This veterinary approved and externally accredited online course has been written and designed by a qualified registered veterinary nurse and clinical animal behaviourist. It has been designed for pet professionals, fulfilling Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements.
It is a suitable foundation for anyone who wants to understand handling techniques and wishes to have a better understanding of canine body language.
The course is made up of multiple learning processes, such as written content, webinars, downloadable resources, suggested tasks, recommended reading and references. There are no exams, but to obtain your certificate you must answer some multiple choice questions.
Course aims:
- To have a solid understanding of canine communication methods.
- To be able to recognise canine signalling in order to carry out a basic assessment of the dog’s intent and take the necessary steps to work safely.
- Understand how to approach and handle dogs using safe and appropriate techniques.
- To feel more confident in applying the principles of canine handling and restraint.
- To have an appreciation of canine welfare and be familiar with some of the relevant legislation that protects them.
- See full course curriculum below.
Course features:
- Written with the benefit of practical veterinary and canine behaviour experience.
- Information and content based on safe working practices
- Easy-to-digest lessons give you the flexibility to learn at home at your own pace.
- Includes recorded webinars, which are slides presented with a voiceover.
- Includes a comprehensive list of references and related research.
- Tutor and technical support available.
- Lifetime access to dip in and out of the course whenever you need to refresh your knowledge.
- CPD Certificate of completion.
- CPD Transcript for prospective employers.
- CPD Reflection for professional portfolio and CPD log.
- Works on computers, tablets & smartphones.
Suitable for:
- Dog wardens
- Community officers
- RSCPA inspectors
- Rescue centre workers
- Pet professionals
- Working/volunteering on trap and neuter programmes
- Animal behaviourists
- Veterinary Nurses
- Vets
Course content
About your tutor
Caroline Clark
Course includes
- 6 Modules
- Video Demonstrations
- Downloadable Resources
- No Exams!
- Certificate of Completion
- Lifetime Access
- Help and Support
Pay securely with these payment methods:
Please note that financing options through PayPal Credit and Klarna are subject to eligibility criteria, including credit approval and account status.
Reviews
I found the course really helpful in understanding all the small signs that a dog can give (escalation ladder) to show you how they are feeling; and how we can diffuse a situation by our own body language.
The content about the body language was useful and also the equipment used to catch dogs. Two of the videos were unavailable and the quiz in section 4 needs rewriting
The dog handling and behaviour course offers a well-structured and comprehensive learning experience, providing valuable insights into canine communication and effective training techniques. The content is evidence-based, emphasizing positive reinforcement, which promotes ethical and humane approaches to behaviour modification. The course balances theory with practical application, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced handlers.
Areas for improvement could include adding more interactive elements or case studies for real-world problem-solving. Overall, this course is highly recommended for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of dog behaviour and improve their handling skills in a compassionate and informed manner.
I have been around dogs for a great part of my life, including my own pet dog and in my previous role working dogs. However I really felt that I did learn a lot doing this course and things that I will use in the future throughout my role and with my own very nervous dog.
Course contents were well presented with plenty of visual aids, adequate time was taken on explaining each part and plenty of relevant organisations were displayed with useful contents, and further information that can be researched.
I found the structure of the course to be really well laid out, making note-taking straightforward and effective. The webinar videos on body language were especially helpful — I would have appreciated more of these, as they really brought the content to life. I did feel that the section on handling aggressive dogs could have gone a bit deeper; from a dog handler’s perspective, I was hoping for more practical options beyond gaining height or curling up in a ball, so I had to do some of my own research there. That said, every topic covered was insightful and useful. I’ve already made several adjustments to my business plan based on what I learned — particularly around safe transportation, trigger stacking, environmental factors, and how to read a dog’s auditory and physical signals.
Fantastic course about canine behavior and handling.
I found this course very insightful and a brilliant follow up from the managing safe interaction course.
The course was easy to navigate, content very easy to understand, the correct techniques for using the different leads etc. was the most useful to me.
The course will help me when I go to pick up strays and found dogs.
Definitely recommend to colleges and will suggest it to my line manager.
A well written, well presented and very professional course …Thank you …my one regret is that i do not have a dog of my own
new to dog handling I think the skills I have learned on the Couse will come in very handy
this course is highly recommend for someone new to the role
Easily accessible, very informative and useful for my home boarding business