Curriculum

Dog Obedience Training Course Curriculum

In Penn Foster’s Dog Obedience Training Program, you will study the duties of a dog obedience trainer, as well as what it takes to start working in this field. Our program consists of various courses designed to help you reach your career goals and start working in the pet care field.

Dog Obedience Trainer/Instructor

Career Diploma

5 months

As low as $59/mo

Full Program Overview

1-800-275-4410 (9AM - 9PM ET)

Dog Obedience Training Course Curriculum

11 courses
29 exams
4 submitted projects
48.7 CEUs

Estimated completion time:

Fast track = 5 months
Average time = 11 months

With Penn Foster, you can learn at whatever pace works best for you. Some learners will be more comfortable moving faster, and dedicating more time, and the fast track estimate will apply to them. The average track will apply to most learners who can dedicate a few hours per week to completing their coursework. The estimated completion times are based on completion times for learners enrolled in this program from May 2021 - April 2022, excluding withdrawals.

Succeed by learning how to use your Penn Foster program.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Understand how to use your Student Portal.
- Access the Penn Foster Community and use it to find answers.
- Connect with Penn Foster on various social media sites.
- Know the structure of the dog.
- Understand the different types of training.
- Know the history and ethology of the dog.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Recognize how dogs see, hear, taste, detect scents, and use touch.
- Understand how to use your knowledge of a dog’s senses in the training process.
- Know how to recognize hearing loss or poor eyesight.
- Understand how and why dogs communicate.
- Evaluate a dog’s demeanor by watching “from head to tail.”
- Understand a dog’s relationship with its human “pack.”
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Recognize the way in which dogs learn.
- Identify and employ scientific theories of psychologists and behaviorists.
- Understand how to use a dog’s learning abilities to teach and motivate.
- Understand conditioning and how it relates to dog obedience training.
- Recognize the difference between classical and operant conditioning.
- Understand drive theory and its application.
- Understand applied dog behavior.
- Know the difference between punishment and reinforcement.
- Understand the difference between nature and nurture.
- Recognize the effects of genetics.
- Explain clicker training and the scientific principles behind it.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Explain temperament testing.
- Know how to use temperament testing to evaluate puppies.
- Understand how to select the best dog for a particular client.
- Recognize proper housetraining techniques.
- Understand how to train a dog to go on command, in a litter box, or in one place.
- Know how to choose and use a crate.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Recognize the various types of equipment on the market.
- Know how to choose proper food and water bowls, leashes, and toys.
- Identify common grooming equipment.
- Understand basic obedience training.
- Differentiate between traditional, modified traditional, and clicker training methods.
- Demonstrate hand signals
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Know how to ensure a positive human/dog bond at an early age.
- Demonstrate puppy house training.
- Understand socialization and how to prevent problems in adult dogs.
- Instruct clients to teach tricks to their dogs.
- Identify positive reinforcement techniques for the dog and handler.
- Demonstrate fun and useful tricks.
- Recognize play behavior.
- Understand play in the context of obedience training.
- Know how to increase the dog’s motivation for training.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Identify common behavior problems.
- Recognize strategies for the prevention and treatment of behavior problems.
- Create treatment plans for behavior problems.
- Recognize signs of illness or distress.
- Demonstrate how to respond in the case of an emergency.
- Explain reproductive science, medications, and how to care for dogs in old age.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Know the origination of individual breeds.
- Recognize physical and temperamental characteristics.
- Identify the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) seven major groups of breeds.
- Understand the basics of competition obedience.
- Explain the various exercises required for different classes of competition obedience.
- Know the scoring process for competition obedience trials.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Identify the various hunting breeds.
- Know the rules and regulations of various field trials and hunting tests.
- Demonstrate different training methods.
- Identify guide, hearing, service, seizure alert, and therapy dogs.
- Recognize how dogs can assist in medical emergencies.
- Understand the legal aspects of working with an assistance dog.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Recognize navigating agility courses as a sport.
- Understand speed and accuracy in competition.
- Understand communication between dog and master.
- Understand techniques in ground and water searches.
- Identify which dogs are suitable for a particular rescue mission.
- Identify organizations involved in search and rescue around the world.
- Recognize certificates associated with this work.
- Understand sharing “down-time” with dogs.
- Recognize different recreational activities, including catching flying disc and walks in the park.
- Identify organized activities for the dog and owner.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Identify the demographics related to starting a dog training business.
- Know how to develop a business plan.
- Understand advertising and marketing issues.
- Identify legal issues related to a small business.
- Understand customer relations.
- Recognize the requirements for boarding your clients’ dogs.
- Know cleaning, feeding, exercise, and grooming schedules.
- Understand canine day care center staff requirements and management.
- Identify various training programs, including at-home, boarding (in-house), and group and puppy classes

Note: We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.