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Having attended a consultation meeting on regulations on 27th Sept 2019, we are even more confident that the basics of everything that attendees referred to is already in place, and can easily be developed further. The CAWC Code seems widely acknowledged but the RCDTBP, founded in 2010 to hold the registers of Signatories to it, seems to have been a little lost in the ether.
In implementing the Code, the RCDTBP inclusively provides all individuals with a structured profile to register and build knowledge and experience, and together with the public feedback facility offered, it aims to help ensure every practitioner meets, and continually develops to meet, the professional demands of the industry.
The RCDTBP works on positivity, and our processes identify those for what they ‘put in’ to the industry, the profiling provides criteria to both recognise expertise and help all to develop.
RCDTBP Update November 2019
Important Downloads
Canine Services
Individual Signatories
Related Organisations
Code of Practice
Policy Document
The Registration Council has the responsibility to manage and hold the official register of Signatories to the CAWC Code of Practice
in regard to dogs. In doing so, it aims to unite all practitioners, service and course providers, related membership organisations
and charities; promote all efforts to advance animal welfare, and increase individual understanding of training, behaviour
and the canine-
© All content copyright of RCDTBP Community Interest Company
(Registered not-
Management Rules and Regulations
1 & 2 appear separately under 'purpose'
3. For the purposes of this Council the following terms shall apply:
a. Affiliate / Affiliated Organisation – to all industry related charities, educational and or membership bodies promoting animal welfare and or setting standards for their students and or members, which register to demonstrate their support for the CAWC Code.
b. Code – to the Companion Animal Welfare Council’s industry agreed Dog Behaviour and Training Code of Practice for Practitioners (2010).
c. Council – to the Registration Council for Dog Training and Behaviour Practitioners (RCDTBP), an organisation consisting of Registered Signatories to the Code (Individuals and related groups).
d. Industry – to all organisations and services involved with aspect of Dogs and their Welfare, and in particular in regard to Training and Behaviour, whether registered with the RCDTBP or not.
e. Member – to members of the Executive Committee (EC) only, each of whom shall have a vote on management issues. No membership status or voting rights apply to Signatories.
f. NOS – to the National Occupational Standards relating to training and behaviour of dog as produced by Lantra (Land-
g. Practitioner – to all individuals, be they paid or unpaid, who instruct, teach, advise, counsel or work within any area of dog training and canine behaviour and related care services, and to all those working either directly or indirectly towards gaining proficiency in these skills.
h. Related Organisations / Groups – to all organisations providing, either directly or indirectly, dog training and behaviour services to the public, be they businesses, charities, voluntary groups and or clubs, wishing to support, adopt, uphold and promote the standards set by the Code.
i. Service Provider – to all with a working commitment to the Code and listed as a public service.
j. Signatory – to all those who register with the RCDTBP to support and or commit to the professional and humane standards set by the CAWC Code of Practice as agreed by the industry, be they involved individuals (such as instructors, advisors, trainers, students, assistants, helpers or volunteers), groups, clubs, businesses, charities, related organisations or interested parties.
k. Subscriber – to all paying a subscription fee
l. Supporter – to signatories not actively or directly involved as a Practitioner, wishing to support, adopt, uphold and or promote the professional and humane standards set by the Code.
4. The Council shall include all those registered as Signatories – be they Subscribers (Individuals, Service and Course Providers) or Non-
All Signatories may use the logo and may describe themselves in writing as a RCDTBP Registered Signatory to the CAWC Code of Practice. The following conditions apply:
a) Subscribers: Individual Practitioners, Service Providers and Course Providers
- Individuals: (active practitioners and supporters) will pay an initial registration fee and annual subscription fee, with confirmation of cpd, insurance, changes etc.
- Service Providers: (Club / Business / Personal) will be required to set up a standing order to pay half the annual subscription fee every six months to list their services.
- Service Providers will consist of at least one Individual Signatory, and will encourage each ‘staff’ member to register individually within one year of joining them, unless they are a member of an affiliated organisation listed with the RCDTBP.
- Service Providers shall be responsible for all members of ‘staff’ which help provide their services – be they trainers, advisors or assistants whether employed or working as volunteers.
b) Non-
- No subscription fee will be required however a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ shall apply as a reciprocal agreement of support to promote the Code and related activities.
- It shall be the responsibility of the Organisation in the first instance to deal with any complaints received under the Code about their members and or their member’s services.
- Reduced subscription fees shall apply to individuals who are members of registered affiliated organisations.
5. The Council will be directed by an Executive Committee (EC)
a. The EC shall comprise of a minimum of four members acting as Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Registrar, with a maximum set by annual review. All appointed members shall have a vote within the EC. Selection of members will be through skills, knowledge and expertise for any defined role.
b. Each EC member shall serve for a period of three years. At least two EC members will retire annually by rotation but may offer themselves for re-
c. The EC shall elect a Chairman and Vice-
d. The quorum at any meeting of the EC shall be three members or one third whichever is the greater.
e. The EC will be responsible for all areas of policy and discipline that may arise.
f. The EC will have the power to co-
g. The EC shall have the power to appoint specialists and experts and or set up working groups as required, to advise, carry out research and or prepare reports, but who shall not have a vote within the EC. All advisory and working groups shall include of a minimum of one active EC member.
h. The EC shall deal with routine matters and correspondence by email and remote discussion and shall hold a full Committee meeting a minimum of three per annum, including the AGM.
6. Registration is open to all who wish to commit to the Code and their name and location shall be added to the list of Signatories on a permanent basis, unless notification is received by the Council in writing of their wish to be removed from the Register due to inactivity, or due to an EC ruling under section 10.
7. All Signatories shall provide a personal profile for public access, maintained with an on-
8. Signatories will be responsible for maintaining the accuracy of their personal profile. Signatories may, within their profile for public access, register their knowledge and experience any individual activity in which they are, or have been, involved, together with a supporting statement, and or may refer to any Service Provider with which they are involved, providing advertising is accurate.
9. Active Practitioners will be listed as a Registered Signatory for public access; however they will not be automatically listed as a Service Provider. Application for listing as a Service Provider will require a separate and on-
10. The Code shall apply to all Signatories and the EC will use its authority to investigate complaints and dispose of any complaint in respect of any Signatory, regardless of any Council involvement.
a. any individual or organisation, whose behaviour or other actions after investigation are judged to bring discredit upon the Council, and or the Code may have imposed on them any one or more of the following penalties: i) be warned ii) be censured or iii) have their profile access removed and subscription terminated as deemed appropriate
b. any complaints received about members of Affiliated Organisations, shall in the first instance, be referred to the Organisation(s) to deal with. The EC will only become involved where no solution has been found with the member’s organisation, or, where the action taken / proposed is considered by the Council to be inadequate
c. The EC shall have the power to delegate its authority to investigate complaints and thereafter to institute a) disciplinary or b) grievance proceedings or c) to dispose of any complaint if i) it appears trivial or ii) the disciplinary or grievance proceedings should not be brought in for some good reason.
11. Registration, subscription and any other fees shall be such a sum as the EC shall determine over time.
12. The EC will be required to endorse all matters of policy and will be the final authority on all Council matters.
