Competencies TAKL

Trainer Accredited by Kay Laurence Competencies 2020 Copyright © Learning About Dogs Ltd Copyright © Learning About Dogs Ltd ID Section Description 1 Knowledge and records This is the records of your personal evidence of learning, achievement and your means of keeping up to date. Evidence should be well organised and current. 1.1Describe the value and relevance of maintaining knowledge, understanding and keeping up to date with current research and development 1.2 Maintain a journal demonstrating cognitive thinking, self evaluation and assessment of your training progress. 1.3 Organise and maintain training material: notes on training sessions; plans; training programmes; behaviour histories; cues; progress; videos; learning profiles; data collection. 1.4 Develop a glossary containing your definitions of training terminology. 1.5 Make a plan to continue to maintain your knowledge, understanding and keep up to date with current research and development. 2 Constructional feedback, assessment and judgement 2.1 Describe the difference between assessment and judgement. 2.2 Give evidence of your own performance in providing feedback to others in the form of assessment and judgement. 3 Training experience Provide a history of your training experience and describe what evidence this provides of skills, knowledge and understanding. You can use the competencies for this course and relate them to your prior learning and achievements. 4 Personal assessment and development of training skills 4.1 Effectively assess your own training skills, your strengths and areas you consider need of development. Motor skills; cognitive skills; perceptive skills . 4.2 Design a plan to develop, maintain and implement your own training skills. This should include short and long term plans. 4.3 Demonstrate competency in the use of safe, effective and ethical training equipment. 4.4 Assess and evaluate your own performance during and on completion of 10 training sessions. You will be expected to measure your performance against specific criteria. Timing, observation, cue delivery, reinforcement variation etc. 5 Observe and analyse environments Observe and analyse at least 3 different environments where the learner is in training, and how the environment can directly affect the learner. Examples: general living, out and about in society, formal training, a performance or working arena. 6 Continual assessment during learning 6.1 Demonstrate continual assessment and observation of a learner (can be animal or human) in varied environments. 6.2 Assess the skill level of the learner before, d

uring and on completion of training. 7 Training ethics Provide a rationale for the ethics underlying of your training preferences. This can be in essay format where you describe the personal choices you have made from your own experience, beliefs and understanding. Reference should be made to research and understanding that lead to those choices. 8 Fall-out of punishment based learning Demonstrate your understanding of the potential fall-out of punishment based learning. This will be in written form and based on research and evidence, not personal experience. 9 Critical thinking on training behaviours Demonstrate your critical thinking by describing: 9.1 How you choose what behaviours you will consider for each individual learner. 9.2 What behaviours you will choose to train, what you will avoid and what you consider a necessity. These may vary from, for example, husbandry procedures, types of equipment (muzzles etc) to activities that are suitable and necessary for the individual learner. 10 Ethical choices in training 10.1 Assess and evaluate a least 3 different training protocols in respect of ethics, function, effectiveness and efficiency. You may choose any established training protocols. 10.2 Describe the process by which you come to a decision about how you will teach a behaviour or skill. Consider where achievement of the outcome may conflict your ethical choices. 10.3 Examine at least 5 different training protocols that can initially present as animal friendly but on research disguise punishment based techniques. 11 Bonding and connection 11.1 Describe your personal thoughts and considerations on bonding and connection. 11.2 Give your views and practical suggestions on the development of the human-dog relationship and between dogs. 11.3 Demonstrate your use of connection as a reinforcer. 12 How consequences drive behaviour Describe how consequences drive behaviour. You should include your understanding of operant conditioning. Give at least 5 practical examples that you have personally observed in your own dogs. 13 Food as a reinforcer Demonstrate: (during the training of at least 4 behaviours, 1 of which should be lifeskills) : 13.1 Use of different food reinforcers and assess the effect they can have on the behaviour being trained. differing by scent, nutritional impact, quantity, value, and/or size 13.2 Use of different food delivery patterns and assess the effect it can have on the behaviour being trained. placement, proximity, pace, frequency, location, action 13.3 Safe, effective and efficient preparation, storage and handling of food rein

forcers appropriate to the learner, the environment and the behaviour. 14 Using markers Select and demonstrate at least 5 different types of marker that are appropriate and complimentary to the behaviour. Include evidence to demonstrate your understanding of the different conditioning that a marker can achieve, how markers function as a cue, and situations in which each marker type is most suited . 15 Learning effectiveness and emotional components Demonstrate, evaluate and gather data on: 15.1 Adjusting the reinforcement process to be appropriate to the learner’s needs, the environment and the behaviour. 15.2 Observing the learner during the reinforcement process for signs of fatigue, stress or loss of engagement. 15.3 Maintaining motivation and engagement through the reinforcement process. 15.4 Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the reinforcement process. 16 Identify, describe and isolate behaviours in training 16.1 Identify and describe the difference between a behaviour and a skill. 16.2 Identify and describe a minimum of 20 behaviours under training. These should include a description, underlying purpose or function, topography, antecedent and other potential influences on that behaviour. 16.3 Demonstrate the process of identifying and isolating the skills to be taught. This should include at least 5 skills from each category of cognitive skills, perceptive skills and motor skills. To include at least: 3 learning skills, 3 lifeskills and 3 specialised skills. 16.4 Identify and describe the influences that can affect behaviours and skills. This should include unseen influences such as genetic differences, history and experience of the learner. The influence of events directly before and after, and influence occurring during the behaviour and skills. 17 Training programme 17.1 Assess and record the level of competency and progress in training skills. To include at least: 3 learning skills, 3 lifeskills, and 3 specialised skills . 17.2 Make a plan to train, practice and build a minimum of 5 different skills. Implement the training, practice and building of these skills. 17.3 Achieve mastery in a least 5 skills in the learner. Mastery in the specific skill shall be defined by peer assessment. At least one each of: a learning skills, a lifeskills, and a specialised skills. 18 Precision learning 18.1 Discuss the benefits and outcomes of precision learning and how this affects the planning, choice of strategies and protocols in teaching. 18.2 Describe at least 3 processes that employ precision learning. 18.3 Demonstrate 3 teaching strategies th

at are designed to set up the learner for success. 18.4 Describe your chosen protocol and its rationale for your response(s) to error during learning and for an incorrect response to a cue. 19 How a teaching strategy can affect the learner 19.1 Identify and describe how different teaching strategies can affect the learner. 19.2 Identify and describe how different teaching strategies can influence the behaviour and/or skills being learned. 20 Self-directed (non-guided) learning Identify and describe: 20.1 The advantages and disadvantages of self-directed (non-guided) learning. 20.1 The benefits and challenges of facilitating learning through micro-shaping. Teach and demonstrate adjustment of the criteria during: 20.3 3 object interactive behaviours or skills with minimal error learning by micro-shaping. 20.4 2 object free behaviours or skills with minimal error learning by micro-shaping. 21 Directed (guided) learning 21.1 Identify the advantages and disadvantages of directed (guided) learning. 21.2 Teach 3 different behaviours or skills with minimal error learning by luring with food reinforcers, where the behaviour has been transferred from the directed stimulus. 21.3 Teach at least 3 different behaviours or skills with minimal error learning by luring with non-food reinforcers, where the behaviour has been transferred from the directed stimulus. 21.4 Facilitate at an opportunity for a learner to learn through modelling with minimal error learning. 21.5 Teach 3 different behaviours or skills with minimal error learning with moulding by contact or the environment, where the behaviour has been transferred from the directed stimulus. 21.6 Teach 3 different behaviours or skills with minimal error learning by target-prompts, where the behaviour has been transferred off the directed stimulus. 21.7 Adjust the criteria to suit the needs of the learner with directed learning strategies 22 Cues to start and end training sessions Demonstrate teaching and applying a cue to begin a training session and a cue to end a training session. 23 Cue delivery 23.1 Demonstrate clean and consistent delivery of 5 different verbal cues appropriate to the behaviours and environment evidenced by a successful response from the learner. 23.2 Demonstrate clean and consistent delivery of 5 different non-verbal cues appropriate to the behaviours and environment evidenced by a successful response from the learner. 24 Adding and changing cues 24.1 Demonstrate changing the cue for a behaviour through the new cue/old cue protocol and by association. 24.2 Change the cue of 5 different behavi

ours to 5 different types of cues evidenced by a successful response from the learner. To include: a temporary cue, final cue, verbal cue; visual cue; an environmental cue; object cue; sound (not verbal) cue; a behaviour as a cue; scent cue 24.3 Provide a rationale for the choice of temporary and final cues. 25 Cue reliability 25.1 Provide evidence that 5 behaviours, using 5 different types of cues are reliably on cue without hesitation and when presented no other behaviour is offered. To include: a temporary cue, final cue, verbal cue; visual cue; an environmental cue; object cue; sound (not verbal) cue; a behaviour as a cue; scent cue. 25.2 Demonstrate having taught a learner to maintain 5 different behaviours when in an environment with a range of irrelevant (non) cues. 25.3 Demonstrate having taught a learner to respond with a default behaviour to at least 5 different irrelevant (non) cues. 26 Practising discrimination Plan and deliver a session that enables the learner to practise discrimination between 5 different types of cues attached to 5 different behaviours. 27 Non-food reinforcement 27.1 Demonstrate use of social approval as a reinforcer for 3 different established behaviours. 27.2 Demonstrate use of use tactile contact (touch) as a reinforcer for 3 different established behaviours. 27.3 Demonstrate using an activity as a reinforcer for 3 different established behaviours. 27.4 Demonstrate use of 3 different interactive games as reinforcers for 3 different established behaviours. 27.5 Shape 3 behaviours with only the use of non-food reinforcers. 28 Play as a reinforcer 28.1 Describe and discuss the effects of reward in play. 28.2 Demonstrate use of 3 different interactive games and describe how they offer value to the learner. 28.3 Demonstrate use of 3 different interactive games as direct reinforcement for 3 different behaviours. 28.4 Perform risk analysis for 3 different games 28.5 Teach at least 3 new behaviours with only the use of play as a reinforcer. 29 Variable schedules of reinforcement and variable reinforcers Describe the difference between variable schedules of reinforcement and a variable reinforcer and how both impact on behaviour. 30 Choice in training 30.1 Discuss the use of choice as a reinforcer and the effect of lack of choice would have on the learner. 30.2 Describe how you include choice at different stages of training. 30.3 Describe the conditions where choice is not available or limited for your learner. 31 Teaching lifeskills 31.1 Design a long-term plan for an individual dog to enable lifeskills learning in a specific