Introduction to Professional Dog Care Certificate

Course description

This course contains four modules, which include:

Module 1 – The Evolution and Domestication of Pet Dogs

This course will look at where dogs originally came from, why they were domesticated, what that means in relation to pack mentality and care, and where todays breeds and breed groups came from.

This topic is vital to get your head around as many of today’s professionals in the pet care industry misunderstand who dogs fundamentally are, leading to poor professional decisions. This module will look at the topic from a scientific approach.

Module 2 – Caring for Canines

Another very important module which will clear up more misconceptions on pet dog care. We will look at choosing a dog, training tools, explore nutrition, responsible dog ownership and general recommendations to ensure you and your clients care for their dogs to the best of their ability.

Module 3 – Introduction to Understanding Dog Body Language

Our dogs are constantly speaking to us, but unfortunately we do not know how to listen. Our deafness to dog’s communication can often leave dogs feeling frustrated and needing to protect themselves when cries for help are ignored.

Dog body language has so much to it that it could go on the leaving certificate curriculum. This introductory module will look at dog body language that precedes aggression as this knowledge will help you to learn how to predict, and more importantly avoid, aggression from dogs. Videos, images and explanations in video format along with further informative manuals will be included, as well as video interpretation assessments.

Module 4 – Introduction to Neurology, pharmacology and endocrinology

Yes, this one sounds like a mouthful. In the pet care industry in Ireland, up until recent times pet care, especially dog care and behaviour, has been thought of as a wishy washy career choice based on having a ‘gift’ of a magical touch with pets. Here at Creedons College however we approach pet dog care from a scientific view point, based on research and understanding biology and anatomy.

However at this level we do not expect you to be at a brain surgeon level.  Instead we will look at why understanding the brain comes in to play when working with dogs. We will explore supplementary care for anxious, fearful or aggressive dogs, and we will investigate the influence of hormones on dog behaviour. These topics will be explored in much more detail on both the dog training and dog behaviour courses, though this introductory module will be more than enough to help you understand the topics and why they are so important in the modern pet dog care industry.

Firstly, this course contains quite a bit of very important information on caring for dogs. This information will facilitate each learner in becoming a better dog owner, as well as clearing up misconceptions about dog care, hence helping to change the way society thinks of dogs.

Secondly, this course is a taster to formal pet care education. We believe taking this short introductory course first will help bring all learners to the same level of basic knowledge, meaning that if you choose advance on to further courses you will have grasped the basics of dog care, allowing you to focus directly on your chosen career path when taking your follow on course targeted at a specific professional position.

You can now complete course at your own pace – which means that if you want to finish this course quickly, or want to take your time , you can do both.