ISCP Affiliates

The ISCP affiliation programme has been set up with the aim of increasing cooperation and collaboration between students and teachers within all areas of canine study, for the benefit of all. The aim of this is to increase the support available for dogs, their carers and rescue organisations through encouraging the study of a wide range of subjects in the canine psychology, behaviour, training and complementary therapy arenas.

The ISCP actively encourages continuing professional development, and runs a CPD programme for professionals. Affiliations with other schools, training centres and centres for complementary therapies help to further broaden the skills that can make a significant difference to the lives and wellbeing of dogs and people.

The affiliation programme gives ISCP students opportunities to train and study with leaders in the field of dog psychology, behaviour and training, while also strengthening links with other organisations who promote positive, force-free methods. ISCP students choosing to take part in this programme can include their additional studies and gain extra practical study for their ISCP diploma course.

Association of INTO Dogs 

INTO Dogs is a members-only organisation for dog trainers, behaviourists and other dog professionals who promote only positive, force-free methods that enhance the quality of life for dogs and their owners. High ethical standards are expected of members, with the welfare and wellbeing of the dog and owner as the central focus. The exchange of ideas, support and advice between members, as well as continued professional development, are encouraged. INTO Dogs keeps members informed about all new regulations and teachings.

Dr Isla Fishburn: Kachina Canine Communication

Wolf and dog expert and holistic behaviourist Dr Isla Fishburn founded Kachina Canine Communication. Isla has a BSc in Zoology, a Masters degree in Conservation and a PhD in Conservation Ecology. She teaches courses in dog and wolfdog behaviour and wellbeing. Isla is a member of the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) and the Association of INTO Dogs, and is on the Panel of Experts for the Dog Welfare Alliance.

Jo Pay: European Manager for Victoria Stilwell Positively

Jo Pay has been training dogs for 18 years, starting many years ago with Hearing Dogs For Deaf People and is the European Manager for Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training. Having completed diploma courses with Compass Education and The Animal Care College, Jo has also been lucky enough to learn from leading experts in the field of dog training. Jo is part of the Kennel Club Accredited Instructor Scheme working towards accreditation and runs Standish Dog Trainer, offering companion dog classes, puppy parties, Kennel Club Rally Obedience, agility classes, clicker and tricks classes and also offers 1-2-1 training and behaviour modification sessions.

Caroline Wilkinson: Ruff Hounds              

Trainer Caroline Wilkinson is a certified dog trainer and Real Dog Yoga practioner and teacher, and runs Ruff Hounds training school. She gained her qualification through top pet behaviour counsellor, trainer and author Sarah Whitehead. The Clever Dog Company has a reputation as offering the very best in modern, fun dog training.  Caroline runs classes in puppy training, mixed age dog training and Real Dog Yoga.

 Dale McLelland: Being Canine

Dale McLelland is the owner and principal trainer at Being Canine in Ayrshire, Scotland. Dale gained an Advanced Diploma in Canine Behaviour and Management with distinction through Compass, and aims to foster a real partnership between dogs and owners and to encourage “thinking dogs.” Dale is a professional member of the Dog Welfare Alliance.

Georgina Lees-Smith: Simply Behaviour

Georgina, our neuroscience expert, is the founder of Simply Behaviour and is engaged in an upcoming PhD in Affective Neuroscience. From her MSc in Applied Canine Behaviour she has a particular interest in how we can relate behaviour to the internal environment, with the added benefit of being able to measure brain and nervous system activity. Her excellent online courses cover a wide variety of subjects.

HumAnima CIC

HumAnima CIC was founded by Kathryn Kimbley and is based in the West Midlands. This award-winning organisation provides counselling and tailor-made Animal Assisted Therapy and Animal Assisted Psychotherapy programmes, and also runs courses in Animal Assisted Therapy.

Maxwell Muir: Action 4 Dogs

Dogs have always fascinated me. From the domestic dogs we share our lives with to their wild and feral counterparts. And then there are wolves, the very beasts that captivated my imagination as a young boy and have instilled a passion in me that has been strengthened with every passing year of my life.

My training methods and interactions with dogs are motivated by a deep love and respect for the animal. I am in a continuous search for further knowledge and learning experiences to deepen my appreciation for dogs and the lives they lead. I share this knowledge with the aim to help owners and their dogs live fuller lives together. I also host regular seminars & lectures with some of the world’s leading names in canine behaviour.

Marie Yates: Canine Perspective CIC

Canine Perspective CIC is a social enterprise dedicated to utilising positive dog training and the human-canine bond in order to train you, from your dog’s point of view. Alongside dog training and behavioural consultations, predominantly in and around South Wales, we work to achieve our social mission. This mission centres around utilising the unique abilities of dogs as a catalyst for positive change. Our signature project is Canine Hope, a programme designed for survivors of rape and sexual violence with a link to our book, Reggie and Me, the first book in The Dani Moore Trilogy.

Chris Kent: The K9 Project

Chris Kent is the Project Founder and Programme Lead of the K9 Project, and author of the inspirational book “Hounds Who Heal”.

The K9 Project brings the magic of people and dogs together to create better outcomes for both. Working alongside their project dogs (all ex shelter dogs) Their unique range of programmes focusing on enhancing emotional well-being include animal assisted personal development coaching for adults,  animal assisted education and activities for vulnerable young people and support and guidance for disadvantaged dog owners and their family pets. From children and young people who are not benefiting from conventional education to adults who want to change their lives for the better, we have facilitated numerous workshops, programmes, individual and group sessions to help them find new directions on their way through life. At K9 we believe everyone deserves at least a second chance, and by working alongside our lovely team of dogs we can help them find that opportunity, and grab it with both paws. (Sorry…hands!)

Jason Currie and Avery Candu, publishers at Modern Dog Group   

Modern Dog Group consists of several Facebook groups dedicated to sharing modern, science-based information with their members. The MDG Community Magazine contains a wealth of information and articles about all aspects of dog training, behaviour and health. You can join the Modern Dog Training & Behaviour Group on Facebook, too.

Jill Breitner: Dog Decoder

Dog Decoder is a smartphone app about dog body language.  In the name of safety and humane education between dogs and humans, I was inspired to create this app because of the large numbers of people being bitten by dogs because of the lack of understanding about how to read dogs, furthermore these dogs end up in shelters to be re-homed again and again or worse, euthanized.

For over 35 years, as a dog trainer I have devoted myself to coaching clients about the nature of dogs i.e, their body language and energy- as it relates to effective training for both dogs and humans alike.

It is available in itunes and Google play.

Sally Hopkins: Dog Games

Sally is a renowned behaviourist, trainer and lecturer, and co-founder (with her husband, Sean Hopkins) of Dog Games Ltd. As the inventor and designer of dog harnesses, collars and leads, the Dog Games Fleece Lined Harnesses and Perfect Fit Harnesses have transformed the lives of dogs and their carers and resulted in Sally becoming a highly respected canine consultant for the global pet industry. Sprinkles TM, Sally’s method of helping dogs to learn how to be calm and focussed, has revolutionised our understanding of dogs. The Dog Games Ltd website contains a wealth of information about a wide range of dog-related subjects in the areas of behaviour, research and training.

Toni Shelbourne, dog and wolf expert

Toni Shelbourne  has worked with domesticated and wild canids since 1989. After a long and successful career with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, she started her own business as a Tellington TTouch Companion Animal Practitioner. She is now one of the highest qualified Practitioners in the UK. In 2001 her skills in TTouch took Toni to the UK Wolf Conservation Trust were she meet a pack of socialised wolves. She went on to work with them for over a decade as a Senior Wolf Handler and Education Officer for the organisation.  Through observing the wolves she has a unique insight into their behaviour.  This led to her questioning the ingrained ideas about the alpha theory with dogs, ideas that were often in conflict with her own knowledge and observations. Today she advises wolf organisations and zoos on wolf behaviour and management.

Over the last decade Toni has been developing her writing. She spent two years editing and writing features for Wolf Print, the UK Wolf Conservation Trust’s international magazine. She went on to write for national dog magazines, rescue society newsletters and websites. Her first book, The Truth about Wolves & Dogs, was published in 2012 and followed in 2015 by Among the Wolves: Memoirs of a Wolf Handler. Since then she has published a number of books with more in the planning and writing stages. Her latest writing collaboration with author Karen Bush sees a series of books entitled Help… My Dog is. The first, Help…My Dog is Scared of Fireworks was a great success. More titles are planned. Visit the books website or the Facebook page for more details.

Linda Michaels MA

Linda Michaels, M. A., Experimental Psychology (Hons), focuses on the psychological aspects of dog behavior that often mirror human psychological conditions, such as: fear, separation/attachment disorders and aggression as well as animal wellness. Her laboratory research experience in behavioral neurobiology examined the interface between behavior and the brain. Linda’s unique combination of scientific training and hands-on experience with dogs and wolfdogs creates a bridge between the worlds of research, dog trainers and pet parents as demonstrated in her presentation at the Pet 2015 Professional Guild (PPG) inaugural summit: Understanding Research: Making the case for force-free training. Linda was recently rated one of the top ten dog trainers in the United States, by Top Ten Magazine.

Linda’s worked with some of the most difficult cases at the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA across five years, and is an outspoken animal welfare advocate opposing dominance-based dog training methods and aversive collar devices.

Simons Soldiers Foundation

Simons Soldiers Foundation employs veterans to find and train homeless dogs as emotional support companions for veterans disabled by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The foundation uses cost-efficient, fast-track protocols to train rescue dogs to better meet the overwhelming demand for PTSD Emotional Support Companion Canines.

Simons Soldiers is Central Command for a network of cost-efficient, regional non-profit Training Centers to help PTSD vets and homeless dogs team to build productive, interactive lives.

This non-profit organization provides economy of scale, proven protocols, and a communications center for PTSD dog organizations to share ideas, improve programs, boost cost-efficiency, generate buying power and assist the most veterans possible.  Most importantly, it dramatically expands training capabilities and significantly boosts the supply of specially-trained PTSD dogs for combat veterans.

You can also find Simons Soldiers on Facebook page.

Gwen Matear: Tynewater K9

Gwen is a client-centred behaviour practitioner, trainer and coach. Her wide variety of skills and experience includes: Board Director for Paws for Progress CIC, Registered Scentwork Trainer and Tracking Dog Assessor, a Kennel Club judge for Working Trials and Kennel Club Good Citizen Awards,  a volunteer for Springer Rescue Scotland and Medical Detection Dogs.

Carole Justice Gray: Canine Bowen Therapist 

Carole Justice Gray is the UK Co-coordinator of the European Guild of Canine Bowen Therapists (EGCBT) and authorised teacher of Canine Bowen Technique for EGCBT. She has been working as a Bowen Practitioner since 2009 in Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire as well as travelling far afield working with dogs. In 2014 after working with and shadowing Sally & Ron Askew for two years in UK and Switzerland, Carole began running and teaching the established EGCBT Canine Bowen Technique self-Interest and practitioner course in the UK with fellow Canine Bowen Technique practitioner Eileen Smith. In 2016 Carole will be teaching in Holland and assisting Nicole Frohlich with her EGCBT Canine Bowen Technique course in Switzerland.

For further information about Carole, Canine Bowen Technique and the training courses available please see www.caninebowentherapist.co.uk.

Kathie Gregory

Kathie Gregory is a qualified animal behaviourist specialising in advanced cognitive awareness and emotional intelligence. She has developed freewillteaching® a revolutionary new approach to teaching animals. Kathie regularly writes for PPG’s Barks from the Guild and Kennel & Cattery Magazine. Her first book, A tale of two horses: a passion for free will teaching, published by Hubble & Hattie is available from major booksellers online and instore.

Tom Candy

Tom Candy BSc (Hons) MSc CAB. Full member of the Association of INTO Dogs, and a member of the INTO Dogs committee. Full member of the British Veterinary Behaviour Association. Accredited Animal Behaviourist, Animal Behaviour and Training council.

Following the completion of his degrees Tom is now a Training and Behaviour advisor at Dogs Trust in Ilfracombe, North Devon, working with dogs both in kennels and in home environments with a range of training and behaviour problems.

Katie Scott-Dyer: Love Dog training

Katie Scott-Dyer APDT,UK, IMDT, TAGteach and ISAP has owned and operated Love Dog Training for the past 11 years. Based in South Gloucestershire, the business specialises in fun life skills puppy and dog training courses, and offers support far beyond the end of class. She also offers behaviour consultations.

Katie collaborates regularly with other local dog training professionals, writing and presenting workshops and seminars to dog guardians and professionals alike. Always learning, Katie is currently studying at undergraduate level and has ASD, autism spectrum disorder, which her work with canines and other species has greatly increased her abilities and confidence around people. She rides horses in her spare time and dreams of owning her own horse someday!

Jo Middleton, Dog First Aid

Dog First Aid Ltd specialises in providing certified training for dog professionals and is the UK’s leading Dog First Aid Franchise.  Our Dog First Aid programmes are unique, UK courses teaching canine first aid designed specifically for those working with dogs. We are the only qualified UK company to offer the Continued Professional Development (CPD) accredited Emergency Canine Care™ (ECC) Course.

Our Core Purpose is to provide those working with dogs veterinary approved emergency dog first aid skills and the confidence to act appropriately and correctly when required. Please visit www.dog-first-aid.com for more information.

Rachel Bean

Rachel Bean is a Qualified Veterinary Nurse and has worked in Veterinary Practice for 20 years. With the support of the Practice Veterinarians in the Greater Manchester and Lancashire area Rachel has for many years consulted with owners who encounter problem behaviour with their Dogs. Rachel works with clients in their home on a One to One basis and helps them achieve a better understanding of their dog’s behaviour.

Before qualifying as a Veterinary Nurse, Rachel was an Assistant Kennel Manager for the Dogs Trust and has a good deal of experience in the rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing of dogs.
Rachel won Pet Health Counsellor of the Year in 2004 and has a certificate in Companion Animal Behaviour issued by The British Veterinary Nurse Association. Rachel is a listed and Registered Veterinary Nurse with The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and is a Full Member of The Canine and Feline Behaviour Association as this enables Rachel to work with Vets via Referral.

Rachel has recently become very involved with The Soi Dog Foundation, the street dog Shelter based in Phuket in Thailand and has visited four times in the last 2 years.

Sindhoor Pangal

Sindhoor is a canine behaviour consultant educated by Turid Rugaas. She set up Bangalore Hundeskole in Bangalore, India with the goal of providing holistic and scientific care for our dogs, which attempts to improve a dog’s quality of life by altering the living environment, improving non-verbal communication between dogs and humans, improving diet and optimizing the lifestyle based on the individual needs of the dog and his/her humans. Bangalore Hundeskole recently opened Bangalore Hundeskole Academy which aims at providing several different courses that range from single weekend courses to year-long courses, catering to the different needs to pet parents, pet professionals and aspiring behaviour consultants.

Sindhoor also writes on related topics in her own blog, as well as for other journals like Bark Magazine and PDTE Journal. She maintained, for two years, a weekly column on the topic in a local newspaper with a circulation of 156,000 daily. She is also the founder of Bombat Dawgz, a special interest group of dog lovers in the city with more than 10,000 members. Sindhoor is currently a full member of Pet Dog Trainers of Europe and is the editor for the PDTE Journal.

Lives of Streeties is a special project of Sindhoor’s, that aims to identify the activity budget of free ranging dogs. The larger goal of this project is to enable more studies on free ranging dogs, as a way to understand their “natural behaviour”.

Olwen Turns

I have been lucky enough to be able to tap into some of the top trainers and behaviourists, being there at the start of science based training and attending the earliest conferences in the subject.  I have completed the Think Dog course run by Sarah Whitehead to become a qualified behaviourist.

People soon started asking me to recommend a dog groomer or a walker, or other pet services.  These are all areas that anyone can set up in, as the only pet service that is regulated is Veterinary Practice.

I was made redundant (from Groundwork Northamptonshire) in 2011 and used the money to attend a practical dog grooming course alongside doing a paper based level 3 course.  Once I had completed the practical course I set up Cloverleaf, offering a mobile grooming service while I looked for suitable premises to work from.   Cloverleaf Canine Centre opened in Corby, Northants, in March 2012, offering grooming, day care, behaviour consultations and training all under one roof.

I completed the paper based grooming course in October 2012, gaining a diploma with a Distinction and am now proud to have the initials S.A.C. Dip after my name.

So that my clients know I am offering a great service I have joined the Pet Care Trust, am a member of the British Dog Groomer’s Association, and am on the sub committee of The Association of  INTODogs. I am working on my own education all the time, attending courses and Continuous Professional Development training I am half way through doing a Foundation Degree in Canine Behaviour Management, looking forward to a future where all pet care is regulated.  I am a member of the Kennel Club Accredited Instructors and will be taking the test this year to become a full member. 

Cloverleaf grooming is a spa for dogs; with a hydrobath power shower for dogs, giving them a deep clean with a stimulating water massage, I offer pawdicures and facials for those who need a tidy up between full grooms.  And as a qualified behaviourist I am able to work with dogs that have been banned from elsewhere.

More recently I am starting to specialise in remedial grooming for dogs that have issues at the groomers, I am finding that this is a growing problem and am taking referrals from other behaviourists that have had dogs referred via the vet.  I am having to refer back to the vet in a lot of these cases as the dogs appear to be acting out of pain which has gone unnoticed by the dog’s usual care group, having a fresh pair of eyes is of obvious benefit to them.  Once the pain has been managed I am able to work on counter conditioning and desensitisation to get the dog back to being comfortable with the process.

I have also started up Pawsitive Ringcraft, because of some of the practices I was seeing at ring craft classes while taking my dogs training.

I currently have 3 border collies; Faie, who was gifted to me by her breeder and her offspring Tatty and Storm.  Faie is the face of Cloverleaf and helps me run day care, she is happy to play with other dogs or just to hang out with them, depending on their needs. Tatty is blue merle and as nutty as they come.  She is loves the show ring and was at Crufts at only 9 months old.  Storm was sold at 10 weeks old but came back at 6 months because of some behaviour issues he’d acquired.  He’s still got some work to do but is shaping up to be a good stooge dog. Both Faie and Tatty have done the Good Citizens Bronze test.

Rachael Landymore