The Kennel Club Accredited Instructors is a UK-wide membership-based scheme for dog training instructors and canine behaviourists. It offers its members the opportunity to gain a nationally-recognised vocational accreditation based on a robust standard set by The Kennel Club.
It is the first and only scheme for dog training instructors and canine behaviourists that has achieved programme accreditation from City & Guilds, a globally recognised benchmark of quality.
Dog training instructors and canine behaviourists will enhance their reputation by becoming members of the scheme and will have the opportunity to achieve accredited instructor status, thereby gaining recognition for their knowledge, skills and experience.
How to gain accreditation?
The process of accreditation
The steps you need to follow in order to achieve accreditation and become a Kennel Club Accredited Instructor are as follows:
1. Successful completion of all nine online assessments.
The online assessments act as a test of knowledge and understanding in key canine-related topics to enable members to gauge whether they are ready to apply for the practical and oral assessment.
- Assessments: £5 each
- 10 questions per assessment
- Pass mark: 8 out of 10 correct answers (80%)
For more information refer to the section ‘About the online assessments’.
2. Submission of the accreditation application
Submit an accreditation application form, including a record of current and relevant experience, together with supporting information and documentary evidence, to apply for the practical and oral assessment.
To be eligible to apply for accreditation, members must have been a dog training instructor for at least the past *five years in the discipline for which they are applying for accreditation.
*Applications submitted by dog training instructors who do not have five years’ experience will still be considered, providing they meet all other accreditation criteria.
For more information on accreditation application fees refer to the section ‘Membership’.
3. Application review
The Accredited Instructors scheme team and assessor conduct office checks and a pre-assessment review of the application to ensure that it is in order for the practical and oral assessment to be arranged.
4. Practical and oral assessment conducted
The assessor will conduct the assessment at the applicant’s chosen venue and provide feedback to the applicant on the day following, followed by making a recommendation to the KCAI Scheme Board.
5. Application outcome
The application is considered by the scheme's board for a decision and the applicant is notified of the outcome following the review.
Newly awarded accredited Instructors will receive a certificate, gold badge and they will be promoted on the register of Accredited Instructors on The Kennel Club Website.
Which discipline can I be accredited in?
There are nine accreditation disciplines to choose from, as set out below:
- Companion dog training
- Good Citizen Dog Training scheme
- Behavioural training
- Competitive/sporting activities
- Non-competitive/sporting activities
- Clicker and target training
- Assistance dogs
- Rescue and rehoming
- Working gundogs
FAQs - applying for accreditation with less than five years’ instructing experience
How will I know if I can apply for accreditation with less than five years’ instructing experience?
Applications submitted by dog training instructors who do not have five years’ experience will still be considered, providing they meet all other accreditation criteria.
I have less than five years’ instructing experience but believe I meet the criteria of my chosen accreditation discipline, have external qualifications in my chosen accreditation discipline OR have been working full time in my accreditation discipline for X years. Can I still apply to become accredited?
Yes, applications submitted by dog training instructors who do not have five years’ experience will still be considered, providing they meet all other accreditation criteria.
I have less than five years’ instructing experience in taking classes but have been undertaking 121s in my chosen accreditation discipline for five years. Can I still apply to become accredited?
Yes, experience covers all instructing activities within your chosen accreditation discipline, whether it be 121 training or group classes.
I have five years’ instructing experience in my chosen accreditation discipline. However, this includes the period in which the Covid-19 lockdown prevented me from working. Am I still able to apply to become accredited?
Yes, any period that you have been unable to work due to the Covid-19 pandemic will not impact your application for accreditation, providing you meet the criteria for your chosen accreditation discipline.
I started working in my chosen accreditation discipline five years ago but have taken time off during this time (to study/have a baby/due to family issues/ill health etc.). Can I still apply to become accredited?
Yes, applications submitted by dog training instructors who do not have five years’ experience will still be considered, providing they meet all other accreditation criteria.
About the online assessments
The online assessments act as a test of knowledge and understanding in key canine-related topics to enable members to gauge whether they are ready to apply for accreditation.
There are nine online assessments to be completed, which members can purchase through The Kennel Club Academy:
- Welfare, care and needs of the dog
- Anatomy and physiology
- Behaviour of dogs
- Everyday behaviour problems
- Training the dog
- Living with dogs
- Professional business practices
- Teaching people
- Dog owners’ responsibilities
Type of questions
Each assessment is made up of a range of different question types, such as:- multiple choice: single choice answer options
- matching: two lists of related words or phrases - each item in one list is paired with one item in the other list
- true/false: answer true or false to this type of question
Time allowance
Members are allowed 25 minutes to answer, check and submit all answers to questions in the assessment. If members fail to submit the assessment within the time allowed, members will be timed out and will need to re-take the whole assessment again.Pass mark
To pass the assessment, members will need to correctly answer eight or more of the 10 questions (80% pass mark).Banks of questions
The system holds banks of questions from which 10 questions are selected at random for each online assessment.Attempts and re-attempts
Members can attempt the online assessment as many times as needed to be successful. However, if they fail, they will be required to pay again for each additional attempt.Members will need to wait seven days before they are eligible to re-attempt the assessment to enable them to develop their knowledge further in the relevant assessment.
If members fail the same assessment three or more times, it is recommended they seek advice from the Accredited Instructors scheme team, who can be contacted on email.
What next?
Following successful completion of all nine of the online assessments, members will be eligible to submit an accreditation application and will be able to book the practical and oral assessment.Insurance for trainers
We have partnered with Pet Business Insurance (PBI) to provide specifically designed insurance cover for dog training instructors, as well as canine clubs or societies, including public and products liability insurance at a competitive price.
You can contact them on 01284 736874 or visit their website.
Membership
How to join?
We are not currently accepting new membership applications. Please read the announcement from The Kennel Club.
Membership fees
Membership renewal fee:
- £39.60 - hobby (non-commercial)
- £60 - business (commercial)
Online assessment fees (first time accreditation only):
- £5 each - there are nine online assessments in total. Members of the Accredited Instructors scheme can purchase these through the Accredited Instructors scheme members zone
Standard accreditation application fee (first time accreditation only):
- £140.40 - hobby (non-commercial)
- £188.40 - business (commercial)
- The fee covers the cost of the practical and oral assessment for one accreditation discipline only
Non-standard accreditation applications: supplementary fees:
- £140.40* per additional day Hobby (non-commercial)
- £188.40* per additional day Business (commercial)
- *plus expenses
A supplementary fee will be charged if, unusually, an assessment visit is expected to take more than a single day.
Applicants will be advised of any proposed supplementary fee(s) and expenses in advance of the practical and oral assessment being arranged.
Benefits of the Accredited Instructors Scheme
Members of the Accredited Instructors scheme enjoy the following benefits:
- Being part of the leading membership scheme in the UK for dog training instructors and canine behaviourists
- Having an opportunity to gain accredited instructor status
- Access to a wealth of expertise including support from the scheme's team and accreditation adviser who can guide you through the scheme’s accreditation process
- Access to The Kennel Club Academy, an online educational resource for scheme members, judges and dog breeders
- Discounted tickets to The Kennel Club's events such as Crufts
- Opportunities to promote your services though The Kennel Club’s online register of accredited instructors
Exclusive offers
Below you can find an up to date list of offers you recieve as part of your membership:
-
Affiliate Membership - £3 off
-
Breed Record Supplement Subscription - £4 off
-
Illustrated Breed Standards - £10 off
-
Young Kennel Club Membership - £5 off
-
Crufts tickets - 10% off
-
Discover Dogs tickets - 10% off
-
Kennel Club DNA Testing Services - 10% off
-
Kennel Club / Crufts ID Tags - 15% off
-
Woof & Brew, Healthy drinks and supplements - 15% off
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Woof & Brew, Ha-Pee Lawns - 20% off
- Wahl, All pet grooming products - 20% off
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Pet Business Insurance - 5% off
- Peak Paws and Hooves - 20% off
- Pet Remedy - 25% off
- Doglaw SOS - £20 off
Additional information
Accredited Instructors Scheme - terms and conditions
Members are required to abide by the scheme’s code of practice, which sets out the principles governing professional conduct and training practices. As well as this, they are also required to abide by the Accredited Instructors scheme regulations.
National Occupational Standard
The Kennel Club, in association with LANTRA (the UK’s Sector Skills Council), established a set of canine specific National Occupational Standards in 2014.
The standards listed below have been specifically designed to ensure consistency and professionalism among those working in the canine sector:
- Dog training and behaviour
- Handle and control dogs
- Modification
- Observe, assess and respond to the behaviour of dogs
- Plan and implement training programmes for dogs and handlers
Learn more about NOS.
Support for members
An accreditation adviser is on hand to provide support to guide you through the accreditation application and the practical and oral assessment process.
Complaints procedure
Click here to submit a complaint to the Accredited Instructors scheme team.
The Kennel Club Accredited Instructor of the year award 2023
Congratulations to Wendy Schilling from Kings Heath, Birmingham, who won the 2023 Kennel Club Accredited Instructor of the Year award.
To find out more about The Kennel Club Accredited Instructor winner Click here
Read more
The Kennel Club Accredited Instructor award celebrates the achievements of those who have gained Kennel Club accreditation.
The award aims to recognise the outstanding talents of Kennel Club Accredited Instructors who have shown enormous commitment in making a difference for dogs and their owners. Judges will be looking for nominees who have gone that extra mile to help owners make a positive difference to the behaviour of dogs, and dog owners are asked to nominate instructors who:
• Use positive training methods to promote responsible dog ownership in their community
• Have taken steps to continue their own professional development as an instructor
• Support owners throughout their training with encouragement and expertise to make a difference for dogs and people
• Helped to change the lives of dogs and/or people who may have faced difficult challenges
The winner will be selected from a panel of judges, with representatives from The Kennel Club and City & Guilds, and invited to the awards ceremony which will take place at Crufts 2024, Saturday 9th March. The winner will also receive £200 donated from The Kennel Club Educational Trust in order to further their involvement with dogs. Entries closed on Wednesday 31 January 2024. Please note that nominations will only be accepted for accredited members.