Body of Knowledge | Health and Nutrition

General Dog Health and Wellness

Develop a familiarity with and understanding of common, basic concepts in dog health in order to: 

• Identify when a dog’s health may be suffering
• Recognize when a veterinary referral is required
• Provide sound recommendations to clients

Knowledge Of:

• Importance of annual veterinary examinations, blood work, urinalysis, and ongoing checkups as needed
• Standard practices and maintenance that promote good health, including but not limited to:
  • Grooming
  • Bathing
  • Oral/ear/eye health 
  • Skin/hair/fur care
  • Nail care
• Internal and external parasite concerns and prevention
• Nutritional requirements, supplements, and digestive health
•  Physical and mental exercise and stimulation
• Mobility, gait, and movement
• Housing and environmental requirements
• The impact of various breeds, age, and developmental stage consideration and differences on health 
• Ability to identify potential concerns or problems relating to a dog’s health, including but not limited to:
  • The above-listed standard practices promote good health 
  • Obvious injuries, infections, or ailments 
  • Hyper- and hypothermia, dehydration, and other first-aid-related concerns
  • Physical pain, discomfort, stress
  • Core vaccinations, related disease transmission and symptoms, titers, protocols, and related controversies 
  • The impact, role, and implications of hormones on health, including but not limited to:
• Spaying/neutering
• Being in heat
• Pregnancy
• Nursing
• Basic health terminionlgues 
• Dog food types, diets, and rotation 
• Interpretation of food nutritional facts and labels 
• Value of a complete and balanced diet
• Knowledge of AAFCO statements 
• Dog food ingredients
• Nutritional considerations pertaining to a variety of diety neds, including but not limited to:
  • Various developmental stages and agree, including but not limited to:
    • Pregnancy
    • Bottle feeding
    • Puppies
    • Juveniles 
    • Adults 
    • Geriatrics 
  • Various breeds include but are not limited to:
    • Teacup/miniature 
    • Giant
    • Athletes
  • Health concerns, including but not limited to:
    • Malnutrition 
    • Obesity 
    • Cardiomyopathy
  • Relationship between dog learning, behavior, and nutrition
  • Role and responsibility of veterinarians and dog trainers and canine nutritionists
  • Basic health terminologies

Skills In:

• Attention to detail
• Ability to take detailed client history
• Confirmation of dog’s overall physical and emotional ability to be trained
• Ability to interpret veterinary records 
• Initial ongoing assessment of general health maintenance, physical exercise, mental stimulation, and nutrition to  promote and maintain good health
• Interpreting dog behaviors and needs
• Explaining and interpreting medical concepts
• Building customer relationships and confidence 
• Collaboration and communication with veterinary professionals
• Demonstrating an understanding of a variety of key components of balanced nutrition, nutritional facts, and value
• Managing the diet of a dog with behavioral problems
•  Managing a dog’s diet and daily exercise 
• Managing a dog’s learning and behavioral challenges 

Implications of Health on Learning and Behavior

Develop a familiarity with and understanding of how emotional and physical health concerns can impact learning and behavior in order to:

• Know when training and behaviors efforts will be impacted 
• Recognize when a veterinary referral is required
• Provide sound recommendations to clients 

Knowledge Of: 

• Common, basic requirements for healthy dogs
• Ability to identify potential concerns or problems relating to a dog’s physical or emotional health
• Relationship between and impact of physical and emotional health and dogs’ behavior and learning
• Common health concerns or problems that often manifest as behavior problems
• Implications of hormones on behavior, including but not limited to:
  • Spaying/Neutering
  • Being in heat
  • Pregnancy
  • Nursing
• Implications of age, breed, and developmental stages on behavior, including but not related to adolescence, maturity, geriatric or breed tendencies 
• Theory and practice of dog behavior and learning
• Roles and responsibilities of veterinarians and dog trainers, overlap, communication and differentiation 
• Relationship between environmental factors and dog health 
• Basic health terminology 

Skills In: 

• Attention to detail 
• Ability to take detailed client history 
• Confirmation of dog’s overall physical and emotional ability to be trained 
• Ability to interpret the veterinary record 
• Initial and ongoing assessment of general health maintenance, physical exercise, mental stimulation, and nutrition to promote and maintain good health 
• Interpreting dog behaviors and needs
• Explaining and interpreting medical concepts
• Building customer relations and confidence 
• Collaboration and communication with veterinary professionals
• Managing health-related concerns of a dog with behavior problems
• Managing health considerations in the prevention and/or treatment of behavioral problems
• Managing a dog’s learning and behavioral challenges 

Anatomy 

Develop an understanding of dog anatomy and structure and its possible effects on behavior 

Knowledge Of: 

• Dog anatomy, structure, and movement 
• relationship between dog anatomy and dog behavior 
• Normal dog behavior 
• Dog behavior terminologies

Skills In: 

• Explaining concepts and methods 
• Researching
• Observation skills
• Analytical and critical thinking
• Evaluating structure and movement 

Veterinary Role, Relationship, and Referrals 

Develop a familiarity with and understanding of how emotional and physical health concerns can impact learning and behavior in order to: 

• Understand the critical role of the veterinarian 
• When, where, and how do veterinarians and trainers work together

Knowledge Of: 

• Roles and responsibilities of veterinarians and dog trainers 
• The necessity of veterinary intervention to identify or rule out medical issues when dealing with behavioral problems
• Basic health and nutrition terminology 
• Scope of practice 

Skills In: 

• Building relationships with veterinarians 
• Collaboration and communication with veterinary professionals
• Defining divisions of labor
• Building relationships and confidence 
• Interpersonal communication 
• Explaining concepts, methods, and idea building

 First Aid

Develop a familiarity with and understanding of, and skills in pet and human first aid in order to provide first aid in the case of emergency.

Knowledge In: 

• Fundamental first aid procedures
• First-aid supplies
• Importance of immediate medical care 
• Roles and responsibilities of veterinarians and dog trainers 
• Basic health and nutrition terminologies 

Skills In:

• Using first aid supplies 
• Handling an injured pet and ensuring safe transportation 
• Interpersonal communication

Client Health Policies 

Develop business policies regarding client health in order to: 

• Minimize liability 
• Minimize transmission of contagious or zoonotic disease to and between clients 
• Minimize internal and external parasitic infection 

Knowledge Of: 

• Infectious, contagious, and zoonotic diseases
• Prevention of disease transmission
• Key components of sanitation protocol 
• Local rabies vaccination requirements
• Common diseases
• Require core and optional vaccinations 
• Writing policy documents
• Policy structure and formulation 
• Implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policy 

Skills In: 

• Writing policy documents
• Critical thinking 
• Attentional to detail 
• Record keeping 
• Research 
• Interpreting vaccination protocol and recommendations 

Safe Work Environment 

Develop a standard operating procedure in order to: 

• Ensure and maintain a clean and safe work environment or facility for your clients, consultants, subcontractors and yourself
• Minimize liability 

Knowledge Of: 

• Research OSHA regulations pertaining to your business operation
• Key elements to maintaining a healthy and safe working environment for dogs, dog owners, and staff
• Key components of sanitation protocol
• Basic health terminologies 

Skills In: 

• Writing policy documents
• Critical thinking 
• Attention to detail 
• Record keeping 
• Research
• Complying with standard business operating procedures
• Complying with business regulatory requirements
• Complying with sanitation protocols 
• OSHA regulations