ACM40322 Certificate IV Animal Behaviour and Training

Core Units of Competency

• Welfare and ethics

  This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to assess the welfare status of an animal using an industry recognised animal welfare assessment framework or model and tool.

• Self Wellbeing

  This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to follow animal health management practices to monitor animal health via daily observations of behaviour and condition. The animals may include a range of species housed long-term or cared for short-term in a workplace

• Animal industry compliance and practices

  This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to provide advice to clients or carers on animal management, facilities and activities, and to manage workplace compliance within the relevant sector of the animal care and management industry

• Identify behaviours and interact safely

  This unit will allow you to demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to identify and interpret behaviour and safely handle, interact and respond to animals in a range of animal care facilities and environments. It can be applied to a range of animal species

• Develop, implement and monitor enrichment strategies for animals

  This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to develop, implement, monitor and review enrichment strategies for animals, and to communicate the strategies to carers (team members/owners).

• Evaluate animal conditioning methodology and program design

  This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to research, evaluate and select animal conditioning methodologies to design and implement a training or behaviour management and/or modification program. It involves in-depth knowledge of animal behaviour, learning theory and the application of scientifically validated, ethical conditioning methodologies and techniques.

• Condition animal behaviour

  This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to condition animals using positive conditioning techniques. It applies to a range of species and includes the individual demonstrating skills and knowledge required for conditioning animals to others.

• Maintain workplace health and safety processes

  This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to maintain workplace health and safety processes in an organisation.

Electives:

• Work collaboratively to manage complex animal behaviour

  This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to understand, interpret and assess animal behaviour and work collaboratively with clients and professional stakeholders to develop conditioning, training and management programs to address animal behaviour issues.
• Maintain and monitor animal health and wellbeing

  This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to follow animal health management practices to monitor animal health via daily observations of behaviour and condition. The animals may include a range of species housed long-term or cared for short-term in a workplace.
• Deliver Education Programs

  This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to participate in the preparation and review of animal care education programs and their implementation within the community at large.
• Animal behaviour management and training advice

  This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to develop, conduct and review behaviour management and training plans/programs for individual animals and for their owners or carers. Consultations may be conducted in one-on-one sessions with animals and their owners or carers (clients) in a variety of contexts and in suitable venues/environments.
• Conduct group training classes for animal owners or carers

  This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to develop, conduct and review training classes for animals and their owners or carers. Training is generally conducted in group sessions in suitable venues/environments.
• Conduct animal behavioural assessments

  This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to assess animal behaviour for suitability for a range of purposes, which may include adoption/rehoming, rehabilitation, training or suitability for specific purposes or activities, including assistance animals. It typically applies to dogs and cats but may be applied to other species.
• Lead teams effectively

  This unit describes the skills, knowledge and outcomes required to lead the performance of a team and to develop team cohesion.
• Mentor in the workplace

  This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to establish and develop a professional mentoring relationship with an individual in a workplace. It includes the skills and knowledge to plan and prepare for the mentoring, and implement strategies suited to the mentee, the workplace and the mentoring relationship.

Specific Equine electives** (Taking expressions of interest)

• Interpret and address horse behaviour and welfare

• Prepare, deliver and review animal care education programs

• Re-educate horses to manage behaviours and/or transition to new purposes