Professional Dog Training

Course Syllabus

The fascinating topics you’ll cover on the course

1. Welcome

  • What is a well trained dog?
  • What are the five ground rules for dog training?
  • What are the two golden rules?
  • How do I read my dog?
  • Where do I come into my dogs training?
  • What should my attitude be towards training my dog?
  • How does my dog’s age relate to his ability to learn?

2. Understanding your dog. Dog psychology explained

  • Introduction to dog psychology
  • Can my dog reason logically?
  • What are the three most commonly exhibited behaviours?
  • What are the characteristics of these drives?
  • The pack drives characteristics
  • The defensive drives characteristics
  • What are hackles and hackling?
  • How do these drives apply to my training?
  • Bringing out the drives
  • Switching drives

3. The puppy period

  • Basic facts you need to know before starting this module.
  • Your dog's social needs
  • Between seven and twelve weeks, early interaction
  • The first fear period occurs between 8 and 12 weeks
  • Why does my dog not come anymore, over 12 weeks?
  • Reaching maturity, not the pup you bought?
  • We now come to the second fear period
  • Hormone fluctuation
  • Spaying and neutering
  • Spaying and neutering, when should it be done?

4. Setting up a training programme

  • Introduction
  • What are the features of reward training?
  • Limits to reward training
  • Positive reinforcement
  • Choose your setting
  • How reward training works
  • Taking care of your dog during training
  • Why does reward training work?
  • Additional tips and reminders

5. Socialising a dog

  • Using a training collar
  • Types of collar
  • The advantages of using a training head collar
  • Getting to grips with a training collar
  • Why it must be properly fitted
  • Socialising with dogs
  • With other dogs
  • With humans
  • With other animals
  • How to socialise a puppy
  • 10 ways to socialise your puppy

6. No more puddles. House training made easy

  • All you need to know about house training and crate training
  • How do i go about house training?
  • The dos and don’ts of house training
  • Importance of house training
  • How to deal with house training challenges
  • How to establish a den for your dog
  • Crate training for puppies and dogs
  • What are the benefits of crate training?
  • What are the best crates for dogs and puppies?
  • How do choose the best crate?
  • Useful tips for crate training
  • How do i handle crate training accidents?
  • Extending crate time
  • In summary

7. Getting a dog to Sit and Stay

  • Dog obedience training
  • Know the traits of your dog
  • Be consistent with your training
  • Discipline but not punish
  • The importance of rewards
  • Appreciate your dog
  • Benefits of dog obedience training
  • Conclusion

8. Walking at your side. Coming to you on command

  • Lead and collar training
  • How to train your dog using a training collar and lead
  • Teaching your puppy to accept the lead and collar
  • Training your puppy with the lead and collar
  • How to minimize lead pulling
  • Taking off the lead

9. Eliminating biting, barking, jumping up and chewing. And other bad habits.

  • Refusing to respond when called
  • Training for proper dog behaviour
  • Eliminating biting tendencies
  • Preventing mouthing and biting
  • Reliance on trust to prevent dog bites
  • Eliminating bad dog habits
  • Howling, excessive barking, and whining
  • Tips for dealing with your dog's excessive whining howling and barking
  • Problem chewing
  • Problem 1: jumping on people
  • Problem 2: tugging and pulling the leash
  • Problem 3: random escapes and roams in your neighbourhood
  • Dog/ pup training for good behaviour

10 How to create and run your own classes

  • Introduction
  • What’s the next step?
  • Choosing a location
  • Choose your market
  • Consider your activities and the amount of space needed
  • Factor in the weather
  • Select a place that easy to locate
  • Keep it clean and well-organized
  • Interviewing interested owners
  • 8 critical things to discuss in your owner interview
  • Tools required
  • Marking out an area
  • Structuring group lessons
  • How long should your class be, and how should you structure it?
  • How do you manage the owners?
  • How do you start the class?
  • How do you end each class?
  • Structuring one-on-one lessons
  • How do you structure each class?

11. Finding clients for your business

  • How will you position yourself?
  • Sources of work
  • The internet
  • Networking
  • Leaflet drop
  • Seminars
  • Fee-charging seminars
  • Free seminars
  • How to organise a seminar that wins you clients
  • Using PR to get business
  • Making your website work
  • Gaining referrals
  • Advertising. The media. Writing an ad

12. Setting up your practice

  • A place to work Where to practise?
  • Using a telephone and answer phone
  • Setting up the office
  • Transport
  • Useful reading
  • What skills do you need?
  • How to assess your strengths and weaknesses
  • Other aspects to consider
  • Getting prepared

13. Staying within the law: Finance, tax and insurance

  • Setting up your business on a small budget
  • Putting together a business plan
  • How to keep financial records in four easy steps
  • Paying tax
  • Insurance