Mission, Methodological Stance and Professional Practice Guidelines For AABP Members
The Association of Animal Behavior Professionals (AABP) membership is dedicated to the highest standards in professionalism; standards of excellence rather than mere competence. Professional training and behavior consulting has the potential to achieve great benefits but also great harm, making it vitally important to make responsible choices regarding our professional conduct. The core ethical principles and guidelines provided here serve to inform the public regarding AABP's stance on ethical practice and to help guide members on making ethical professional decisions that are designed to benefit, them, the public and the profession. Below are the AABP Mission and Methodological Stance, followed by a set of professional guidelines. AABP does not condone any behavior in breech of these principles and guidelines.
Mission
The Association of Animal Behavior Professionals (AABP) was founded to promote excellence in professionalism and a strong commitment to nonaversive methods among behaviorally oriented technologists of companion animal behavior. The AABP seeks to establish a community of members aspiring to and sustaining these principles.
Methodological Stance
General Statement
It is the stance of the AABP and its Members that nonaversive, positive-reinforcement based methods are the most effective and efficient, and least risky and harmful methods to use in animal training and behavior change programming, and most conducive to facilitating the human-animal bond. Furthermore, we take the stance that aversive stimulation-based methods are generally unethical, inefficient, risks serious harm and are the most likely methods to deteriorate the human-animal bond. AABP and its Members do not condone or endorse the use of aversive tools such as, but not limited to choke chains, prong collars, electronic invisible fencing or electronic shock-collars. Nor do we condone or endorse the use of aversive methods such as but not limited to leash corrections, helicoptering, hanging, alpha-rolling, scruff-shaking, spraying the animal in the face with fluid, throwing things at the animal, hitting in any way or otherwise creating fear or pain in animals.
AABP and its Members recognize that animal training and behavior change programming methods and procedures are on a continuum ranging from unacceptably harsh aversive methods to training that uses creativity and positive reinforcement based methods. AABP and its Members are committed to supporting the use of methods from the positive reinforcement end of the continuum and are committed to the least aversive and minimally intrusive methods; AABP and its Members are committed to using and advocating for techniques and strategies that are "nonaversive." AABP and its Members hereby define nonaversive as used in our mission statement and with regards to the practices of Members to mean: "nonaversive training is training that utilizes primarily positive reinforcement and avoids aversive stimulation--that is, stimulation that the learner acts to avoid or escape--taking the least aversive approach to resolving problem behaviors or training new behaviors."
Core Ethical Principles and Professional Practice Guidelines
(Last updated December 11, 2008: Guideline 8.03 and 5.03 instated)
Preamble
The AABP Professional Practice Guidelines includes a set of guidelines and principles on which all AABP Members (hereafter referred to as Professionals) conduct themselves. The AABP Professional Practice Guidelines assures the public that AABP Members conduct themselves with the highest standards of professionalism. This public assurance likewise offers the Professional the confidence of the public.
Professionals work to develop a valid and reliable body of scientific knowledge, based on research and apply that knowledge to helping companion animals and their guardians live together in mutually fulfilling relationships. They strive to help companion animal guardians develop informed choices concerning companion animal behavior and problem prevention and resolution.
These core ethical principles and professional practice guidelines help us promote professionalism.
Principle 1. Competence
1.01. Professionals work within the bounds of their competence. They provide only services for which they are demonstrably competent. Competence involves having been formally educated and tested, or trained and tested by competent educators. It is also ideal that the professional have supervised practice and evaluation in the area of claimed competence.
1.02. Professionals provide services in new behavior sets only after undertaking formal education and testing in that area sufficient to understand fully the risks and benefits as well as proper application of the service.
1.03. Professionals seek to use techniques that are empirically supported and are cautious of techniques or practices that are not empirically supported by research.
1.04. Professionals refer clients to competent professionals when they, themselves, are not competent to accept a case and do so as soon as practicable.
Principle 2. Nonmaleficence
2.01. Professionals take reasonable steps to avoid harming animals or clients behaviorally, emotionally or physically.
2.02. Professionals dedicate themselves to the benefit and well being of the companion animal over the third party client where a conflict of interests exists since the companion animal is the vulnerable party. If a conflict in these interests arise, the Professional clarifies to the client this ethical priority and ensures adherence to these guidelines.
2.03. Professionals consider terminating a professional consulting relationship when it becomes reasonably clear that the client intends to make use of excessive aversive methods in contravention of the Professional'
2.04. Professionals do not participate in spreading untrue information about fellow professionals (be they AABP members or not), in particular, information that suggests negative connotations about that person.
Principle 3. Informed Consent
3.01. Professionals obtain appropriate informed consent to consultation, using language that the client might reasonably be expected to understand and they confirm comprehension on an ongoing basis. The content of informed consent should include the following parameters of the relationship (a) confidentiality and its limitations, (b) fees and payment methods and schedules as well as consequences for failure to make payment for services rendered, (c) Professional's credentials and experience, (d) priority of animal's interest over client's third party interests if a conflict of interest arises, (e) goals, techniques, limitations, risks, and benefits of consultation, (f) methods of assessment, (g) client's right to refuse any part of assessment or training including any handling they feel is inappropriate and potential consequences of such refusal, (h) the client's right to ask further questions and be clear on all relevant details before consenting to the consultation relationship.
3.02. Professionals do not take inappropriate advantage of clients, terminating the professional consulting relationship when it becomes reasonably clear that behavioral goals have been achieved and is either not benefiting the animal or is harming the animal.
Principle 4. Confidentiality
4.01. Professionals inform clients that information regarding their consultation will be kept confidential to the best of the Professional's ability except for certain limits or exceptions. Exceptions include the following circumstances: (a) if the animal is dangerous to others or is likely to be in danger from inhumane treatment, in which case the Professional must report such danger if it cannot be managed and prevented, (b) if required by law to breech confidentiality.
4.02. Professionals will obtain a written release waiver of confidentiality if the professional wishes to discuss the case with a supervisor or colleague for purposes of advice and professional guidance.
Principle 5. Advertising and Marketing
5.01. Professionals are honest about the likely results of their services and not guarantee specific changes in behavior. Professionals contract to provide their services and advice only and may provide a contingency arrangement for non-achieved behavior goals rather than a promise to achieve them in the form of a guarantee.
5.02. Professionals are honest about their credentials and experience. They do not mislead clients or the public about credentials they possess and act to correct misunderstandings or misrepresentations that occur. In no case shall a Professional use an illegal credential or imply irrelevant credentials are authoritative in professional behavioral services provided.
5.03. Professionals only use the AABP logo corresponding to the membership type they possess; do not use it in a way that will likely give the impression that the AABP endorses a company or organization instead of recognizing the Professional's membership; and the logo is not used along with other logos or other information reflecting organizations described in guideline 8.03 of these guidelines.
Principle 6. Use of Animals in Research
6.01. Professionals do not cause harm to animals that are subjects of research carried out by Professionals or for which Professionals participate. Arguments regarding how valuable the information will be are irrelevant. Note that this is a much higher standard than is common in the field. With regards to harm, broadly speaking, an animal is harmed if he or she is caused non-trivial aversion, distress, significant loss of opportunity or physical harm.
6.02. Full informed consent should also be secured from guardians of any animal used in any study. For any study that makes use of aversives, full informed consent must be secured from the participant themselves (this is only possible with human participants).
Principle 7. Resolving Ethical Issues
7.01. When a Professional is uncertain about whether a particular course of action would be a breech of this set of Professional Practice Guidelines, the Professional should consult other Professionals or the AABP for guidance.
7.02. If the demands of an organization or client with which the Professional is affiliated conflicts with this set of Professional Practice Guidelines, Professionals clarify their ethical responsibilities and resolve the conflict in favor of upholding their ethical standards as outlined here.
Principle 8. Aversive Stimulation
8.01. Professionals do not use, condone or endorse aversive tools such as, but not limited to choke chains, prong collars, electronic invisible fencing or electronic shock-collars.
8.02. Professionals do not use, condone or endorse aversive behavior change methods such as but not limited to leash corrections, helicoptering, hanging, alpha-rolling, scruff-shaking, spraying the animal in the face with fluid, throwing things at the animal, hitting in any way or otherwise creating fear or pain in animals.
8.03. Professionals do not condone, promote, endorse or affiliate with organizations that actively promote unjustified highly intrusive/aversive methods or tools, unjustified meaning that all measures have not been taken to avoid their use and focus instead on nonaversive methods.
Principle 9. Academic Ethics
9.01. Professionals never plagiarize; they cite sources appropriately, in any environment, where they use the words, or ideas of another individual, be it a direct quote or a paraphrase.
Principle 10. Professional Boundaries
10.01. Professionals do not perform veterinary services without a veterinary medical license. Professionals do not "diagnose," provide a "prognosis" or "treatment" for any medical condition and avoid use of the terms "diagnosis," "prognosis" or "treatment" with regards to behavior in order to avoid confusion of the professional's services with medical services. Professionals work with clients and/or their companion animals to describe, explain and change specific, observable, measurable behaviors.
10.02. Professionals, who are not also licensed veterinarians, do not treat any medical conditions, including but not limited to disease, injury or "mental conditions," except in emergency first aid situations as is allowed by law.
10.03. Professionals, who are not also licensed veterinarians, do not advise clients on prescription medications in such a way that may be seen as "prescribing" and where considering nonprescription substances (including but not limited to dietary supplements or additives), Professionals recommend that the use be reviewed by a veterinarian, veterinary nutritionist or other qualified nutrition consultants as appropriate before being implemented.
10.04. Professionals, who are not also Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorists or Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists, do not refer to themselves as “behaviorists” in order to avoid confusing the consultant’s services with that of these allied professions.
Principle 11. Upholding Professionalism
11.01. Professionals who become aware of a fellow professional member in breech of these professional practice guidelines reports the violation to the AABP. They may do so anonymously if they wish, although it will be preferred that they make a formal report so that the information is more actionable.
Enforcement
In the process of making decisions of professional conduct, Professionals must consider this set of Professional Practice Guidelines, in addition to applicable laws. The AABP Advisory Board members and Professional Practice Guidelines Committee hold enforcement rights over this set of Professional Practice Guidelines. If a breech of this set of Professional Practice Guidelines comes to the attention of the AABP, the AABP will make a determination of the breech’s validity based on the evidence it receives. A formal complaint may be launched by the AABP or by any individual. When a formal complaint is made to the AABP, it will be forwarded to the AABP Professional Practice Guidelines Committee via the Committee's Chair. If it is determined that, on the face of it, a breech would have occurred if the evidence were true, a notice of the report and the accompanying evidence will be made to the Professional. The Professional will have 14 days in which to respond to the accusation. The AABP Professional Practice Guidelines Committee may ask questions or request information as required. The Professional must cooperate with the AABP Professional Practice Guidelines Committee’s investigation. The AABP Professional Practice Guidelines Committee will then gather and consider the evidence and come to a majority decision on resolving the case. Committee members with a possible conflict of interest will recuse themselves from the vote and will fully disclose to the Committee, any likely conflicts of interest. If a tie in votes occurs, the AABP Director vote breaks the tie. Any AABP member determined by the AABP Professional Practice Guidelines Committee to have likely committed a breech of these guidelines will be subject to one or more of the following censures: