presenter: Gilly Groves 

CPD hrs: 2 

Reflections: Lots of good teaching strategies to follow. I liked and will implement into my other activity classes, how the instructor broke the larger group into smaller paired buddy sections. This made it easier to coach as they were each able to hear and support their buddy during the sessions. It also gave greater opportunity in between training trials for the dogs to have a small rest. 

I also really liked the simplicity of the handouts – one sided with bullet points making the learning stand out more. Less was more. 

I didn’t like, however, the way the instructor spoke about one ladies’ dog and can see how this wasn’t really supportive of the client as she was visibly upset over the comment made. However, it turned out that the instructor wasn’t aware of the dogs’ problems (flaky skin post infection recovery) in the first place as the question over health wasn’t asked on the intake form. 

Learning points: 

  1. Small groups can be good for activity coaching. 
  2. Brief bullet points make for better handouts. 
  3. Make sure health questions are covered on an intake form for sessions. EXAMPLE 2 

Date 

06.07.2020

Activity 

Book

Title 

Pandemic Puppies by U. Paid-What & R. U. Insane

 

Reflections A fascinating insight into changes in owner perceptions during the pandemic. The chapter ‘Three sibling Great Dane puppies in an 

apartment seemed like a good idea at the time’ was a particular eye 

opener and gave me valuable ideas of how communication skills with 

owners can be developed. 

CPD hours 2 hrs 

EXAMPLE 3 

 

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

Date 

12.08.2020

Activity 

Webinar

Title 

Unravelling Government Guidelines Whilst Dodging Flying Pigs presented by I. Need-Gin

Reflections 

Some great tips for improving my skills in reading between the lines and going round in circles.

 

CPD hours 1 hr 

Document Control 

Version 

Issued 

Summary changes

V1 

25 Nov 2020 

First Issue

V2 

24 May 2023 

Revisions: 

Incorporation of Student member CPD requirements. Aligning CPD year to membership subscriber date. 

Change to management of CPD auditing.