# DWA training/mentoring question



## billsy (Nov 29, 2008)

Hi!

Just a question out of curiosity, not interested in getting a DWA.

When being mentored/trained would you have to do training with the animals you wanted to keep or do you train with all animals? 

For example, would I be able to keep a caiman if I did all of my training with venomous spiders? or does that not happen?

Thanks in advance!

: victory:


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

There is no recognised training scheme or qualification, so you could apply for a licence with no training whatsoever. 

However, if you obviously have no experience in handling, or you had no clue in how to look after the animal you are looking to keep, the vet and LA will not grant the licence or sign off/approve the room. 

Its mostly common sense to be honest. If anyone was daft enough to try to get an elapid after only having experience with _Latrodectus_ ... lets hope the council would stop said person proceeding before the Darwin awards come into play...


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## billsy (Nov 29, 2008)

chondro13 said:


> There is no recognised training scheme or qualification, so you could apply for a licence with no training whatsoever.
> 
> However, if you obviously have no experience in handling, or you had no clue in how to look after the animal you are looking to keep, the vet and LA will not grant the licence or sign off/approve the room.
> 
> Its mostly common sense to be honest. If anyone was daft enough to try to get an elapid after only having experience with _Latrodectus_ ... lets hope the council would stop said person proceeding before the Darwin awards come into play...


Ah right, thank you very much for that :2thumb:

I was under the impression that you had to have so many hours of experience with handling and all other duties required in caring for them and you had to do this with someone who already has a DWA as your mentor before you could even apply for the license?


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## Razorscale (Feb 22, 2010)

billsy said:


> Ah right, thank you very much for that :2thumb:
> 
> I was under the impression that you had to have so many hours of experience with handling and all other duties required in caring for them and you had to do this with someone who already has a DWA as your mentor before you could even apply for the license?


 
It would be a smart idea as less idiots would get them, it just seems they are more concetrated on getting money out of you rather than making sure you know what your doing.
Its like buying a plane license and then flying a plane your doomed unless you have the proper training.
Get experience with all sorts of snakes, get hook training and find a damn good mentor, its what i did.
None of this ive being keeping a ball python for a hole 5 months and havent got bitten so i am able for a venomous snake, wrong way to do it.


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## billsy (Nov 29, 2008)

Razorscale said:


> It would be a smart idea as less idiots would get them, it just seems they are more concetrated on getting money out of you rather than making sure you know what your doing.
> Its like buying a plane license and then flying a plane your doomed unless you have the proper training.
> Get experience with all sorts of snakes, get hook training and find a damn good mentor, its what i did.
> None of this ive being keeping a ball python for a hole 5 months and havent got bitten so i am able for a venomous snake, wrong way to do it.


 
That's a great help, thank you :2thumb:

As I said, i'm not interested in getting a DWA as I have a young child and I would never keep anything that has the potential do do serious harm. I was just curious as to how it works. I think it would be a flawed system if you could just get experience in something small, like a scorp or a spider and once you have the license go out and buy a Gaboon or a croc.

: victory:


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

billsy said:


> As I said, i'm not interested in getting a DWA as I have a young child
> 
> : victory:


Personally I can never understand this particular point of view.

Is the assumption that a keeper would keep the critters (DWA or larger species of constrictors) in the same room or area as a child. Or indeed not secured thus allowing child to gain access to potential harm?

One of the main points in the DWA process is to show that the potential keeper has thought about and covered safety etc.

I'm not having a go at you in particular but the point of view you expressed has been used a lot on various forums and is a flawed one.


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## billsy (Nov 29, 2008)

slippery42 said:


> Personally I can never understand this particular point of view.
> 
> Is the assumption that a keeper would keep the critters (DWA or larger species of constrictors) in the same room or area as a child. Or indeed not secured thus allowing child to gain access to potential harm?
> 
> ...


That's a very good point and I didn't think you were having a pop so no worries : victory:

A clearer way of saying what I ment: Most children start to get a bit more mischievous as they get older and will often do things that they know they're not ment to, I mean, we've all done something stupid when we were younger that could have potentially harmed us but as a kid you don't see the real risk involved. I was a good kid, had good grades in school and was rarely in trouble but I still used to go out and climb the pylons with the boys on the weekends thinking it was funny seeing who could climg the highest and not really worrying about the chance of being electrocuted.

Even if the viv, room with the viv in were locked and the key out of reach, I know that while I was a teen I would of climbed up to get the key and open the room to have a look, I wouldn't of opened the viv but would of gone into the room to have a look and I know there are going to be times in the future when my daughter is older that she will have to be in the house on her own with me and the wife working so I would rather not have anything DWA in the house with her just in case one day in the future she decides to have a nose while no ones around. Prevention is better than cure and all that : victory:


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

billsy said:


> That's a very good point and I didn't think you were having a pop so no worries : victory:
> 
> A clearer way of saying what I ment: Most children start to get a bit more mischievous as they get older and will often do things that they know they're not ment to, I mean, we've all done something stupid when we were younger that could have potentially harmed us but as a kid you don't see the real risk involved. I was a good kid, had good grades in school and was rarely in trouble but I still used to go out and climb the pylons with the boys on the weekends thinking it was funny seeing who could climg the highest and not really worrying about the chance of being electrocuted.
> 
> Even if the viv, room with the viv in were locked and the key out of reach, I know that while I was a teen I would of climbed up to get the key and open the room to have a look, I wouldn't of opened the viv but would of gone into the room to have a look and I know there are going to be times in the future when my daughter is older that she will have to be in the house on her own with me and the wife working so I would rather not have anything DWA in the house with her just in case one day in the future she decides to have a nose while no ones around. Prevention is better than cure and all that : victory:


So your kids are going to be able to pick a 5 lever mortice lock?


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## Nomad Gecko (Apr 26, 2012)

slippery42 said:


> So your kids are going to be able to pick a 5 lever mortice lock?


Why yes..... Cant yours? :lol2:


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## billsy (Nov 29, 2008)

slippery42 said:


> So your kids are going to be able to pick a 5 lever mortice lock?


No, I haven't mentioned anything about picking locks. I said that if she was to get hold of the key. Everybody is different and my daughter might grow up to be the perfect daughter and listen to my every word and never do anything wrong but I highly doubt that will happen as most kids make mistakes here and there. The last thing I want is my daughter to one day make the mistake of showing her friends while no adult is around, "we'll just have a look but don't tell my mum or dad" that sort of thing.


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

billsy said:


> No, I haven't mentioned anything about picking locks. I said that if she was to get hold of the key. Everybody is different and my daughter might grow up to be the perfect daughter and listen to my every word and never do anything wrong but I highly doubt that will happen as most kids make mistakes here and there. The last thing I want is my daughter to one day make the mistake of showing her friends while no adult is around, "we'll just have a look but don't tell my mum or dad" that sort of thing.



I think you and I will always disagree on this as I believe that keeping the key to a snake room safe is the way to stop ANY risk. How would she get the key if it were in your pocket for example?


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## billsy (Nov 29, 2008)

I think your right about us disagreeing on this particular topic. So you would keep the key on you 100% of the time everyday? I have no doubts that people who acquire the license has thought everything through and is a very responsible keeper, i'm not questioning that at all. A child that lives in a house with no DWA has less chance of something happening than a child that lives in a house with DWA, even if it is 0.5% it's 0.5% more than a child in a non DWA house


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## coldestblood (Jun 4, 2011)

billsy said:


> No, I haven't mentioned anything about picking locks. I said that if she was to get hold of the key. Everybody is different and my daughter might grow up to be the perfect daughter and listen to my every word and never do anything wrong but I highly doubt that will happen as most kids make mistakes here and there. The last thing I want is my daughter to one day make the mistake of showing her friends while no adult is around, "we'll just have a look but don't tell my mum or dad" that sort of thing.


 

The security protocols taken by dwa keepers, are there to ensure that the room is fully secure. Not just from wondering kids, but also from anyone else. Keys are not left hanging around. That would make all the security measures pointless.

Take my room as an example. To gain access, it would take a lot more than just finding a key (or even picking a lock). You would need to get hold of 2 seperate door keys, the code for the number lock, 2 locks per viv, and avoid the two motion sensor CCTV cameras. The room also has an alarm, which makes a loud noise when the door is opened, and goes off if it's not deactivated.


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## steve williams (Feb 14, 2010)

I'd be more concerned for the safety of the snakes if my :devil: of a grandson got amongst them!


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## billsy (Nov 29, 2008)

coldestblood said:


> The security protocols taken by dwa keepers, are there to ensure that the room is fully secure. Not just from wondering kids, but also from anyone else. Keys are not left hanging around. That would make all the security measures pointless.
> 
> Take my room as an example. To gain access, it would take a lot more than just finding a key (or even picking a lock). You would need to get hold of 2 seperate door keys, the code for the number lock, 2 locks per viv, and avoid the two motion sensor CCTV cameras. The room also has an alarm, which makes a loud noise when the door is opened, and goes off if it's not deactivated.


Sounds like you have quite the set up there!

I completely understand that as long as the key/s are safe then there is no chance of anything happening. My personal way of seeing it is that I would rather not have anything hot, even with all of the security, while my daughter is there, just my choice in how I would do things. I'm not saying that people who do keep hots with children are crazy or anything like that, neither do I think that they are daft enough to keep hots in the childrens bedroom or something stupid like that. It's their choice, as it is my choice not to have hots while my daughter is here : victory:


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