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 dog training field.

Dog Obedience Trainer/Instructor

Career Diploma

5 months

As low as $59/mo

Full Program Overview

1-800-471-3232 (10AM - 6:30PM ET)

Dog Obedience Training Course Curriculum

5 courses
15 exams
1 submitted project
16.5 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.

In this course, you’ll develop the necessary skills to ensure your success in the program. Starting Your Program is designed to help you make a smooth transition to Penn Foster, including learning how to use all the tools and resources that are available to you, get help when you need it, understand the Code of Conduct, and improve your study skills and
time management. The goal is to help you become a confident, independent learner.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Identify skills needed to be a confident and independent online learner
This course provides an introduction to the different animal care careers available. You’ll also learn about routine veterinary office procedures and explore the history of dog training and methodologies used in the past and present. Finally, you’ll discover how classical and operant conditioning help animals learn and how to apply positive and negative reinforcement appropriately.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Summarize the skills needed to safely, professionally, and ethically perform the roles and responsibilities as a member on the veterinary healthcare team
- Compare historical and present-day dog training methods
- Identify common applications of classical and operant conditioning in dog training
- Explain how to properly use reinforcement in dog training
In this course, you’ll explore how generalization, discrimination, habituation, sensitization, and a dog’s emotional state can impact a dog’s ability to learn. You’ll also review dog biology and common behaviors and learn to recognize key stages of dog development and how they influence behavior.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Describe how generalization, discrimination, habituation, and sensitization all impact dog training
- Explain how a dog’s emotional state can influence ability to learn
- Summarize the purpose of basic dog behaviors
- Recognize key stages of a dog’s development and their influence on the dog’s behavior
This course explains how a dog’s breed can influence its behavior and training. You’ll also learn how to teach dogs basic behaviors using different teaching methods depending on the dogs’ motivations and learning styles, as well as how to modify problematic behaviors.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Identify the characteristics of dog breeds that impact training and behavior
- Explain how to teach basic behaviors to dogs depending on their motivations and learning styles
- Describe how to change common dog behavior problems
In this course, you’ll explore different opportunities and options that exist for professional dog trainers. You’ll discover how to start your own business, create contracts, establish policies, join a professional organization, and conduct both group classes and one-on-one lessons.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Describe the opportunities available to dog obedience trainers
- Summarize how to start a dog training business
- Explain how to create a training program for group classes
- Identify the purpose of different types of one-on-one lessons

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