Become a Dog Trainer

Our Support Promise

You can phone or email your tutor at any point during your course – to ask questions, for advice, encouragement or to draw on their wealth of knowledge.

You can also contact the support team who are here to help you Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

What You’ll Learn

Intermediate Canine Psychology

Unit 1 

The dog’s brain:

• The physical and mental development of the puppy
• How early experiences affect behaviour
• How dogs learn
  

Unit 2 

Natural behaviours of the dog:

• What owners expect
• Why and how owners seek to change some behaviours
• The psychological and physiological effects of neutering

Unit 3

Canine senses and communication:

• How they compare and differ from those of the human
• Verbal and body language
• Learning to read the signals

Unit 4

The intelligent dog:

• Mental stimulation
• The importance of play

You will also complete a Special Study on a topic of your choice, relevant to the course.

Health, Safety, Legal and Associated Issues

Unit 1

• Customer Service and Care
• Client Distress
• Personal Safety
• Health and Safety
• Prevention of Ill Health and Accidents
• Risk Assessment
• First Aid
• Legal Issues
• Environmental Issues
• Insurance

Dog Training Class Instruction (Theory) Part 1

Unit 1 

• Responsibilities of the instructor – Experience, qualifications, coping with stress, using time effectively

Unit 2

• Understanding the Dog- how the dog learns, traditional and modern training methods, how dogs communicate and fun and games

Unit 3

• Care, behaviour and diet – owner expectation, handling skills, owner stress and effects on behaviour, neutering and diet

Unit 4 

• Dog training and owners – organising classes, discussion with owners and coping with behaviour problems

Unit 5 

• The private instructor and the club instructor – major differences between the club and the private business venture, practical considerations of venue, advertising, assistants, committee management and maintaining good relationships

You will also complete a Special Study on a topic of your choice, relevant to the course.

Dog Training Class Instruction (Theory) Part 2

Unit 1 

Problem prevention:

• Choice of puppy/breeder
• Breed related behaviour
• Genetic predisposition

Unit 2

Problem definition:

• Recognition and interruption of problem behaviour
• Unrealistic owner expectations
• The adolescent dog

Unit 3

The class:

• Types of classes – comparisons
• Problem prevention in the class
• Rehabilitation classes
• The dog’s view

Unit 4 

The home environment:

• The dog in the human environment
• Training aids
• Problem prevention in the home
• The ‘behaviourist’

Unit 5 

People as Owners:

• Human perceptions and misunderstandings
• Reinforcing the dog/owner relationship

You will also complete a Special Study on a topic of your choice, relevant to the course.

Certification

On successful completion of this course you’ll receive the Certificate of Achievement at QLS Level 3 from Quality Licence Scheme when you complete this course**.

Quality Licence Scheme endorsement involves robust and rigorous quality audits by external auditors to ensure quality is continually met. A review of courses is carried out as part of the endorsement process.

You will also receive the Animal Care College Certificate* in Become a Dog Trainer, graded to show the standard you have reached. There are no exams.

* The Animal Care College Certificate will be issued once you have successfully completed your course and finished your course payments.

** QLS registration fees included.

Study Length

There are no deadlines for this pathway. Simply study in the comfort of your own home, and in your own time.

Distance learning is designed to be flexible, but as a guide, students who can spend 4-6 hours a week studying tend to complete a single unit within a month.

What's Next

This pathway can help you progress in your career in the animal care sector.

Once it’s completed, you may wish to further your study. If that’s the case, we’d suggest:

• Modern Theories of Canine Behaviour, Psychology and Training
• Advanced Canine Psychology
• Companion Animal Bereavement Counselling

If you are looking to set up your own business then you should consider obtaining insurance cover. Further information is available on request.

You can get in touch with one of our tutors, or contact our support team from 9am - 5pm.

Course fee & how to enrol

This career pathway combines 4 of our individual courses, providing students with a clear and comprehensive path towards a career in animal care. What’s more, when you take this pathway, you’ll save, compared to taking each course on its own. Plus, you’ll get a free unit worth £195 £136.50.

There are two ways you can enrol

Pay the total course fee of £995 £696.50 in one sum and receive a £50 voucher towards the cost of your next course

or

Pay 12 monthly payments of £84.58 £59.70 (£20 administration fee included)