If you love dogs, like practical hands-on working, have creative flair and are looking for flexible working opportunities – a career as a dog groomer could be for you!

There are no doubts about it, dog grooming is physically hard work. Often dog groomers work alone, with many having their own business so having the motivation to succeed is vital.

As a dog groomer you will need the knowledge to:

• Carry out basic health checks
• Identify parasites and signs of infection
• Bath, dry and style dogs to breed standard of customer specification
• Advise owners on grooming requirements and coat care between grooms
• Make appointments, process payments and keep records

Some dog groomers work in establish grooming parlours, others work from home or from a mobile set up. Opportunities to partner up with existing businesses such as boarding kennels may exist for those wanting to be self-employed but not having the ability to work from home.

Training

The main industry recognised qualifications for those looking to train as a dog groomer are those accredited by City & Guilds, namely:

• Level 2 Certificate for Dog Grooming Assistants
• Level 3 Diploma in Dog Grooming

The College of Animal Welfare runs these courses on either a day release or block release basis from its Huntingdon centre in Cambridgeshire and its centre near Leeds (West Yorkshire).

Block release training consists of full-time attendance from Monday to Friday for five weeks (level 2) and eight weeks (level 3).

Day release courses require students to attend College for one day per week for six months or a year (level 2 and 3 respectively).

Funding your training

Course fees and available funding will depend on each course provider, however at The College of Animal Welfare we try, where possible, to make learning as accessible as possible. To this end we have monthly payment options and, in addition, learner loan funding for eligible students on the level 3 dog grooming course. Course fees can be found on the relevant dog grooming course pages on our website.

Career prospects

Once you qualify as a dog groomer, many opportunities become available to you. Some of our past students have gained employment as dog grooming stylists in grooming parlours, some have gone on to open up their own dog grooming businesses and some have even returned to work for us in training roles, teaching the next generation of dog groomers!

• Case study – Kim Chase (Petchase Dog Grooming and Walking Services)
• Case study – Tiffany Saywell (Brite Barks)

Further information

If you are thinking about training to become a dog groomer but are not sure how to get started or which route is best for you, please call our Customer Advice Team on 01480 422060 / admin@caw.ac.uk for a chat. We are happy to talk you through your options and try to answer any questions you may have.

Train to be a dog groomer with The College of Animal Welfare…

Veterinary Care Assistants (VCAs) are important members of today’s modern veterinary team…

As a VCA you would work alongside veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to provide vital nursing care to small animal patients. Some of the tasks you would be involved with include:

• Exercising, grooming and feeding hospitalised animals (inpatients)
• Monitoring and providing supportive care to inpatients
• Preparing theatre and relevant equipment
• Cleaning and preparing accommodation for animals
• Restraining animals for treatment
• Reception duties, including advising clients on preventative health care e.g. flea treatment
• Record keeping

VCA jobs often include evening and weekend work, so the ability to work flexibly is essential. Although the hours can be long and the work physically and emotionally demanding, the rewards that come from being part of a team that work together to nurse an animal back to health, make the job extremely worthwhile and fulfilling.

Training

Level 2 Diploma for Veterinary Care Assistants

The College of Animal Welfare runs the City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma for Veterinary Care Assistants programme as an online distance learning course lasting 12 months.

In order to enrol onto the course you will need to either be working, or volunteering, in a veterinary practice for a minimum of 30 hours per week. There is also the possibility of undertaking the course on a part-time basis lasting 18 months if you are working/volunteering in practice for at least 10-15 hours per week.

Funding your training

Course fees and available funding depend on each course provider, however at The College of Animal Welfare we have tried to make learning as accessible as possible through the introduction of a monthly payment scheme. Course fees can be found on the on our website.

Career prospects

Many VCAs go on to train as a veterinary nurse. The VCA qualification, alongside a full level 2 qualification in English and Mathematics (i.e. GCSE Grade C/4 or above/Functional Skills Level 2) will give you the academic entry requirements to progress onto a veterinary nursing course.

Other veterinary care assistants choose to remain in their role, perhaps taking additional qualifications such as the Level 2 Certificate in Assisting Veterinary Surgeons in the Monitoring of Animal Patients Under Anaesthesia and Sedation programme.

Further information

If you are thinking about training to become a veterinary care assistant but are not sure how to get started or which route is best for you, please call our Customer Advice Team on 01480 422060 / admin@caw.ac.uk for a chat. We are happy to talk you through your options and try to answer any questions you may have.

Train to be a veterinary care assistant at The College of Animal Welfare…

If you are passionate about improving and conserving the environment around you, and are keen to learn more, gaining a nationally recognised qualification could be your ideal starting point!

There are lots of opportunities for those looking to work or volunteer in the countryside, and most people who do this kind of work all share a few things in common – a love of the great outdoors, a passion for nature and wildlife and a desire to make the countryside a better place. And what better way to make a living that by spending it doing something you love!

Working in the countryside can involve:

• Performing research and conducting surveys
• Writing reports
• Supporting environmental events and projects
• Dealing with complaints
• Maintaining the footpaths and other facilities such as car parks and litter bins

It goes without saying that the work can be physically demanding and you must be happy working outside at all times of the year.

Getting into the profession

Relevant work experience and qualifications will help you a great deal as job positions are often competitive. You could look for opportunities to volunteer at local parks or conservation charities to build up your portfolio of experience.

If you are looking to gain more knowledge to give yourself a solid grounding in countryside practices and principles you may wish to consider undertaking a formal qualification such as the City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Countryside and Environment (details can be found below).

City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Countryside and Environment

The College of Animal Welfare runs this qualification as a one year, online distance learning course that can be started at any time during the year. Course materials are provided by a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with support from a Distance Learning Tutor meaning you can study at home, at work or even on the move, at a time that is convenient to you!

You will look at a variety of topics such as ecological surveys, the conservation of British habitats, countryside access and recreation and urban habitat ecology and more.

Funding your training

If you are looking to undertake The College of Animal Welfare’s Level 2 Diploma in Countryside and Environment qualification, we have a monthly payment scheme meaning you can spread out the cost of studying if need be.  Course fees can be found on our website.

Career prospects

Jobs working in the countryside are wide and varied ranging from countryside officer and site manager roles to research and ecology.

The Countryside Jobs Service (CJS) is a great place to start to look at the kind of roles available.

Further information

If you are thinking about studying the Level 2 Diploma in Countryside and Environment course and have any questions please call our Customer Advice Team on 01480 422060 / admin@caw.ac.uk for a chat. We are happy to talk you through your options and try to answer any questions you may have.

If you love animals, are hard-working, caring and pragmatic… a career as a veterinary nurse could be for you!

As a veterinary nurse, you will get to make a difference to the lives of animals and their owners every day. You would work as part of a close knit team providing nursing care to a range of animals, this could include:

• Preparing animals for surgery and performing minor surgical procedures
• Monitoring anaesthetised animals and assisting in theatre
• Nursing sick animals and administering medication
• Taking x-rays and carrying out diagnostic tests
• Advising owners on the health and welfare of their pets
• Taking bookings, payments and completing necessary paperwork
• Running nurse clinics, such as diet, worming and grooming consultations

Veterinary nursing is definitely not a 9-5 profession! Often working hours are organised in shifts and this can include nights and weekends. In fact many veterinary nurses end up taking their work home with them sometimes in the form of an abandoned or stray animal that needs a place to stay! However, increasing numbers of employers are recognising the need for part-time and more flexible roles and so this may be possible in some practices.

Whilst much of the work that veterinary nurses carry out is rewarding and varied – of course there are tedious tasks that need to be done – with veterinary nursing this is usually cleaning! Cages need to be cleaned and floors need to be mopped; therefore you should also be prepared to take on hard and dirty work when necessary.

Training

There are two main ways of training to become a veterinary nurse;

1. Full-time at College or University (including work placements in practice) for those who are not employed in a practice
2. Part-time alongside employment in a veterinary practice.

Full-time training (for those not employed in veterinary practice)

The two main options for those not employed in a veterinary practice are degree level and diploma level study.

Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing – a two to three year training programme consisting of classroom tuition and practical learning whilst on unpaid work placement in veterinary practice.

FdSc/BSc (Honours) Veterinary Nursing – either a three or four year undergraduate programme incorporating both theoretical study at university and work placement in practice to gain solid practical nursing skills.

Successful completion of either of the above programmes of study, alongside the required practical hours spent in practice, will enable you to apply to join the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Register of Veterinary Nurses.

Part-time training (for those employed in a veterinary practice)

Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing/Advanced Apprenticeship – If you are lucky enough to find employment as a student veterinary nurse or veterinary nurse apprentice in a veterinary practice you will attend College on a day release or block release basis and undertake the Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing programme either as a standalone qualification or as part of an apprenticeship. Successful completion of this, alongside the required practical hours spent in practice, will enable you to apply to join the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Register of Veterinary Nurses.

Funding your training

Course fees and available funding depend on each course provider, however at The College of Animal Welfare we have tried to make learning as accessible as possible through the introduction of a monthly payment scheme and learner loan funding for eligible students. Course fees can be found on the relevant veterinary nursing course pages on our website.

Career prospects

Job prospects for registered veterinary nurses are excellent within both veterinary practice and in related industries. A nationwide shortage of veterinary nurses means that salary expectations have increased significantly in recent years. You can now expect a veterinary nurse salary to be in excess of £20,229 on average per year (2014).

Some veterinary nurses choose to remain in first opinion practice, others diversify into referral practice, charity work or even into education, sales or marketing. With further study there may also be the potential to work in physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and behaviour.

Further information

If you are thinking about training to become a veterinary nurse but are not sure how to get started or which route is best for you, please call our Customer Advice Team on 01480 422060 / admin@caw.ac.uk for a chat. We are happy to talk you through your options and try to answer any questions you may have.

Train to be a veterinary nurse at The College of Animal Welfare…

The Scottish Government has announced its intention to continue to allow the sale and use of electric shock training collars on dogs, despite the UK’s largest organisation dedicated to dog health and welfare, the Kennel Club, and the Scottish Kennel Club presenting overwhelming evidence supporting a total ban on the cruel training devices.

The Kennel Club and Scottish Kennel Club are now urging dog lovers and anyone with an interest in dog welfare in Scotland, to write to their MSP asking them to show their support for an outright ban on the sale and use of shock collars. A letter template for those wishing to do so can be found at https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/our-resources/kennel-club-campaigns/electric-shock-collars

Maurice Golden MSP, a long-time supporter of the campaign to have electric shock collars banned, said: “Electric shock collars are harmful and have no place in modern dog training. The advice from academia, dog behaviourists and trainers is clear – electrocuting dogs does not help train them”.

The Kennel Club and Scottish Kennel Club were joined by leading animal welfare and veterinary organisations, dog trainers, behaviourists and MSPs during an event held at the Scottish Parliament recently (8^th November) to ask the Scottish Government to ban electric shock collars. Dr Jonathan Cooper from the University of Lincoln presented research funded by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which included evidence of significant long term negative effects on the welfare of a number of dogs that were trained by electric shock collars.

Despite the huge volume of evidence reinforcing the need for a ban on electric shock collars and support for the campaign across the welfare and veterinary sectors, the Scottish Government has informed the Kennel Club of its intent to merely regulate the sale and use of electric training devices rather than implementing a ban. The proposed regulations would include a new qualification for up to 100 dog trainers across the country to enable them to promote and use shock collars on dogs.

During the recent meeting it was suggested by one attendee that shock collars could be used by owners who had chosen an unsuitable breed and were consequently struggling to handle their dog and were unable or unwilling to commit to other more positive training methods. This reasoning goes directly against the advice of the Kennel Club and other welfare organisations who all advise prospective dog owners to thoroughly research breeds and only choose one that is suitable for the person’s lifestyle. The Kennel Club believes a dog should not be punished with electric shocks or any other painful treatment simply because their owner did not find out how much training or exercise their dog would need before buying or adopting their pet.

The Kennel Club understands that the Scottish Government has been meeting with the Electric Shock Collars Manufacturers Association and dog trainers in Scotland who currently use shock collars, yet has not had any meetings with any of the professional dog training associations who oppose the use of electric training devices.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary said: “It is extremely disappointing that despite the large amount of scientific evidence proving that electric shock collars are a cruel training method for dogs, the Scottish Government has decided to pursue a costly route to regulate shock collars rather than implement an outright ban.

“The Kennel Club has grave concerns that if the government supports a formal training qualification which allows electronic training devices, it will legitimise the use of shock collars and gaining the qualification may be viewed as an aspirational target for dog trainers. This governmental approval would also send a message to the people of Scotland that using these painful devices is an acceptable way to attempt to train a dog, when there is a wealth of evidence proving to the contrary.

“The Kennel Club also questions whether developing a qualification for fewer than a hundred dog trainers is an appropriate use of resources and tax payers’ money when the government could instead develop a qualification in positive training methods suitable for all dog trainers, the vast majority of whom would never use an electric shock collar.”

More information on the Kennel Club’s campaign for a ban on the sale and use of electric shock collars, and template letters for anyone wishing to write to their MSP, can be found at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/our-resources/kennel-club-campaigns/electric-shock-collars.

Middlesex University BSc Honours Veterinary Nurses at Graduation

The College of Animal Welfare is delighted to announce that a new four year, full-time, BSc (Honours) Veterinary Nursing with Foundation Year programme, awarded by Middlesex University, will run at its Huntingdon centre in Cambridgeshire from October 2018.

The new programme offers an alternative pathway onto degree level veterinary nursing study for those students who do not have the necessary entry requirements, or are not quite ready for direct entry onto year one of the BSc programme. The foundation (first) year is classroom based and introduces key veterinary nursing topics as well as equipping students with solid study and research skills and preparing them for employability within the veterinary profession.

Frank Taylor, Vice Principal Veterinary Studies at The College of Animal Welfare, said “Each year we speak to many potential students who show great passion and commitment to join the veterinary nursing profession but, for many reasons, do not have the qualifications required for direct entry. For some this is through lack of opportunity or personal circumstances, for others it may be a decision to change career but find that the qualifications they already hold are not in the required subjects”. He continued “This new programme reflects our commitment to finding new ways of widening learning opportunities and we are looking forward to welcoming the first cohort of students next autumn”.

Successful completion of the foundation year allows students to continue on to Middlesex University’s pioneering BSc (Honours) Veterinary Nursing held at the College’s Huntingdon centre; a programme that was the first every veterinary nursing degree in Europe and paved the way for graduate level veterinary nursing study. Those students who successfully complete the foundation year but choose not to continue onto the full BSc programme will be awarded a Foundation Certificate in Animal Health Studies.

All applications should be made through UCAS. Open evenings at The College of Animal Welfare’s Huntingdon centre are being held on Thursday 12 October 2017 (6-8pm) and Wednesday 10 January 2018 (6-8pm), or more information can be found at www.caw.ac.uk.