The ISCP courses are globally accessible and approved, with students in 60+ countries. The Diploma in Canine Behaviour course gives you the skills and knowledge to work professionally with dogs. It gives in-depth information about how the dog’s mind works, why dogs behave as they do, and how you can use compassionate, force-free, science-based methods to successfully work with dogs with all kinds of behavioural issues. The Diploma in Canine Behaviour course textbook was written by Lisa Tenzin-Dolma, the founder and a director of the ISCP, and is updated regularly to include new research. The course textbook takes you step by step towards developing a profound insight into the canine mind and dog behaviour, incorporating the latest scientific research results, and is easy to read and absorb. This course encourages you to think about the principles of canine behaviour, and to write about and discuss your own thoughts, theories and findings. You will be learning through a combination of acquired information and practical application, and this will give you a sound foundation for your future work with dogs. The ISCP provides a great deal of support, encouragement and prompt feedback, which our students tell us is a major positive factor for them during their studies. This support is ongoing post-graduation, and ISCP members also have the benefit of our regular online webinars (which are recorded for future reference), newsletters, and stimulating discussions in our private Facebook Student Hub.

If you choose to study the full diploma course you will gain the ISCP Diploma in Canine Behavior on completion of the course and can use the letters ISCP.Dip.Canine.Prac after your name. This will enable you to work professionally as a behaviorist anywhere in the world. Your diploma will also enable you to apply to join professional bodies such as the National Institute for Canine Ethics and others. You will then be able to achieve further quality marks to display your ethical stance to your clients. If you wish to study at foundation level, you will receive the ISCP Certificate in Canine Behaviour on completion. This does not enable you to work professionally with dogs. The next level, the intermediate course, results in the ISCP Intermediate Certificate in Canine Behaviour. The Advanced Diploma course is level 6, the equivalent to a degree, so you will need to have already gained a qualification in dog behaviour in order to enrol. You can find out more here. We also offer other diploma courses, including: the Diploma in Compassionate and Safe Dog Handling and the Diploma in Understanding and Working with Aggressive Responses in Dogs. Our Certificate courses are in Canine Behaviour, Advanced Body Language, Canine Anatomy and Physiology, Pet Bereavement Counselling, Animal Assisted Intervention, Professional Dog Walking, and Assistance Dog Training.

No, we made the decision to avoid regulated qualifications as these would make our courses far more expensive, and this would make them less accessible for students working to a budget. We pride ourselves on making further education accessible and affordable for all. Working professionally as a canine behaviour practitioner or consultant does not require a regulated qualification. The ISCP is accredited by several respected organisations, including UK Rural Skills, the Complementary Medical Association and CPD UK, a global CPD Certification Service.

A regulated qualification means that it has undergone scrutiny at the planning stage to ensure the level is met in terms of academic knowledge and that the length of the course provides the required study hours related to that course. It also means that both internal and external moderation will be carried out randomly to ensure the quality of grading. It does not mean the content has undergone scrutiny or that the content will be better than other courses. Education providers can still put anything they wish in their content. A regulated qualification does not guarantee quality. Our courses are endorsed by leading authorities in the canine space for example iPET Network. When considering which course to enrol on, it is important to look at the ethics and the type of training methods promoted, and the additional support offered alongside that course. All our courses are dedicated to the welfare of dogs and their caregivers and we do not promote or endorse coercive or aversive methods. Our courses are recognised by other education providers, and graduates have been accepted to study a degree and Master’s degree through some universities.

Your course files will sit in your e-learner platform once you have enrolled with the ISCP, and you will be allocated a personal tutor who will guide and support you through your studies. Your written coursework, some of which is based on practical work, will be sent by email to your tutor on completion of each unit, and your tutor will assess and return this to you and to our principal.

The time you spend on studying each week depends on your circumstances. You may prefer to spend an hour or two in the evenings, or to use part of your weekends for study time.

It will take you at least 360 hours to work through the full Diploma in Canine Behaviour course, so the length of time this will take depends on how many hours each week you can set aside for study. Some students complete the course within 6 months, while others take a year, or much longer, to work through the course. All our courses have a 2 year deadline however there is the option purchase a 12 month bolt on extension for £120 if you find that you have not been able to complete the course within the timeframe.

All our courses have a 2 year time limit. However we understand that sometimes life gets in the way of our studies and you may need longer. We have therefore got the option to purchase a 12 month bolt on extension for £120. When submitting your assessments, you may resubmit a second time, following your tutors feedback, to achieve the highest possible mark. If you need to resubmit your work thereafter, there will be a nominal fee of £75.

This is encouraged and will be at the discretion of your local rescue center. Many rescues are willing for students to work under supervision with dogs who need help, as this ultimately benefits the rescue as well as students. You can discuss case histories individually with your tutor if you need guidance, and can also share and discuss these with other students during the monthly webinars.

Yes, you can. The final units in the course explain how to do this, and advise you on important issues such as Public Liability Insurance. Most of our graduates have either launched their own successful behaviour practice or have been employed as behaviorist for a rescue charity.

Yes, you will. All applications are considered according to the individual regulations and requirements of different organizations, and some organizations will only accept applications after a certain period of time has passed since you qualified. As a student of the ISCP you are automatically eligible to join the National Institute for Canine Ethics (NICE). You will be required to submit evidence of your CPD before being accepted as a member. Once you have your membership approved, you will be able to follow the NICE pathway to being recognised on the ABTC register. This mark of distinction will be one that can really fast track your success as a dog professional.

Every effort is made by our tutors and team throughout the course to help our students succeed in gaining their diploma. Where a student is struggling to achieve the high standards we require of our graduates, we will work with the student to set up a Personal Development Plan in which we may recommend additional reading, workshops or shadowing opportunities designed to help the student improve their knowledge and meet the graduation criteria. We want our students to succeed but we also have a responsibility to ensure anyone graduating from our courses and intending to start their own behavioural or dog training business provides the highest level of service to their future clients.

Don't worry, we understand that sometimes life gets in the way. Just email secretary@theiscp.com and request the current fee to extend your time period.

No. The ISCP strictly prohibits the use of AI tools to generate any part of your assessment submissions. This includes text, ideas, or structures created by AI. All work must reflect your own understanding and original thinking. Using AI tools in assessments is considered a breach of academic integrity.

Plagiarism includes copying from any source without proper citation, paraphrasing someone else’s ideas without acknowledgment, submitting someone else’s work, or even reusing your own previous work without permission. To avoid plagiarism, always ensure your work is original and that you give credit to sources where appropriate.

The ISCP takes academic misconduct seriously. First offence: You'll be notified by your tutor, and your work will be rejected. A resubmission will be required. Second offence: You’ll receive a second warning and must resubmit your work again. Third offence: You will face expulsion from the course, and all outstanding course fees will become immediately due. If you believe there’s been a mistake, you can appeal by emailing the Director of Studies within 7 days of notification.

The Advanced Diploma is level 6, equivalent to a degree. This course involves intensive theoretical study and academic writing which includes referencing and citations. You will need to send us evidence of having gained a qualification in dog behaviour and/or welfare, preferably up to Level 5, so that you are prepared for the level of study. If you have any questions about this course, you can contact us at secretary@theiscp.com.

Here’s a short extract from the text in Unit 4: The Emotional and Mental Needs of the Dog HOW DOGS READ OUR EMOTIONS There is now scientific evidence that dogs are attuned to our emotional states and can ‘recognise’ our facial expressions and body language in ways that have not been established for other species apart from our own. This is an ability that has evolved in dogs through their long association with us, and adds yet more proof to the close bond that exists between canines and humans. When we meet a new person, or are trying to gauge a person’s state of mind and emotions, we adopt what’s called a ‘left gaze bias’, spending more time focusing on the other person’s right eye. One explanation is that this is because the right side of a person’s face is considered to reveal more about their emotional state. Experiments carried out by Professor Daniel Mills, Dr Kun Guo, Dr Kerstin Meints and their team at the University of Lincoln have revealed that dogs also display a left gaze bias when looking at a human face. Interestingly, they have this most strongly with human faces, not with other dogs when both faces are neutrally emotional, and this indicates that they have developed a strong desire to interpret what we are feeling. The ability to interpret our moods would be useful for dogs, and would have a distinct biological advantage. They know that it’s safe to approach if we are smiling or calm, and that it’s better to steer clear of us if our faces show signs of anger. Dogs can also read the subtle cues that we give, even unconsciously, through our body language and through the scents caused by chemical changes that occur when we are nervous or afraid. This will be covered in Unit 6, which explains the language of the dog, and in Unit 12, when you explore how to deal with emotional issues in dogs.

Yes, here is the coursework assignment for Unit 4: The Emotional and Mental Needs of the Dog ​ 1. a) Describe the emotions you have observed in dogs and how these were expressed and b) describe the dog’s primary emotional needs. Word limit 2000 ​ 2. Identify the bonding hormone and explain why it is important in our relationship with dogs. Word limit 500 3. Explain the left gaze bias. Word limit 500 4. Explain why mental stimulation and environmental enrichment is essential for dogs and how we can provide this. Word limit 1,000

Click on the course that you are interested in here. Each course has a breakdown of it's modules detailed in the description.

You can enrol on this page. If you are involved with a rescue or work in veterinary practice, you can use discount code RESCUE30! to receive a 30% discount on the course fee. You will then be able to log in to your online account to access your course. Your course files consist of your welcome letter that explains the study process.

Yes, because the ISCP is globally approved as a training college and the diploma is accepted in all countries. As you will be studying from home, distance is no object. All you need is an internet connection and an understanding of English language. We have students and graduates in 60+ countries, including England, Wales, Isle of Man, Scotland, Orkney, Jersey, Northern Ireland, Eire, America, Mexico, Canada, Chile, Greece, Estonia, Croatia, Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Netherlands, Malta, Cyprus, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, Poland, Ukraine, South Africa, Botswana, Mauritius, Bahrain, Dubai, Iran, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Vietnam, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Russia.

Yes, you can pay as you go, module by module. You will need to enroll separately for each consecutive unit as you progress through the course. You can find our easy installments page here. Please note that if you have enrolled on the certificate course you cannot switch to single unit payments for further studies to diploma level.

If you’re in any way involved with a rescue, whether you help out with fostering, dog walking, assessments, transport runs, vet runs, fundraising, or in any other capacity, you’ll qualify for a 30% discount on the course fee.

We are unable to arrange transfers of this kind because the course files that you have received are sent out digitally and cannot be returned. As all ISCP courses are protected under copyright and Intellectual Property laws, course files cannot be used or photocopied for any purpose other than for personal study, and must not be shared with others.

Yes, you can. This is tailored specifically for each individual. You can find out more about the diploma course as CPD here.

The only qualifications you need are an understanding of the English language, a desire to understand dogs, commitment to studying, and the application and self-discipline necessary to write the essays of up to 3,000 words that are required as part of your coursework at the end of each unit. Some of our students have no qualifications, haven’t studied for years, and are exploring a career change. We also have students who have gained a degree or PhD in animal behaviour and wish to focus purely on dogs. The courses are written in such a way that both inexperienced and experienced students can understand the information given.

Students are sent the course files on enrolment, and once you have received these we cannot give a refund because the course materials are sent digitally and cannot be retrieved. However, you can opt to have a 14 day ‘cooling off’ period on enrolment. If you decide to have this, you will need to inform us by email to secretary@theiscp.com as soon as you enrol so that we can wait for 14 days before sending your course files.