Summary of courses: 

• Ethology Academy offers a variety of courses: Basic Courses, Advanced Courses, Practitioners course a Grooming Business Course and the Animal Assisted Interventions Course.
• The courses are year courses, running from February – November. The practitioners course runs from February to March in the following year.
• All courses are certificate courses.
• All courses are essentially done via correspondence.
• Enrolment commences on 2nd January every year and concludes on 28 February – or when the maximum number of students have enrolled.
• Saddle Fitting Course - There will be 6 Saddle Fitting Coures through the year. 

Fee structure for 2017

Course fees

Basic dog, cat, bird or horse behaviour course: R 7 300

Add-on of another basic behaviour course in the same year: R 3 700
Add-on of another basic behaviour course, the first done in 2016: R 5 600
Add-on of another basic behaviour course, the first done in 2015 or earlier – full price

Advanced dog or cat behaviour course: R 7 950
Advanced horse behaviour course: R 8 700

Animal assisted activities course: R 7 950
Grooming business course: R 7 950

Practitioners Course: R 17 900

Saddle Fitting Course: R3 800 (Note: The full R3800 will have to be paid upfront to enrol).
 

To find out more about the course you are interested in click on the link: 

1.            The Basic Courses: Ethology Academy offers Basic Animal Behaviour courses in four different companion animal species namely dogs, cats, horses or birds (parrots). These certificate courses all consists of four modules and stretch over one calendar year. The Basic courses are essentially conducted through distance learning, but students also get the opportunity to attend a seminar on the species they have enrolled for. The seminars are annually presented at different venues in the country (Pretoria, Cape Town, Banana Beach on the Natal South Coast and if the number of students allow, also in PE).  For the Basic Course, attendance of a seminar is recommended, but not compulsory. The enrolment fee for this course is R6300. The seminar attendance fee is included in the enrolment fee but the student is responsible for own travel and accommodation expenditures. 

2.            The Advanced Dog Behaviour course: the Basic Course: Dogs is a prerequisite for enrolling for the Advanced Behaviour Course: Dogs.  The Advanced Course: Dogs is a one-year certificate course and the attendance of a three-day seminar/workshop is compulsory.  The student has the option of attending this compulsory seminar in either Cape Town or in Pretoria. Enrolment fee for 2015 is R7500. A student can enrol in the same year for the Basic Dog course and the Advanced Course.

3.            The Advanced Cat Behaviour course: The Basic Course: Cats is a prerequisite before students can enrol for the Advanced Cat Behaviour course.   The Advanced Course: Cats is a one-year certificate course and the attendance of a two- day seminar/workshop is compulsory.  The student has the option of attending this compulsory seminar in either Cape Town or in Pretoria. The enrolment fee for 2015 is R6900.  A student can enrol in the same year for the Basic Cat course and the Advanced Cat Course.

4.            The Advanced Horse Behaviour course: The Basic Course: Horses is a prerequisite before students can enrol for the Advanced Horse Behaviour Course. To be successful in this course a student must be familiar with ground work, stable routines and a fairly accomplished rider. The instructors assisting with the practical aspects of this course are all SANEF qualified and SANEF guidelines are adhered to. This course is also a one-year course and the attendance of a three-day seminar/workshop in Pretoria is compulsory.   The enrolment fee for 2015 is R7000.00. NB: a student can enrol in the same year for the Basic Horse course and the Advanced Horse Course.

5.            The Animal-Assisted Activity Course The AAA course is aimed at persons who want to use animals to enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities/ chronic illness/ restricting physical circumstances. The curriculum includes aspects of human behaviour, theoretical foundations for human-animal interaction and the scientific support for Animal assisted activities.  Attendance of a three – day seminar in Pretoria. The enrolment fee for 2015 is R6900. The Basic Behaviour course (any of the four species on offer) is strongly recommended before doing this course, but not a pre-requisite.

6.            The Grooming Business Course: The grooming businesses course is aimed at persons already working in the grooming industry, prospective grooms, kennel personnel and pet owners in general.  Attendance of practical workshops (a one day seminar in Pretoria and a two- day workshop in Johannesburg) is compulsory. Students will also be expected to do at least 40 hours of practical work in a grooming facility of their choice. The cost of the course for 2015 is R 6900 The Basic behaviour course (dogs or cats) is strongly recommended before doing this course, but not a pre-requisite.

7.            Practitioners Course: The Practitioners Course is the third year of study on dog behaviour. Students must have completed the Basic and Advanced dog behaviour courses. This course is aimed at behaviourists or students wanting to become behaviourists as well as veterinarians, veterinary nurses and animal technicians. People working in welfare and pet owners with a keen interest in behaviour will also benefit from this course. This course requires a fair amount of study time to complete. Attendance of two five-day seminars in Benoni in Gauteng is compulsory. The seminar attendance fee is included in the enrolment fee but excludes travel to and accommodation at the seminar. This course runs over 15 months, ending in March the following year.