DEBRA MILLIKAN. PCT-A, PCBC-A- DOGNOSTICS FACULTY. BEHAVIORSMARTS MENTOR

YOUR PROGRAM DIRECTOR & FACULTY

Having spent almost 50 years training dogs, 13 years as an obedience judge and many years in formal canine studies, Debra has a passion for helping others to better understand dogs and how to train them. Establishing her own training centre in 1979, back when aversive training was the only way known in Australia, she was ahead of her time in seeking new and better ways to build positive relationships with our dogs. Travelling to the UK and Europe enabled her to learn new techniques and the wonderful world of force-free training revealed itself to her.

Attaining a Diploma in Dog Training and Behavior Consulting and another in Animal Behavior Science and Technology from the Companion Animal Sciences Institute, she consolidated her theoretical skills by gaining perfect scores in the Competency Assessment Program (CAP) Levels 1& 2, a demanding skills program out of the UK.

Debra spent two years as Director of Animals on Course (a registered training organisation within the Australian educational framework), developing educational packages for Animal Studies and Companion Animal Services programs. She is currently an international assessor for the practical component of the Pet Professional Accreditation Board’s three credentials for training technicians, professional trainers and professional behaviour consultants.

Debra has spoken at the Pet Professional Guild’s Inaugural Education Summit in Tampa FL, and the New Zealand Inaugural Association of Pet Dog Trainers Education Meeting in Wellington. She has also spoken at the Pet Professional Guild Australia’s Education Meeting in Sydney, the Australian Association of Pet Dog Trainers Meetings in Sydney and Melbourne and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) – Animal Welfare Seminar in Melbourne. Debra has run (and still does run) workshops, both nationally and internationally covering topics such as canine body language and how to choose which dog is right for you for the public, cross-over workshops for those transitioning to +R methods, further education workshops on pet dog manners classes and CAP preparation workshops.

Having spent many years teaching puppy pre-school Debra has now spent almost 20 years as the Senior Volunteer Trainer for Canine Behavioural School Inc (CBS), a not-for-profit, volunteer dog training facility run by professional dog trainers in Adelaide, South Australia. Over the last several years she has helped to establish the CBS Aspiring Instructor program that educates future dog trainers, allowing them to gain experience under the mentorship of professional trainers. This program now attracts people from all over the state and has been instrumental in teaching cross over trainers the ways of force free training. Graduates from this course receive partial credit transfer for PPAB credentials. There is now interstate interest in volunteers from other dog training clubs participating in this course, with one club already having completed the two year program.

Debra is constantly learning from her two best teachers – Ned and Laila – two ‘second hand’ Brussels Griffons and together they have earned many trick and noseworks qualifications and the two Griffs have appeared on several occasions for promotions for canine adventure parks and on canine calendars.

University

• Companion Animal End of Life Doula – Vermont University

Industry Certifications

• Professional Canine Behaviour Consultant – Accredited, Pet Professional Accreditation Board
• Professional Canine Trainer – Accredited, Pet Professional Accreditation Board
• Diploma of Animal Behavior Science and Technology (Dip ABST) with distinction
• Diploma of Dog Training and Behaviour Consulting (Dip DTBC) with distinction
• Diploma in Canine Behaviour, International School for Canine Psychology and Behaviour
• Advanced Diploma Pet Bereavement Counselling with distinction
• CAP2. Clicker Competency Assessment Program – Levels 1 & 2 all gained with distinction, Learning About Dogs
• Certified Family Dog Mediator, L.E.G.S. Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation Professional Course
• Animal Behaviour and Welfare Verified Certification, Edinburgh University
• Pet Dog Ambassador Program (PDA) Licensed Instructor & Assessor
• Certified Fear Free Animal Trainer, Fear Free Pets
• Cert IV Dog Behavioural Training, Delta Society (now Institute)
• Cert IV Training and Assessment, HBA Learning Centre
• Living and Learning with Animals for Professionals Certification, Behaviour Works
• Illis Animal Behaviour Courses completed include – Getting Behaviour, Advanced Animal Training and Animal Emotions

You can view Debra's full resume here