Higher Certificate in Canine Reactivity

Online Course Reactivity & Handling Open

English Language

This veterinary approved and externally accredited online course is written and designed by an experienced, qualified animal behaviourist with a busy behaviour referral practice. It has been designed for pet professionals working with dogs, fulfilling Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements. However, it could also be suitable for dog owners who want to better understand and support a reactive dog.

High reactivity, perhaps better described as high sensitivity, is one of the most challenging canine behaviours to understand and treat. This is mainly because these dogs tend to be more impulsive and they don’t process information in a measured way, often responding without considering the consequences. The more reactive and impulsive they are, the more difficult it is to intervene and redirect them.

Written with the benefit of real-world clinical behaviour experience and informed by current behavioural science.

Learning outcomes:

Develop a thorough understanding of canine reactivity, including what it is, how it presents and why some dogs are more reactive than others.
Explore the common motivating factors associated with reactivity, including pain, frustration, fear, learned behaviour and habit formation.
Learn to recognise and interpret canine body language, stress signals and early signs of distress in reactive dogs.
Gain knowledge of a range of treatment strategies, including desensitisation, counterconditioning, reward-based training and environmental management.
Understand how diet, complementary therapies and human behaviour can influence a reactive dog's progress.
Build confidence in formulating and implementing a structured plan of action to support and manage reactive dogs using safe and kind methods.

This course includes:

8 modules
Bitesize lessons
Access on all devices
Lifetime access
Webinars & videos
Download guides & templates
References, resources & research
No assessments, just quizzes
Accredited certificate of completion
CPD transcript
Tutorial & technical support

Who this course is for:

Dog trainers
Animal behaviourists
Veterinary nurses
Dog walkers
Dog groomers
Rescue centre workers
Dog carers / sitters
Kennel workers
Pet professionals

Before you enrol:

About the instructor:

Course curriculum:

Module 1: Definition of Canine Reactivity and the Underlying Factors 4 lessons
- Welcome Updated
- Introduction
- What is Canine Reactivity?
- Common Factors Underlying Reactivity Updated
Module 2: Pain and Emotional States 4 lessons
- Pain and its link with Reactivity Updated
- Measuring Pain Updated
- Recognising the Signs of Distress, Anxiety and Fear Updated
- Recognising and Interpreting Canine Body-language (Webinar)
Module 3: Frustration and Its Role in Reactivity 3 lessons
- Signs of Frustration Updated
- Types of Frustration Updated
- The Canine Frustration Questionnaire (CFQ)
Module 4: Learned Behaviour and Habit Formation 5 lessons, 1 quiz
- Learned Behaviour and Associative Learning Updated
- Self-Reinforcement Updated
- Habit Updated
- Tools, Tips and Tactics Webinar (Part One)
- Suggested Tasks
- Multiple Choice Questions Quiz
Module 5: Treatment Strategies 13 lessons
- MAP ABC
- 1. Manage the Environment Updated
- 2. Increase Mental Enrichment and Harness Their Sense of Smell
- 3. Consider and Rule Out Pain
- 4. Learn to Recognise and Decode Body Language and Stress Signalling
- 5. Intervene at the Appropriate Time Updated
- 6. Implement Desensitisation and Counter-conditioning (DS and CC) Techniques Updated
- 7. Apply Reward-Based (Positive Reinforcement) Training Updated
- 8. Consider the Diet Updated
- 9. Apply Complementary and Integrated Treatments Updated
- 10. Consider Human Behaviour and How This Affects the Dog Updated
- Tools, Tips and Tactics Webinar (Part Two)
- Building Resilience Updated

Student reviews:

5.0

20 reviews

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AI Review Summary

Students feel significantly more confident handling reactive dogs after completing the course.
Reviewers appreciated the flexible, self-paced format with modules broken into digestible lessons.
Students valued the comprehensive resources: videos, webinars, reading lists, and downloadable materials provided.
Learners gained practical tools and frameworks they could immediately apply professionally and personally.

Based on 20 published student reviews across all star ratings for this course.

Leah U.

Verified

Informative and well laid out

An informative and easy to follow course.

Mandy B.

Verified

Amazing tool for Rvn and vet team

I enjoyed everything. A fab course.

Rebecca M.

Verified

Great amount of information, learned a lot of new techniques and skills.

Amazing course, i learned a lot of new information very useful for dog handling. I feel a lot more confident after completion.

Julia G.

Verified

So interesting and helpful for dog professionals and owners

The course was so interesting and had so many helpful aspects, including webinars, links to more reading material and videos. I will certainly be revisiting the course to refresh my knowledge.

Sara F.

Verified

Thorough and engaging

The course was very engaging and well-structured. I learnt a lot and it provided me with valid tools and frameworks.

Samantha H.

Verified

Brilliant

Currently going in the direction of reactivity & aggression specialist I’ve now completed a few different courses - this is the most informative by far. I enjoyed every module, the amount of downloads is very handy also & an excellent list of books to choose from for further studies.