Pet Professional Accreditation Board Announces First Ever Graduates in Pioneering Program

The first 27 pet professionals have passed the rigorous exam to date and are now officially accredited
By: Pet Professional Accreditation Board
 
 
Force Free Accreditation Program
Force Free Accreditation Program
TAMPA, Fla. - May 29, 2015 - PRLog -- Tampa, FL – Following the launch of its much anticipated accreditation program for force-free canine trainers and behavior consultants last month, the Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB) has announced that 27 pet professionals have passed the rigorous exam to date and are now officially accredited.This first-ever batch of accredited professionals have earned specific titles – Professional Canine Trainer (Accredited) (PCT-A) and Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (Accredited) (PCBC-A) – which may be used after their names with immediate effect. (See http://credentialingboard.com/Professionals for a full, up-to-date list.)

“As there is, to date, no government oversight in the fields of pet training and behavior, any individual who so chooses can promote him- or herself as a dog trainer or animal behavior consultant, regardless of academic credentials, knowledge , skills and methods used,” said Niki Tudge, president of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG). “Our goal in creating the PPAB was to establish an independently-assessed, highly-respected credential that demonstrates not only accredited professionals’ academic accomplishments and 'real-world' expertise, but also their commitment to results-based, science-based, force-free training and pet care. As such, applicants do not have to be active PPG members to apply and become accredited, but they must meet and maintain these eligibility criteria.”

The PPAB credential is the first-ever professional qualification to reflect this ethical stance and marks a giant step forward for consumer protection, animal welfare and a higher level of skill proficiency amongst animal training and behavior professionals. To ensure the quality and integrity of the program, PPAB partnered with leading independent job skills assessment company, NOCTI Business Solutions where, over the course of 18 months, the exam and exam process were developed in accordance with strict professional testing protocols. The first objective was to develop the Job Task Analysis (JTA), created by 'subject-matter experts' to establish what 'should be known' versus what is 'nice to know' in any particular professional field. Questions with specific scientific and professional citations were then developed correlating directly to the JTA. Once created, the questions were assembled into a pilot examination.

“In addition to developing the JTA, it was critical that the testing process met certain criteria to ensure its long-term viability,” said Tudge. “There are four qualities present in meaningful professional examinations; reliability, validity, standardization and practicality. Of these four, the first two are the most important in ensuring the efficacy of a professional examination. Reliability is the index of how accurately and effectively an exam measures the candidate's knowledge, while validity is the ability of a test to measure what it is supposed to measure and must relate to measurable objectives.”

Based on the eligibility criteria determined in the JTA a select group of pilot-test takers was invited to complete the exam, enabling PPAB to cull any poorly constructed questions/answers, incorrect or inaccurate answers and confirm that the required knowledge base required is neither too basic nor too obscure. The results of the pilot exam were then reviewed by the NOCTI psychometric experts to determine any additional culling and analyze the statistical profile of the test performance. Based on this analysis the exam was further refined.

“With the effort and resources expended to develop the PPAB credentials and the professional integrity of the process, both accredited professionals and their clients can be sure that the qualification accurately reflects the highest standard of knowledge in the pet industry, a humane, ethical approach to behavior and training, as well as an unprecedented level of competency, transparency and accountability,” said Tudge.

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About the Pet Professional Accreditation Board

The Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB) operates as a Doing Business As (DBA) of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG). It operates a meticulous testing program for force-free animal training and behavior professionals that is independent of any industry school, trade school, college or credentialing body. Applicants are tested in the fields of learning theory; biology and anatomy; ethology, body language and observational skills; canine health, development and life stages; business and consulting skills and best practices and, finally, scientific and practical method. Thosewho pass the examination and meet the practical requirements earn specific titles which may be used after their names and must earn continuing education units to maintain these titles. Accredited PPAB professionals understand force-free to mean: no shock, no pain, no choke, no fear, no physical force, no physical molding, and that no compulsion-based methods are employed to train or care for a pet.

For a full, up-to-date list of accredited professional canine trainers and behavior consultants, see: http://credentialingboard.com/Professionals. Countries currently represented include USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom.

End
Source:Pet Professional Accreditation Board
Email:***@credentialingboard.com Email Verified
Tags:Professional, Accreditation, Pet, Dog, Training
Industry:Education, Non-profit
Location:Tampa - Florida - United States
Subject:Awards
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Page Updated Last on: May 29, 2015
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