Canine Training and Behavior Specialist Program - 8 weeks

Advanced Pet Obedience

In this course students will be instructed in advanced pet obedience theory and practical application.  Students will learn:

• Generalization of obedience under high levels of distraction.
• Off-leash obedience training.
• Controls of a dog at a distance.
• Dynamics of multi-dog households.
• Working with multiple dogs in a home.
• Improving the adoptability of dogs in a shelter.
• Problem solving.

Competitive Obedience Training

In this course students will be introduced to competitive obedience training.  Students will learn:

• Obedience exercises in competitive sports.
• AKC, UKC, and Schutzhund obedience rules and regulations.
• Different levels of competitive obedience.
• Hand signals for competitive obedience training.
• Preparing for competitions.
• Building a good working relationship with a dog.
• The steps to a trained retrieve.
• Using a dog's natural drive in training.
• Attention training to the handler.

Advanced Clicker Training

In this course students will be instructed in techniques for teaching advanced behaviors.  Students will learn:

• How the clicker can benefit shelter dogs.
• Operant conditioning principles to teach complex behaviors.
• Shaping and chaining animal behaviors for commercials and movies.
• The use of a clicker in generalizing behaviors.

Advanced Behavior Modification Techniques

In this course students will be instructed in advanced behavior modification techniques.  Students will learn:

• Developing a strategy for severe behavior problems.
• How to set up a detailed plan for the dog and owners to help deal with severe behavior problems.
• Uses of psychoactive medication to treat acute behavior problems.
• Techniques in handling dogs with aggression problems.
• Temperament evaluation and selection of adult dogs.
• Behavior modification and temperament evaluation of shelter dogs.

Group Classes, Private Lessons, In-Kennel Training, and In-Home Training III

In this course students will be instructed in both group and private lesson instruction and in-kennel training techniques.  Students will learn:

• Pros and cons of in-kennel training.
• Pros and cons of in-home training.
• Scheduling of lessons for in-home and private training.
• How to start a doggy daycare.
• Conducting a group class.
• Conducting a private lesson.
• Customizing a training plan for a client's dog.
• Train a wide variety of temperaments in an in-kennel environment.
• The proper way to introduce a new dog into a group environment.
• The importance of balanced training techniques.

Kennel Management III

In this course students will be instructed in kennel management theory, practical application, and canine health care.  Students will learn:

• How to maintain lifetime relationships with your clients.
• Management of special services for dogs in a boarding environment.
• How a dog utilizes the nutrition he takes in.
• Proper warm up and cool down techniques for service or sport dogs.
• Maintaining a professional relationship with clients.
• Management of kennel staff and technicians.
• Administration and logging of medication for in-kennel dogs.

Agility Training III

In this course students will be instructed in running agility courses.  Students will learn:

• How to solve problems in agility.
• Developing a strategy for running an agility course.
• Clean run in agility.
• Advanced handling techniques.
• Obstacle discrimination.
• Rules of NADAC and USDAA competitive agility.
• Teaching clients to prepare for trials.
• Maintaining control of an agility dog in drive.

Protection I

          In this course students will be introduced to the art of protection training.  Students will learn:

• The misconceptions associated with protection training
• Pros and cons of offering protection training
• Evaluating and selecting a dog for protection training
• Steps in training a protection dog
• Safety and control of a protection dog
• How to recognize and develop a dog's drives

Police K-9 I

In this course students will be introduced to Police K-9 training.  Students will learn:

• K-9 training theory and techniques.
• How to evaluate a police dog candidate.
• Steps in training a detector dog.
• Basic police dog tracking theories.
• How a dog's nose works to detect different odors.

Introduction to Canine Sports

In this course students will be introduced to various competitive dog sports.  Students will learn:

• Herding training.
• Retriever training.
• Flyball training.
• Freestyle training.
• Flying disc work training.
• Schutzhund training.
• Many other dog sports.

Assistance Dog Training for the Handicapped

In this course students will be introduced to assistance dog training for the handicapped.  Students will learn:

• Different types of assistance dogs.
• Evaluation and selection of an assistance dog candidate.
• Trained retrieve for assistance dogs.
• Trained behaviors for assistance dogs.

Search and Rescue I

In this course students will be introduced to search and rescue theory and practical application.  Students will learn:

• Describe what is involved in search and rescue.
• The difference between tracking and air scenting.
• The SAR dog in cadaver recovery.
• Evaluate and select a SAR dog.
• Training a dog in disaster work.
• SAR area wilderness search.