Higher Certificate in Canine Reactivity

Online Course Reactivity & Handling Open

English Language

This veterinary approved and externally accredited online course is written and designed by an experienced, qualified animal behaviourist with a busy behaviour referral practice. It has been designed for pet professionals working with dogs, fulfilling Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements. However, it could also be suitable for dog owners who want to better understand and support a reactive dog.

High reactivity, perhaps better described as high sensitivity, is one of the most challenging canine behaviours to understand and treat. This is mainly because these dogs tend to be more impulsive and they don’t process information in a measured way, often responding without considering the consequences. The more reactive and impulsive they are, the more difficult it is to intervene and redirect them.

Written with the benefit of real-world clinical behaviour experience and informed by current behavioural science.

Learning outcomes:

Develop a thorough understanding of canine reactivity, including what it is, how it presents and why some dogs are more reactive than others.
Explore the common motivating factors associated with reactivity, including pain, frustration, fear, learned behaviour and habit formation.
Learn to recognise and interpret canine body language, stress signals and early signs of distress in reactive dogs.
Gain knowledge of a range of treatment strategies, including desensitisation, counterconditioning, reward-based training and environmental management.
Understand how diet, complementary therapies and human behaviour can influence a reactive dog's progress.
Build confidence in formulating and implementing a structured plan of action to support and manage reactive dogs using safe and kind methods.

This course includes:

8 modules
Bitesize lessons
Access on all devices
Lifetime access
Webinars & videos
Download guides & templates
References, resources & research
No assessments, just quizzes
Accredited certificate of completion
CPD transcript
Tutorial & technical support

Who this course is for:

Dog trainers
Animal behaviourists
Veterinary nurses
Dog walkers
Dog groomers
Rescue centre workers
Dog carers / sitters
Kennel workers
Pet professionals

Before you enrol:

About the instructor:

Course curriculum:

Module 1: Definition of Canine Reactivity and the Underlying Factors 4 lessons
- Welcome
- Introduction
- What is Canine Reactivity?
- Common Factors Underlying Reactivity
Module 2: Pain and Emotional States 4 lessons
- Pain and its link with Reactivity
- Measuring Pain
- Recognising the Signs of Distress, Anxiety and Fear
- Recognising and Interpreting Canine Body-language (Webinar)
Module 3: Frustration and Its Role in Reactivity 3 lessons
- Signs of Frustration
- Types of Frustration
- The Canine Frustration Questionnaire (CFQ)
Module 4: Learned Behaviour and Habit Formation 5 lessons, 1 quiz
- Learned Behaviour and Associative Learning
- Self-Reinforcement
- Habit
- Tools, Tips and Tactics Webinar (Part One)
- Suggested Tasks
- Multiple Choice Questions Quiz
Module 5: Treatment Strategies 13 lessons
- MAP ABC
- 1. Manage the Environment
- 2. Increase Mental Enrichment and Harness Their Sense of Smell
- 3. Consider and Rule Out Pain
- 4. Learn to Recognise and Decode Body Language and Stress Signalling
- 5. Intervene at the Appropriate Time
- 6. Implement Desensitisation and Counter-conditioning (DS and CC) Techniques
- 7. Apply Reward-Based (Positive Reinforcement) Training Updated
- 8. Consider the Diet Updated
- 9. Apply Complementary and Integrated Treatments Updated
- 10. Consider Human Behaviour and How This Affects the Dog
- Tools, Tips and Tactics Webinar (Part Two)
- Building Resilience

Student reviews:

4.9

18 reviews

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AI Review Summary

Students feel significantly more confident handling reactive dogs after completing the course.
Reviewers appreciate the flexible, self-paced format with manageable modules they can revisit anytime.
Students value the diverse learning materials including videos, downloads, webinars, and recommended reading lists.
Learners gained practical tools and frameworks they can immediately apply with their own dogs and clients.

Based on 18 published student reviews across all star ratings for this course.

Great amount of information, learned a lot of new techniques and skills.

Amazing course, i learned a lot of new information very useful for dog handling. I feel a lot more confident after completion.

So interesting and helpful for dog professionals and owners

The course was so interesting and had so many helpful aspects, including webinars, links to more reading material and videos. I will certainly be revisiting the course to refresh my knowledge.

Thorough and engaging

The course was very engaging and well-structured. I learnt a lot and it provided me with valid tools and frameworks.

Brilliant

Currently going in the direction of reactivity & aggression specialist I’ve now completed a few different courses - this is the most informative by far. I enjoyed every module, the amount of downloads is very handy also & an excellent list of books to choose from for further studies.

Amazing course

Amazing course that you can study in your own time. Provides more than enough information and than gives you even more reading sources to go and get better knowledge

Another interesting, informative and thought-provoking course.

I love the course format , with modules divided up into lessons that can be done at the student's own pace, and as Life, the Universe and Everything allows. I like being able to go back and re-read if I haven't quite understood; even returning to modules already finished if...