Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling (Canine) + Mentorship
Transform Your Career with My 14-Week Canine Behaviour Mentorship Programme
This veterinary approved and externally accredited diploma programme is written and designed by an experienced, ABTC registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) with a busy behaviour referral practice, who is also a qualified registered veterinary nurse and qualified teacher. It has been designed for aspiring and practising canine behaviour professionals who want to build confidence, refine their clinical skills and develop a structured approach to behaviour counselling.
Whether you’re just starting out in canine behaviour counselling or already offering services and looking for expert guidance, this 14-week mentorship programme combines a comprehensive diploma-level course with personalised one-to-one coaching from Caroline Clark. You’ll receive personalised support and feedback from Caroline, whether you need help refining your clinical skills, managing current cases or simply boosting your confidence in your work. private coaching sessions, and in your first call with Caroline you can plan a learning pathway that works around your circumstances. This programme is also a great companion to the level 5 and 6 ABTC recognised courses that are a pre-requisite towards CAB recognition, as it complements the syllabus in an applied way.
This mentorship programme provides everything you need to build confidence, expand your skills and enhance your professional portfolio. You’ll gain practical, real-world skills you can apply immediately to your work with dogs and their caregivers.
Written with the benefit of real-world clinical behaviour experience and informed by current behavioural science.
The programme is designed to be studied week by week, but with the flexibility to self-pace when life gets busy. You’ll have six months to take your private coaching sessions, and in your first call with Caroline you can plan a learning pathway that works around your circumstances.
Not sure if itās right for you?
If youāre unsure whether this programme suits your needs, donāt hesitate to get in touch for advice. Iāll be happy to answer your questions and help you decide if this is the right step for your career.
Learning outcomes:
- Learn how to develop and provide a professional canine behaviour service, including choosing appropriate consultation methods, counselling caregivers and understanding a dog's hierarchy of needs.
- Understand the factors that influence problematic canine behaviour, including genetics, breeding, early life experiences, physiological processes and the impact of frustration.
- Explore the human-canine relationship and how autonomy, anthropomorphism and caregiver behaviour can contribute to behavioural problems.
- Develop the skills to analyse canine behaviour, gather case information, assess the role of pain and apply validated behaviour scales to support a structured assessment.
- Learn to carry out applied behaviour analysis, identifying antecedents, triggers and maintaining factors, and formulate evidence-based behaviour modification plans.
- Gain practical experience through real-life case studies, including shadowing a recorded behaviour consultation from initial questionnaire through to completed behaviour modification plan.
- Understand a range of behaviour modification techniques, including counterconditioning, desensitisation, Behaviour Adjustment Training (BAT) and reward-based training methods.
- Develop a thorough understanding of common canine behaviour problems, including separation related disorders, reactivity, aggression (including fear-aggression, inter-dog aggression and escalation) and compulsive disorders.
- Explore the role of behavioural adjuncts and psychoactive medication, including dietary supplements, pheromone therapy, mental enrichment and veterinary prescribed medication.
- Complete an assignment based on a real-life case, carrying out a full behaviour analysis and preparing a professional behaviour modification plan.
Mentorship benefits:
- Diploma Level Course: Gain an accredited course to showcase your expertise.
- Tools for Success: Gain skills to create actionable behaviour plans, set up in-house behaviour clinics and prepare for CAB/CCAB accreditation.
- Expert Mentorship: Included are 4 x 1 hour private coaching sessions with Caroline*, a practising Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB), to guide you through complex cases and build your confidence.
- Media Library of Webinars and Presentations: Access a programme of webinars and live presentations with visiting speakers on key topics, with recordings available for later viewing.
- Practical Support: Learn to handle a wide range of behaviour problems, communicate effectively with clients, and collaborate with veterinarians and other specialists.
- Private Group: Join a community of like-minded professionals for ongoing advice and encouragement.
- Exclusive Discounts: Receive a 10% discount on other courses available on this platform.
- CPD Documentation: Includes a certificate of completion, CPD transcript and reflection document for your professional portfolio.
This course includes:
- 16 modules
- Bitesize lessons
- Access on all devices
- Lifetime access
- Webinars & videos
- Download handouts & templates
- References & resources
- Assignment assessment
- Accredited certificate of completion
- CPD transcript
- Tutorial & technical support
Who this course is for:
- Aspiring behaviour counsellors
- Those working towards CAB/CCAB accreditation
- Veterinary nurses
- Practising animal behaviourists
- Veterinary surgeons
- Dog trainers
- Rescue and shelter staff
- Pet professionals
Before you enrol:
*Coaching Requirement: You will need to have completed at least two coaching sessions before your diploma certificate can be downloaded. Sessions are bookable via Carolineās availability calendar and must be used within six months of the programme start date. You'll receive a recording of your session, which will expire within 1 year of recorded date.
Group Presentations: Scheduled throughout the year, covering key topics. Recordings are available for those unable to attend live.
No Additional Discounts: As this programme is heavily discounted, further student discounts cannot be applied.
This course includes videos with English subtitles. We design our courses to work with the way you learn ā not against it. Whether you are neurodivergent, have a sensory or physical difference, or simply prefer flexible ways to study, the features below are here to support you.
- Reading Ruler: Highlights one line at a time to help maintain focus. Toggle it on/off from the toolbar at the top of each lesson.
- Table of Contents: Longer topics display a Contents button in the toolbar for quick navigation between sections.
- Dark Mode: Reduces eye strain in low-light environments. Toggle it from the sidebar panel (top-right icons).
- Reading Time: Each topic shows an estimated reading time in the toolbar so you can plan your study sessions.
- Auto-Generated Subtitles: Available on all of our videos (approximately 95% accurate). Enable them using the CC button in the video player.
- Video Transcripts: Text versions of video content with timestamps, allowing you to follow along or revisit specific sections.
- Adjustable Playback: Video quality adjusts automatically based on your connection. Use the gear icon for manual control, or adjust playback speed to suit your pace.
- Feature Boxes: Key information is presented in visually distinct boxes, helping break down content and improve focus for neurodivergent learners or those with reading difficulties.
- Colour Contrast: Our course materials use high-contrast colour schemes to aid readability, particularly for learners with colour blindness or visual impairments.
- Downloadable Resources: Slides and supporting materials accompany webinars, enabling you to take notes and refer back at your own pace.
About the instructor:
Course curriculum:
-
Introduction
- Welcome Updated
- Navigating Your Course
- The PET Resource Library
- Using the Discussion Group
-
Week 1: Developing a Canine Behaviour Service
- Providing a Canine Behaviour Service
- Free Access to Running Successful Puppy Socialisation Events Webinar Bonus
- Exploring Consultation Methods: Choosing the Right Approach
- Counselling Caregivers: Essential Qualities and Skills
- Hierarchy of a Dog's Needs Updated
-
Week 2: Canine Development and Some of the Factors that Influence Problematic Behaviour
- Week 2 Introduction
- Genetics and Breeding
- Canine Behavioural Development and Early Learning
- Physiological Processes and Their Impact on Behaviour
- Early Life Experiences and Their Impact on Behaviour (Webinar)
- Frustration and its Impact on Behaviour Problems
- Suggested Tasks and Key Take Home Points Updated
-
Week 3: The Human-Canine Relationship: The Potential for Problematic Behaviours
- Considering the Human-Canine Relationship
- Autonomy: Providing a Sense of Choice and Control Updated
- Anthropomorphism and its Adverse Effects on the Dog Updated
- Free Access to Managing Safe Interactions Between Dogs Webinar Bonus
- Suggested Tasks & Key Take Home Points
-
Week 4: Analysing Canine Behaviour and Beginning the Assessment
- Week 4 Introduction
- Gathering Information Updated
- Pain and its Role in Behaviour Problems Updated
- Describing the Problem Updated
- Using Timelines New
- Introducing Validated Behaviour Scales
- Suggested Tasks Updated
- Weeks 1-4 Multiple Choice Questions Quiz
Student reviews:
- Students feel significantly more confident applying behaviour theory to real cases after completing the course.
- Reviewers valued Caroline's accessible mentoring approach and one-to-one support for discussing complex cases.
- Students appreciated the flexible pacing and manageable content format while juggling full-time work and studies.
- The PET Resource Library gave students an invaluable reference tool for ongoing professional development and practice.
Based on 33 published student reviews across all star ratings for this course.
Informative, supportive, interesting
The course offers a holistic approach when it comes to understanding canine behaviour. The structure of the content makes a lot sense, starting with the foundations of understanding behaviour and targeting specific issues weekly. Within the course, there are quizzes to ensure that you have gained a thorough understanding of what has just been learnt, as well as an assignment. There is very low pressure when it comes to timing to complete the course, which I found very helpful given I am working a full-time job as well. Caroline is very helpful and knowledgeable and provides an extensive body of research that we can use to help us understand canine behaviour in a more in-depth approach.
Incredibly helpful
I have learned so much about behaviour in dogs. This course has helped me to feel much more confident when dealing with this type of cases and has given me a lot of resources to improve dogĀ“s quality of life.
insightful and detailed.
Very well laid out and easy to use website. having the library and access to useful tools was a real help. Great to have the 1-2-1 sessions.
Given me courage to further my training in this field.
Highly recommend the course.
In depth and super useful
This has been a great course, I have learnt so much, gained confidence and have access to an amazing list of resources that will be really useful for the future. It has helped shape where I go with my career as both a vet and a behaviourist. Caroline is great to talk to, and I would definitely consider reaching out again for mentoring if I need a second opinion on a tricky case in the future. Thank you!
Comprehensive, easy to read and so interesting!
This course was fantastic! I've completed an animal behavior degree, but this was totally different. It was applied and I have been able to put the theory into practice straight away. Caroline is so lovely and friendly and really helps you discuss goals. I have also loved talking cases with her as she talks to you like an equal.
Massive confidence booster
Really well thought out, informative and clear set information. I thought I had a good baseline knowledge but this course has provided so much more information to enhance my knowledge and skills! Caroline is very supportive and offers resources on just about every topic you will ever need! I've thoroughly enjoyed the course and look forward to more in the future.
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