Dog Walkers/Pet Sitters (DW)

Why do DW?

Dog walking and pet sitting are jobs often thought to be suitable for just about anybody...we don't think that's appropriate at all. People caring for others' pets and charging pet owners must have knowledge and skill in handling pets, monitoring their health, and ensuring that they are safe at all times.

This Specialisation is for those serious about developing an ethical business in this area, who want to offer professionalism and above all, great pet care.

How long is DW?
You must complete all required courses and submit all assessment work within 10 months of your commencement date.

How much is DW?
Total fees: €800
More on payments and terms here.

Points required: 40
All Specialisations have a points requirement, collected as you successfully complete component courses. For DW you must achieve 30 points from mandatory courses and 10 from electives.

Entry requirements
There are no specific entry requirements for this Specialisation, although we do recommend that applicants have studied to Level 5 (NFQ)
We want to set all applicants up for success so we will consider all backgrounds and have options that might suit those that don't have the academic and experiential requirements.

Career goals & progression
This program is for those serious about developing a professional and ethical business in this area.
This Specialisation may also be topped-up to CBTT.

This Specialisation is designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge to care for others’ pets competently, keeping them safe and managing their health and behaviour appropriately.

This program also emphasises the development of your business so that, in Ireland, we can build toward developing dog walking and pet sitting as a profession, with knowledgeable personnel, promoting responsible pet ownership and welfare-centric interactions with dogs.

We believe that skilled, knowledgeable and ethical dog walking/sitting businesses are the key to supporting the changes in dog owning culture in Ireland. With more owners commuting and working longer hours, dogs are spending longer periods in social isolation, and with more people living in apartments or homes with limited outdoor space, professionals who can help put appropriate enrichment programs in place are invaluable to maintaining the welfare of pet dogs in Ireland.

The DW Specialisation is offered by Ireland’s only independent course developer in this professional area – AniEd, and only one of a few around the world. We offer bespoke courses written and delivered to a high standard by qualified and experienced professionals.

Component Courses

Successful completion of DW involves accumulating 40 points. 30 points from five mandatory courses, and 10 from electives.

Mandatory Courses (all must be completed successfully - 30 points):

Canine Behaviour Foundations(5 points)

Canine First Aid (5 points)
Canine Health & Disease (5 points)

Safe Dog Handling (5 points)
Business Management (10 points)

Elective Courses (accumulate 20 points):

Canine Nutrition (5 points)
Client Relations & Counselling Skills (5 points)
Supervising Dog Groups & Play (10 points)

Flexible Scheduling:

Course calendar can be found here.

Each component course is run at least once per calendar year. You choose which dates you wish to attend and book with us. We reserve your spot and you'll be good to go.

Scheduling is flexible, so if you need to change a booking, even at short notice, that's generally no problem. There are some limitations to the sequence you schedule your courses but other than that we have maximised flexibility to suit your busy life.

Entry Requirements:

There are no specific entry requirements for the DW Specialisation, but it is recommended that you have previously studied to Level 5 (NFQ) or similar.

There are general entry requirements for AniEd courses:

all course work is pitched at equivalent to Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications
applicants must have a good literacy and comprehension level and be able to communicate and complete coursework in English
applicants must have basic proficiency in computer use
you are expected to complete the studying, reading and assessment work on a homestudy basis so must be able to organise your time and commit to a study plan. All course materials and supplementary resources are provided and you will have online support from your tutor at all times.

Please note that to complete assessment work you will need access to the following:

a computer (Windows OS or Mac equivalent) with Microsoft Office or equivalent, broadband internet connection and email account
basic computer skills in using MS Word or similar word processing programs, spreadsheets, email, internet browsing and so on
at least one dog with which to work
means to record assessment work, edit the recorded footage and upload assessment work according to assessment guidelines to a video sharing site e.g. YouTube

TOP-UP to CBTT

Successfully completing the DW program allows you to TOP-UP to the CBTT program. This allows you to complete CBTT over a longer time, building your skill and knowledge at a gentler pace.

Upon successful completion, you can then TOP-UP to CBTT, by completing the remaining required component courses.

Because of our flexible scheduling and modular delivery, regardless of which Specialisation you are on, you will attend with others doing that course, who may be on other Specialisations - everyone is doing a different combination of the same component courses!
This means that once you have the required elements of your first Specialisation completed, you just need to work through any left over component courses that are required to accumulate the 150 points for CBTT.

It's cost effective and provides you more time to complete the grueling CBTT program:

Dog Walking/Pet Sitting TOP-UP costs a further €2200 and you have a further 14 months to accumulate the remaining points.

Ask about this TOP-UP service today!

Dog Walkers/Pet Sitters (DW)

At a glance...