Delta Courses

[Prydenjoy]

I'm kinda at that point where I'm not sure what I want to do anymore too... I have always loved animals but never knew of any good careers I could do with animals. So I started a course at uni and now I know that no matter what I do I'm always going to want to do something with animals, so now I'm half way through this uni degree and unsure of what I really want to do!

What sort of careers can you have with dogs and how do they pay?

[wagsalot]

After researching myself a few months ago the delta seemed more suitable with the two, two week session, over the ndtf's once every month attendance.

the one problem i hit with both was that my dog gets car sick and also that he wouldnt cope being crated.

[wagalot]

well i have worked with animals all my live apart from working with my partner doing landscape gardening for about 3 yrs( our own business).

I haved worked at zoos, with wildlife which apart from dogs is my other passion.....,dog kennels, pounds, lost dogs home, kennels again arrr the list goes on...... but i have learned alot and now am currently trying to run my own business called Wagalot pet care, dog training, dog minding, walking, doggy day care etc,but trying to get my busines up off the ground and successful is hard work, lots to pay out( insurance, atvertising etc) and not much profet...... i don't think there are too many jobs out there working with animals where you get paid a good wage....... its the passion not the money ya in it for........shame really would be nice to get paid lots for something you love doing

my friends and family are pressuring me into a job in customs(really would like to work with the sniffer dogs, but i think it is pretty hard to get into unless you aer employed by customs to start with....... but i am umming and arrring.....is this what i want to do or to i want to keep my business going and inprove my training skills by doing the Delta course..... ohhh i don't know....... sorry if i have hijacked

cheers Sam.....

ps: any one know much about working with sniffer dogs?????????

[Sayreovi]

Clicking Mad im pretty sure is working with customs and has a sniffer dog to train at the moment

[wagalot]

aarrrh CLICKING MAD ARE YOU OUT THEREEEE, yes i thing i need to get in contact with someone in the feld thet can give me more info.....

cheers Sam...... think i better start a new thread instaed of hijacking

[Prydenjoy]

the one problem i hit with both was that my dog gets car sick and also that he wouldnt cope being crated.

Well if you, or anyone else, wants to do the Delta course but can't take their own dog, and I do end up enrolling, then I'd be more than happy to provide a dog! LOL, I'm taking Montie for myself, but would be more than happy to bring Merlin and/or Diego down if anyone needed them. Merlin would be over a year old by then, and very pleasing to train, and Diego would be good if you wanted a challenge, you can learn a lot from him about not becoming boring, because if you get boring he'll just stop trying!

Wags, I don't mind you hijacking, but I'd probably just be worried that your posts might not be noticed by those who need to notice them in here! Good luck though, sounds like fun!

Maybe I can finish my psych degree at uni and do some part time mental health work and part time dog behavioral consults or something, that way I have both a steady income and am doing something that I will love... oh and would be helping people in both my career choices!

[wagsalot]

the one problem i hit with both was that my dog gets car sick and also that he wouldnt cope being crated.

Well if you, or anyone else, wants to do the Delta course but can't take their own dog, and I do end up enrolling, then I'd be more than happy to provide a dog!

Funny you said that.

I actually emailed them and asked what happens if I cant take a dog and they said they arrange for you to borrow someone elses dog.

I kind of thought people might not like me borrowing their dog.

[Mel774]

Funny you said that.

I actually emailed them and asked what happens if I cant take a dog and they said they arrange for you to borrow someone elses dog.

I kind of thought people might not like me borrowing their dog.

I didn't bring a dog to delta. My pup was only 8 months old. There was a lot more dogless people than I expected actually.

Pros: FREE TIME! The course is not called intensive for nothing so on our 1 hour break for the whole day everyone has to take their dogs out for a walk and get them fed etc before dinner, whereas myself and the other dogless people were off taking hot showers mmmwooohahahaha

You try to share the load too though, take someones dog for a walk if they need a shower or are trying to sit down and eat in peace etc

Cons: Missing your dog SO much!!! Seeing everyone with their dogs makes every dogless owner soooooo jealous and sad!! I latched onto every retriever owner at Delta!!!

After a few days of sooking about missing my lil man I was glad I didn't bring a dog. I had more free time and less stress than most because I wasn't worried about my dog the whole time. There were a lot that freaked out because it's a stressful experience for the dogs being in the crate room.

I also found a lovely girl there who was more than willing to let me train with her gorgeous doggy Just find someone nice (she offered to me which was a relief, there are some who aren't so generous) and stick with them in classes so you can train the same dog.

There are lots of lectures so it's not like your with the dogs 24/7

[fido666]

Hi Mel,

SSSSHHHHH!!!! Don't tell anyone....I wanna good chance of getting in this year!!!

It's on the website silly . I enrolled real late last year and still got in but yes it is 1st come 1st served.

For all those considering doing the course who are also working full time think carefully about whether you will be able to commit the necesarry study and field research time, it's a big investment of time. I had to defer due to work and personal reasons which was a real bummer and I wish I didn't have to do that. I made some friends on the course who I won't catch up with at the next intensive, life sucks sometimes .

Cheers,

Corine

[Mel774]

Yeah it's very easy to be enthusiastic about the assignments in the beginning then suddenly you cant find the time and get a NYC and it gets a bit sucky! lol! But I'm committed still and I WILL finish my latest assignment... at worst it's Gold Coast Show day on the 1st so I will stay home and do that all day lol

I really have to get stuck into that practices one because it's due when I'm away for the wedding. I havent interviewed anyone

[Sayreovi]

What are the assignments like?

[Mel774]

There's a variety really! They all all written, there is a lot of information in course readings provided and in the text books recommended.

Stuff like first aid, OH&S, lesson plans etc, then there is the industry assignment where you have to interview people from every aspect of the dog industry (vets, groomers, kennel owners, breeders, everyone!). There are 2 video assignments, one is 20mins of unedited footage of your training class, the other is teaching your dog a trick that it doesnt know using targetting.

It's usually about an assignment a month but sometimes there is a month with no assignment. I got lazy because there was no assignments in August but the OH&S assignment is due Sept 5th.

[fido666]

Hi Tollersowned,

What are the assignments like?

The ones I did weren't so much hard as time consuming. If you do your research and make use of the discussion groups Delta sets up for each group it helps a lot. You can't really afford to slack off though as the deadlines for submission sneak up on you. Even though I deferred I get credits for the ones I have completed so far and don't have to repeat the 1st intensive, now I just need to decide if I should re-enrol (must do it for this course or start all over again down the track). You also need to think about finding a mentor (does not have to be Delta but should be a positive trainer) to help with observing, assisting, and teaching classes). You could just go out and do it alone but I wouldn't recommend it. I'm not trying to turn anyone off, just telling it like it is.

Cheers,

Corine

[Sayreovi]

Cool thanks

[poodlemania]

Hi all,

A friend from my dog club and I are both enrolling this year-we are both PR obedience instructors. We are both coming from Perth.

I cannot take a dog as I have a very old girl who is very noise phobic and would probably have a heart attack on the plane and my friend may be taking her dog who I get along with very well and have trained with in the past so I hope we can share! Otherwise I will have to borrow a dog.

The plan was to take my very cheeky poodle pup but she passed away 2 months ago

It will be interesting to catch up and meet some dolers!

Georgia.

[Sayreovi]

Never mind found it.

Well it looks like i wont be doing it, parents think it is a waste of time and money, and at the moment i cant afford the nearly $1000 deposit!!

Edited August 25, 2005 by tollersowned

[Prydenjoy]

I kind of thought people might not like me borrowing their dog.

Hey, you can only train using positive methods in Delta, so I wouldn't have any problem handing one of my dogs over to train with someone else for a few days! Anyone ever even THINKS about putting a check chain near one of my dogs though and from me!

Nearly $1000 deposit... looks like I'm going to have to revise my finances... the good news though - looks like I might be starting a new job next week!

[Mel774]

Yeah its $950 deposit to get accepted and they take a maximum of 80 so I planned for the year ahead and made sure the day the intake opened I had my $950 ready!!!!

There were a few people that borrowed friends dogs to bring down and once they got there realised it would have been just as easy (or easier) to not bring a dog at all. The only session I felt disadvantaged in for not having a dog was doggy massage, I was still allowed to have a go on other dogs but it wasn't the same working on a dog from start to finish. However my dog wouldnt have settled down long enough for the excercise anyway and I still learnt from it.

[Staff'n'Toller]

I'm a bit disappointed I have to say...that the cost is now over 3 grand...I remember when it was 2500, I think that the price it is now is quite prohibitive- it's ok for me- I actually make money from my dog training as I take private lessons....and I can get the time off for the intensives because my boss sees it as practice building and beneficial.

I feel sorry for those who are instructors at clubs and only volunteering- they have to pay, then get the time off, and they won't make the money back for quite a while I'd imagine. I think that if it's Delta's aim to make the Dog Training Industry more streamlined, defined and positive- they really need to look at the price structure.

Just my 2 cents worth!

Mel.

[radley]

I recently completed the National Dog Trainers Federation course. Obviously it is not Delta however , what I have read through these posts the majority of the content of both courses are similar. Obviously NDTF is also shorter. NDTF do offer a limited number of placements with little or no payment (sorry I didnt stay for that section of the information night). I do not however know what requirements you have to fulfil to qualify for this.

Edited August 27, 2005 by radley