Behaviour Basics

This course is designed to teach interested dog owners and people who are working, or want to work, in the pet industry, about dog behaviour. The course is based around case studies through which you’ll learn about the causes and reasons for certain behaviours and also how to put that knowledge into practice to help owners and dogs.

This nine Module course will you a good basic overall knowledge about dog behaviour and explains how you can put that knowledge into practice to become a more effective owner, carer, dog walker, trainer or groomer.

The course provides detailed insights into why dogs do what they do and why prevention is far, far better than cure. You’ll delve into the mysteries of how dogs develop and learn behaviours, why behaviour works for them, how to assess unwanted behaviour, and how to devise a plan to help change unwanted behaviours.

Each Module has a voluntary assignment which is aimed at helping you cement your learning. You can then check your answers against the specimen answers provided.

The Modules include:

Module 1: Behaviour Basics and Prevention: covers why dogs behave the way they do, explores what we mean by good behaviour and how we can prevent unwanted behaviour

Module 2: How Dogs (and humans) Learn: examines how dogs learn, what learning is, how behaviour happens, two key tools of behaviour change and the importance of consequences

Module 3: How to Change Behaviour: looks at the human end of the lead, discusses how to change an unwanted behaviour, how to make a plan, and the four possible options.

Module 4: How to Assess Behaviour and Overexcitement and stress: the causes and what to do about it

Module 5: Fears and Phobias: why they arise, the difference between them and how to address them and improve the lives of dogs and owners

Module 6: Barking problems: how to manage and control barking in different situations

Module 7: Separation anxiety: exploring the spectrum of separation problems, the causes and how to help owners with this difficult problem

Module 8: Dog-Dog reactivity: we explore why dogs bark and lunge at other dogs and how to help them

Module 9: Resource guarding: dogs guard because it’s a normal behaviour, we look at how to help owners struggling with a dog who defends objects from their owner