A Guide for Dog Sitters and Walkers
Are you a dog sitter or walker who finds it challenging to work with dogs that are fearful or reactive toward new people or other dogs? Maybe you’ve had a difficult experience with a reactive dog, or you’d like to support dogs with behavioral challenges but feel unsure or nervous about how to do it safely and confidently.
If any of this sounds familiar, this course is designed for you.
The first in our Building Relationships with Behaviorally Challenged Dogs™ series, this online course is designed to equip pet care professionals with the skills needed to provide services for dogs with behavior challenges, such as difficulty with new people, fear or hostility towards other dogs or other significant challenges.
This eight-unit course will teach dog sitters and walkers how to work through a Getting to Know You (GTKY) process, enabling them to confidently work with dogs who might otherwise be considered too challenging for typical care providers.
Participants will learn how to conduct new client interviews, develop Getting to Know You plans, conduct Getting to Know You visits, work with clients and other staff, use outdoor and indoor environments during visits and evaluate the progress and completion of the process. A core emphasis of the course is developing strong dog communication skills to prevent and address the fear, anxiety and stress that many dogs with behavior challenges experience.
All eight units have a video session, and four of the seven units include a live session with an instructor. The live sessions provide in-depth instruction from Challenging Dogs staff as well as the opportunity to learn from other pet sitters. The course includes assignments and quizzes to reinforce learning and skill development. The total time to complete the course is approximately 13 hours.
This course has been approved for 13 PACCC CEUs.