Is The Academy For You

The Academy is an advanced program that is not for everyone.  We do welcome students from many different backgrounds, such as professionals seeking to tackle more difficult cases, sports enthusiasts who would like to transition to professional pet dog training, shelter staff and volunteers who would like a more profound knowledge base, veterinarians and veterinary technicians who would like to add behavior counseling to their practices, and academically able people with sufficient dog-wrangling resumes who are seeking to switch careers to working with dogs.  We will vet your application to be sure you are a fit for the program. To help us do this, please be both honest and thorough with your application.

Our Ideal Candidates

The type of person who thrives at the Academy is intellectually curious, methodical, conscientious and compassionate, cool-headed and co-operative.  And, importantly, they are as patient with people as they are with dogs.  They are well integrated emotionally and enjoy teaching.

Computer and Technology Skills

Since the Academy is an online course, you must be fluent at such tasks as shooting, editing and uploading video, navigating websites and troubleshooting your own computer.  Sometimes our students rely on family members to assist them in this regard, and that is fine.

Conduct Standards

Academy staff, students and graduates must commit to our Code of Conduct.  Our philosophy is that dogs have the right to be trained without aversive stimuli, to feel safe, have rich lives and to engage in normal dog behavior.  The families of dogs have the right to competent, professional, and fully trained practitioners and to be made aware of the potential effects of any training or behavior modification approach so that they can give informed consent.  We teach dogs and coach their families kindly and efficiently, and we act as the translators between the two cultures: dog and human.   We treat fellow students, graduates and staff with professionalism and respect, and an assumption of goodwill.