The DogNostics Behavior Diploma program addresses the art and science of behavior consulting, behavior modification protocols, behavior assessments, and consulting skills. The full curriculum can be found here. https://dognostics-career-center.teachable.com/p/dog-behavior-consulting-program.

The program does compare, and contrast behavior approaches but does not cover basic skill training and mechanics or the process of individual skill development and management. You will need the fundamentals to successfully proceed through and graduate from this program. We consider the fundamentals to include all of the topics and skills that we teach and test in the DogNostics Dog Training Certificate program. This Behavior Diploma has been designed as an advanced program of study to build on these skills and knowledge. 

The DogNostics Dog Trainer Certificate Program provides: an all-encompassing in-depth understanding of operant and respondent conditioning, with students learning about everything from discriminative stimuli, motivating operations, setting events, and the transferal of stimulus control; to primary and secondary reinforcement consequences, protocols and schedules; to canine ethology and social behavior. All students learn the Train-Test-Train method, as well as how to successfully implement the four key stages of learning from acquisition, to fluency, to generalization and maintenance.

DN-DTC graduates have a comprehensive understanding of and ability to apply many training methods including luring, capturing, micro-shaping, targeting, environmental molding, social and conceptual learning. Students begin the program learning how to efficiently and effectively lure behaviors and end the program, not only having an in-depth understanding of the scientific principles involved in training, but also with the competent skills to teach complex compound behavior chains, sequences, merges, modifiers, quantifiers, comparatives and matches to sample.

Diploma Program Graduation Eligibility – Option 1

a)     Knowledge Assessment

If you have already had your dog training knowledge assessed via any of the following organizations, we consider this sufficient and do not require any other proof of knowledge competency.

• The Pet Professional Accreditation Board
• The Certification Council for Professional Dog Training
• DogNostics Education
• The Academy for Dog Trainers
•  Pat Miller Academies
• Victoria Stillwell Academy
• Companion Animal Science Institute

 These organizations either independently assess knowledge, or we are comfortable they cover the required topics to meet our credentialing standards.

b)     Skill Testing

If you have had your skills tested by one of the following organizations, then we consider this sufficient proof of competency.

• The Pet Professional Accreditation Board
• The Certification Council for Professional Dog Training
• DogNostics Education
•  The Academy for Dog Trainers
• Kay Laurence
•  Helen Phillips

Diploma Program Eligibility – Option 2

If you lack eligibility from either the Knowledge or Skills criteria, you may register and move through the program, but before graduation, you will be required to show competency in both skills and knowledge. You can do this by completing the requirements from any of the above educational institutes or by having DogNostics assess you.  The file below speaks to this process.