Body of Knowledge is the collected wisdom, experience, processes and facts that both inform a profession and provide the solid foundation for which continuous improvements and innovation can occur.
Dog Works Training Company’s Body of Knowledge consists of the information, knowledge and functional skills we have identified that all dog trainers should posses.
The Body of Knowledge is built on the foundation of the six core competencies as outlined by the Association for Pet Dog Trainers.
5. Business
Normal Canine Communication
Develop an understanding of, and familiarity with normal canine communicative signals, including but not limited to:
- Body language
- Vocalizations
Knowledge Of:
- Normal canine body language, including but not limited to:
- Appeasement, calming, displacement signals
- Stress signals
- Avoidance behavior
- Displacement behavior
- Interspecies communication
- Intraspecific communication
- Predatory behavior
- Canine vocal communication
- Dog behavior terminologies
- Temperament, personality, and emotional states
- Canine sensory perception
Skills In:
- Explaining concepts and methods
- Observation skills
- Attention to detail
- Analytical and critical thinking
- Researching
Training
Develop an understanding of and skills in teaching new behaviors.
Knowledge Of:
- Basic behaviors including sit, down, staying, come and walking on a loose leash
- Fundamental theories and practical elements of animal learning
- Group class instruction
- Private training instruction
- Undesirable behaviors
- normal and abnormal behaviors
- Training incompatible (desirable) behaviors
- Dogs as social animals vs. pack members
- Temperament, personality, and emotional states
- Management strategies
- Dog behavior terminologies
Skills In:
- Explaining concepts and methods
- Identifying and utilizing the appropriate theories, methods, and practices
- Explaining, demonstrating, teaching and training basic manners behaviors
- Attention to detail
- Describing and explaining behavioral concepts and issues
- Applying training and/or behavioral modification plan to change behavior
- Interviewing
- Identifying key issues
- Problem-solving
- Rapport building
- Mediation
- Assessing situations
- Analytical and critical thinking
Interspecies and Intraspecies Relationships
Develop an understanding of and familiarity with the most effective means of introducing dogs to:
- New homes
- New family members
- Newborns, infants, and toddlers
- Other dogs (senior, adult, adolescent, puppy)
- Cats and/or other species
Knowledge Of:
- Process and techniques of introducing a new pet to an adult, child, baby, cat, dog, or other animals
- Body language and canine interaction
- Group dynamics including the structure of multi-species groups
- Selecting appropriate pets for households
- Temperament, personality, and emotional states
- Dog behavior terminomogies
- Normal and abnormal canine behavior
- Stages of physical and psychological development of the dog from both top maturity
Skills In:
- Introducing a new pet to an adult, child, baby, cat, dog, or other animals
- Managing the family
- Managing the nome environment
- Managing the individual elements
- Assessing situations
- Observation skills
- Attention to detail
Resolving Undesirable Behaviors
Develop an understanding of, familiarity with, and skills in:
- Identifying common undesirable behaviors
- Developing behavior modification plans
- Resolving common undesirable behaviors
- Advising clients when dealing with undesirable behaviors
Knowledge Of:
- Normal, abnormal, and unwanted canine behavior
- Fundamental theories and practical elements of animal learning and behavior modification
- Management strategies
- Dog behavior terminologies
- Procedures for the modification of common behavior concerns, including but not limited to:
- Various forms of aggression:
- Interspecies and intraspecies aggression
- Resource guarding
- Touch sensitivity
- Territorial aggression
- Maternal
- Predatory
- Various types of anxieties, fears, and phobias including but not limited to:
- Separation anxiety
- Noise phobias, etc.
- Distractions and overarousal
- Destruction
- House soiling
- Poor manners (jumping, barking, negative attention-seeking, etc.)
- Managing handler’s emotions and attitudes to influence learning
- Potential problematic situations
- Fundamentals of adult learning theories and practices
- Health, nutrition, genetics, ailments, injuries, and other factors contributing to undesirable behaviors
- Various forms of aggression:
Skills In:
- Explaining concepts and methods
- Identifying and utilizing the appropriate theories and practices
- Attention to detail
- Analytical and critical thinking
- Developing a behavior modification plan
- Communicating a behavior modification plan
- Implementing a behavior modification plan
- Avoid potential confrontations
- Assessing situations
- Indentiying key issues
- Teaching prevention exercises
- Applying classroom lessons to the home environment
- Identifying and describing desirable and undesirable dog behaviors
- Identifying normal dog behavior
- Taking client history
- Instruction
- Researching
Genetics
Develop an understanding of basic genetic concepts, and how genes do and do not influence behavior in order to:
- Help differentiate when a behavior is learned and when it is inherited
- Provide sound recommendations to clients
Knowledge Of:
- Basic genetic concepts include but are not limited to:
- DNA
- Genes
- Chromosomes
- Traits
- Inheritance
- Phenotype and genotype
- Dominate genes and recessive genes
- Breed-specific concerns
- Relationship between genetic factors and dog behavior
- Nature vs. nurture
Common genetic and non-genetic behavior issues and their impact on learning, behavior, and dog’s well-being
- Normal canine behavior
- Dog behavior terminologies
Skills In:
- Building customer relationships and confidence
- Researching
- Analytical and critical thinking
- Observing
- Identifying possible mixes
Breed Variation
Develop a familiarity with a variety of dog breeds in order to:
- Consider implications of breed on training and behavior
- provide sound recommendations to clients
Knowledge Of:
- Dog breeds and breed-related tendencies, including but not limited to:
- Breed types
- Breed characteristics, temperament, and personality
- Historical function (or original function)
- Relations between breed characteristics and behavior
- Basic genetic concepts and how they are related to breed variation
- Normal and abnormal canine behavior
- Dog behavior terminologies
- How mixed breeds and progenitors affect behavior
Skills In:
- Training various types of breeds
- Building customer relationships and confidence
- Identifying and describing dog breed types and charactrtsicts
- Researching
- Analytical and critical thinking
- Observing
- Identifying possible mixes
Canine Development
Develop a familiarity with and understanding of various factors that can impact behavior, including but not limited to:
- Canine social, physical, and psychological development
- Genetics
- Learning experiences and reinforcement history
Knowledge Of:
- Desirable and undesirable behaviors
- Breed types and their historical function
- Other factors impacting breed characteristics such as genes, selective breeding, environment, training, diet, instructive behavior, and upbringing
- Dog behavior terminologies
- The stages of physical and psychological development from birth to maturity
Skills In:
- Indetntyfing and describing desirable and undesirable dog behaviors
- Inedetfiying and describing normal and abdominal behavior
- Identifying and describing how punishment and reinforcement history affect desirable and undesirable behavior
- Researching
- Analytical thinking
Mechanical Training Skills
Develop a familiarity with and skills in training a dog on basic manners such as sit, down, walk on a loose leash, etc.
- Canine social, physical, and psychological development
- Genetics
- Learning experiences and reinforcement history
Knowledge Of:
- Basic manner training techniques including sit, down, walk, etc.
- Animal learning terminologies
Skills In:
- Using timing, hand movement, and treat delivery to most efficiently train skills
- Modify techniques based on the learner’s emotional state