Choose from over 20 different courses of study (with more always on the way) relating to all areas of the study of animal health, welfare and behaviour.
Each course has a points value that you can use to build toward a Specialisation or to accumulate these points as part of your continuing education.
Courses are grouped as follows: School of Behaviour, School of Animal Training, School of Animal Healthcare and School of Petcare Business. You can study in the area of your choice or choose courses across different schools.
Course Costs
Courses are priced individually.
Aggression & Reactivity
(10 points)
Standalone €180 Assessment €40
Aggressive behaviour is complex and requires a thorough understanding to better manage it safely and responsibly
If you have successfully completed the Canine Behaviour Progression program or equivalent and have worked with dogs (other than your own) this course will certainly help to enhance your knowledge and skill.
Biology of Behaviour
(10 points)
Standalone €150 Assessment €40
As our knowledge of canine behaviour grows we can call on scientific works in our field revealing the physiological and cognitive causes of behaviour
This course examines behaviour from the inside-out by studying the brain, its functioning and how that translates into behavioural and cognitive responses. Is best completed alongside the course Canine Ethology & Cognition.
Canine Behaviour Foundations
(5 points)
Standalone €90 Assessment €20
This course provides the background to understanding dogs and what makes them tick
Perfect for those starting out as your first step in education in training & behaviour. Also ideal for those who work with dogs but not directly in training & behaviour – groomers and vet nurses love this course!
Canine Behaviour Progression
(10 points)
Standalone €150 Assessment €40
An in-depth look at canine behaviour, challenging widely-held beliefs about dog behaviour via studying evidence based resources
If you have successfully completed the Canine Behaviour Foundations program or equivalent and have worked with dogs (other than your own) this course will certainly help to enhance your knowledge and skill.
Canine Ethology & Cognition
(10 points)
Standalone €150 Assessment €40
Developing an understanding of natural canid behaviour, its evolution and interactions with the environment prepares you to better understand the cognitive abilities of dogs and motivators for behaviour
This course examines some complex concepts and is ideal for those who really want an in-depth knowledge of canine behaviour. Is best completed alongside the course Biology of Behaviour.
Helping Rescue Dogs
(10 points)
Standalone €180 Assessment €40
Dogs spending time in a shelter, pound or foster care will often have specific requirements in terms of maintaining behavioural welfare and preparing them for adoption
This course will provide foster carers, rescue volunteers and kennel/shelter staff an insight into the sometimes specific care to ensure the welfare of rescue dogs. If you are a dog trainer regularly in contact with rescue dogs this course will help you to develop training programs for rescue dogs at all stages of their care, helping to maintain behavioural health into adoption.
Supervising Dog Groups & Play
(10 points)
Standalone €180 Assessment €40
Maintaining safety and ensuring that dogs in groups benefit behaviourally requires skill and knowledge to prevent over-arousal, aggression and the development of inappropriate behaviour
This course is great for those already working in this sort of environment or for those planning to do so.
Learning Theory Foundations
(5 points)
Standalone €90 Assessment €20
Teaching dogs, or indeed any animal, requires an understanding of how they learn and how this affects training
Understanding learning theories and how they apply to teaching dogs is a basic requirement for all budding and professional dog trainers.
This course will help you to develop this essential understanding, forming the base on which you can build further knowledge.
Mechanical Skill Foundations
(10 points)
Standalone €190 Assessment €40
Mechanical training skill is the foundation for dog trainers and this course introduces and refines these skills in a practical workshop
Perfect for those starting out as your first step in developing dog training skill – perfect for those starting on a path toward working in training but also for pet owners who really want to develop skill in teaching their dogs new behaviours, and improving behaviours already introduced.
Mechanical Skill Progression
(10 points)
Standalone €180 Assessment €40
Building on our Foundations workshop, we work on developing mechanical skill to the next level
This course concentrates on building upon foundation mechanical skill to include more complex concepts in teaching dogs. It’s a course suitable for those working with dogs, for pet owners who are particularly interested in developing further mechanical skill and for those preparing for CAP or similar assessments.
Organising Classes & Training Sessions
(5 points)
Standalone €90 Assessment €20
Writing, conducting, supervising training classes & sessions well requires a diverse range of skills and knowledge
This course will help you to plan, design and carry out training classes & sessions to maximise learning, progress and safety.
Is best completed with the course Instructions Skills.
Teaching Puppies
(10 points)
Standalone €180 Assessment €40
Special skill and knowledge are required to deliver the most important training to puppies and their owners to ensure they all get off to the best start
The education delivered in puppy courses is some of the most important for puppies and their people in terms of setting them up to succeed with effective management and training strategies, in flagging issues that may cause problems later on and in ensuring that puppy owners have access to the best advice and support for life.
Animal Welfare (with critical evaluation)
(10 points)
Standalone €150 Assessment €40
At the core of all our interactions with animals, is an awareness of welfare and we develop this through better understanding of what welfare is, how animals experience the world we place them in and how to improve animal welfare.
Because this can be such an emotive subject, we will study it through the development of critical evaluation skills.
The science of animal welfare has allowed us to develop means to measure the impacts of the things that we do to animals. Learning how to use this information, however, is tricky and this course will help you to develop critical evaluation skills so that you can apply knowledge and better evaluate the validity and reliability of material.
Canine First Aid
(5 points)
Standalone €90 Assessment €20
Knowing how to respond in an emergency is vital when working with dogs
This course covers the emergency primary care routines, including CPR on Casper dummies for real life practice, along with some secondary care procedures with an emphasis on safe interventions.
Canine Health & Disease
(5 points)
Standalone €150 Assessment €20
An understanding of canine biology and physiology will allow you to better prevent disease and promote canine health
This course will introduce you to canine health parameters, common diseases and disorders alongside causes and prevention. Being aware of simple strategies to maintain health and hygiene will benefit devoted pet owners and professionals.
Canine Nutrition
(5 points)
Standalone €150 Assessment €20
Nutrition is the basis of health, potentially impacting disease, behaviour and learning
Ensuring a pet’s well-being will rely heavily on understanding their dietary requirements and this knowledge has become more important with the promotion of so many fads and trends in nutrition and diet design.
Domestication & Selective Breeding
(5 points)
Standalone €90 Assessment €20
Both domestication and breeding practices have had dramatic effects on canine health and behaviour, an understanding of which is essential when caring for dogs
This course offers an introduction to genetics and inheritance and the study of the canine genome to better understand approaches to improving the health and behaviour of dogs, via responsible breeding strategies.
Business Management
(10 points)
Standalone €150 Assessment €40
The canine training & behaviour industries are growing so developing your new business requires in-depth knowledge of general business practice, marketing and social media use.
In developing the animal care industry as a profession, knowledge of responsible business practices will help you to succeed and build your business, benefitting the animal care industry in Ireland.
Client Relations & Counselling Skills
(5 points)
Standalone €90 Assessment €20
Helping people better understand their pets and developing a rapport with the human end of the leash is vital in improving canine welfare
Ensuring the welfare of pets relies on the professional’s ability to counsel and interact with pet owners. This in-depth course will provide you with skills and strategies that will help you to empathise with pet owners, better understanding their position so that you are in the best position to help them most effectively.
Safe Dog Handling
(5 points)
Standalone €90 Assessment €20
Developing knowledge and skill in using tools and techniques to keep you safe in sometimes dangerous situations is important in developing policies and procedures in your business and interactions with dogs
As much as we love dogs, they can pose significant risk to safety. Having tools and techniques to lower that risk is important for safety and for your business. This course will help to raise your awareness of potentially dangerous situations and provide you with simple but effective strategies to maintain your safety.
Instruction Skills
(5 points)
Standalone €90 Assessment €20
Developing mechanical dog training skill is only half of the picture and success relies on training the human part of the relationship
This course provides you with skills and strategies to help teach pet owners in the development of mechanical dog training skill.
Is best completed with the course Organising Classes & Training Sessions.