Pet Obedience Trainer Certificate

Learning to effectively train dogs is a skill that can enhance the pet/owner experience and allow the animal to be more confident and content.

This course has been custom-designed by Open Colleges for canine lovers who are aiming to work as a dog obedience trainer or for those who are passionate about their animals and want to learn how to effectively train their own pet.

The Pet Obedience Trainer Certificate 86400 has been custom-created to give owners and dogs the ability to live in harmony together. During this course you will gain a full introduction to the dog training profession and gain the skills, knowledge and experience needed to train a dog and begin a career as a professional dog obedience trainer, or to learn how to train your own and other pets.

The tips and tricks you will learn will teach you how to help your dog respond in the correct way; a skill that can be applied in the home, with show dogs or in a kennel. The course also covers comprehensive information on the categories of training and the history of the dog. As well as this, you will be given an array of included learning materials, including DVDs, a textbook and a clicker and be taught the basics of clicker training your canine.

This course would also be ideal for those who are planning on adding a new animal to their household, as it gives professional pointers on pet selection and animal temperament, and a guide to specific breeds.

If you love dogs and want to learn how to professionally train them, structure this flexible course around your other family, work and study commitments and connect with other animal lovers via the Open Space learning community online through Open Colleges.

Potential career paths:

• Pet obedience trainer

• Course Detail

  Course number 86400	Course duration Max 18 months
  Course fees from $45.94 per week	Qualification Open Colleges Certificate
  Delivery mode Online	Nationally recognised No
  Assessments 1 written assessment, 8 multiple choice assessments	Awarded By Open Colleges

• Subjects

  • Introduction to the dog training profession
    • Skills, knowledge and experience needed to train a dog and be a professional dog obedience trainer
    • Terminology used to describe the basic structure of a dog
    • Categories of training
    • Evolutionary theory and its relation to selective breeding
    • Ethology and canine behaviour
    • History of the dog
    • Effects of domestication
  • Sensory abilities of the dog
    • The dog's eye and its functions
    • Detecting sound
    • Scenting ability
    • Taste and tactile sense
    • Changes in the dog's mood through touch
  • How dogs learn
    • Learned behaviour
    • Learning theory
    • Dependent, independent and intervening
    • Variables to learning and behaviour research
    • Interpreting dog behaviour
  • Social behaviour and communication
    • How dogs use signals to communicate
    • Types of signals used by dogs
    • The effects of evolution and domestication on dogs' ability to communicate with each other
    • Neoteny and its effect on dogs' relationships with humans
    • Ritualised displays
    • Direction cues
  • Conditioning
    • Classic conditioning
    • Conditioned and unconditioned stimuli
    • Conditioning procedures
    • Reducing fears
    • Contrast punishment and negative reinforcement
    • The function of corrections
    • Shaping
    • Sequencing instrumental behaviours
  • Applied dog behaviour
    • Clicker training
    • A click versus a verbal cue
    • Punishment versus reinforcement
    • The training game
  • House training and crate training
    • House training techniques
    • Using a crate to train a dog
    • Train a dog to relieve itself in the most appropriate places
    • Train a dog to ring a bell when it needs to go out
    • Problems associated with house training
  • Testing and selection of dogs
    • Typical testing procedures
    • Identifying training and temperament issues
    • The dynamics of drive thresholds and how they impact on behaviour
    • Specific breeds and their related behaviours
    • Selecting a pet
    • Evaluating a pet dog
    • The influence of genetics on temperament
  • Testing and selection of dog breeders
    • Identifying puppy mills and backyard breeders
    • Hereditary factors
    • Identifying the right breeder

• Requirements

  
  Minimum education

  Open entry. Previous schooling and academic achievements are not required for entry into this course.
  Minimum age

  Minimum age of 16 years. If you are under 18 your application must be signed by a parent or guardian.
  Computer requirements

  Students will need access to a computer and the internet. For students who do not have access to either a computer or the internet please contact a student support officer to discuss alternative methods of communication.

  Minimum specifications for the computer are:

      Microsoft Office 2003 or equivalent, and
      Microsoft Windows 98, or
      Mac OS X, and
      CD-ROM drive.

  Students will also need access to a printer and the following applications:

      Adobe Acrobat Reader and
      Macromedia Flash player.

  English language requirements

  If English is not your first language and you did not complete the last two years of secondary education in English, you are required to provide evidence of English language competency before enrolling into the course. Examples of appropriate evidence are listed below:
  Evidence
  
  Example
  IELTS  Overall score of 5.5
  TOEFL  530 (paper), 197 (computer) or 71 (internet)
  12 months in English-speaking employment  Testimonial, statutory declaration

• Pathways

  Upon completion of this course, you will have developed a better understanding of the subject area and be able to put your new skills into practice.

• Trainers and Assessors

  • Madeleine Lindsell

    Madeleine Lindsell is passionate about animal care, and makes the ideal pet care trainer.

    Madeleine is highly qualified, and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Equine Studies) from Charles Sturt University as well as Certificates in Domestic Animal Care, Horse Husbandry and Zookeeping.

    During the course of her career, she spent four years working for the Blue Ribbon Riding School providing care for their horses, and also spent some time as an animal carer on a private estate in the UK.

• Extra Benefits

  Included materials (valued at more than $50)

  • Dog Training for Dummies textbook
  • Clicker Fun DVD
  • Introduction to Dog Training DVD
  • Dog training clicker

Payment Options

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