Curriculum and Learning

Student Benefits

The Canine Care and Training Program helps students by teaching them how to properly care for dogs, providing them with the skills necessary for training dogs, and teaching them how to effectively understand and communicate with dogs. Learning how to care for and train an animal requires patience, persistence, observation, experimentation, critical thinking, and excellent two-way communication skills. The skills that students develop through the CCTP curriculum will help them succeed in any field relating to animal science, animal husbandry, or animal training. The CCTP will also teach students how to become more community-minded when addressing some of the problems other species face as a result of human negligence and mismanagement.

THE CCTP TEACHES STUDENTS ABOUT RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP.

One of the goals of the CCTP is to teach students about the rich history of dogs in society. They worked alongside early settlers on farms and ranches, and many modern breeds have been developed in America within the past 150 years. Certain breed types have been used for hauling, herding, hunting, and guarding, and many breeds have made enormous contributions toward the successful development of agriculture in the United States.

However, while canines have long-provided a tremendous service to humans, statistics show that over four million animals are euthanized each year in shelters across the nation, with dogs making up the majority of that number. Many of the euthanized dogs are abandoned by owners who never understood how to properly care for their pets, while many others are born without homes because they came from unplanned litters. For this reason, the CCTP provides students with important information concerning dog breeding, spay/neuter programs, pet overpopulation in the United States, and the socialization and training needs of dogs.

THE CCTP SHOWS STUDENTS HOW TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH ANOTHER SPECIES.

Good communication requires appropriate feedback, and positive feedback provides the best method for training dogs. The CCTP emphasizes the necessity of utilizing good communication skills when handling dogs, as well as the importance of using rewards during the training process. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the majority of dog bites and dog bite fatalities suffered by children occur because of a miscommunication between an individual and a dog. With the CCTP, students learn how to accurately interpret the messages dogs communicate through their posture and body language. The inter-species communication techniques provided within the CCTP are great for preparing young people for canine-related jobs, but they can also help students in their daily lives by teaching them how to observe and safely assess a dog’s behavior.

Career Opportunities

CURRICULUM LEVEL 1:

BASIC CANINE CARE AND HANDLING

  • This Level 1 curriculum serves as an in-depth introduction to all of the major topics of the canine world relating to the basic care and handling of dogs. Its purpose is to develop a specific skillset for students who might potentially work in an environment that includes canines.
  • The curriculum requires approximately 75 hours of classroom teaching time, which can be accomplished using the PowerPoint presentations supplied by CKC as teaching lessons, the student workbook activities, and hands-on activities with dogs in the classroom.
  • The curriculum also requires eight hours of field work for each student at a canine facility, shelter, grooming shop, veterinarian office, dog-training facility, or with a professional of another canine-related occupation.

Level 1 Curriculum covers the following topics:

  1. The History of Dogs, Breeds, and Breed Development
  2. Grooming, Kennel Maintenance, and Handler Safety
  3. Communication, Behavior, and Early Development
  4. Stress, Play, Predation, Fear, and Aggression
  5. Safe Handling, Capture & Restraint Techniques, Emergencies
  6. Anatomy, Proper Nutrition, and Routine Vaccinations
  7. First-Aid Procedures, Taking Vital Signs, Common Illnesses
  8. Introduction to Animal Learning Theory and Behavior Modification
  9. Positive Reinforcement, Shaping, Lure & Reward, and Marker Training.
  10. Pedigree Research for Selecting Breeding Pairs

The curriculum is designed for students to move from the theoretical to the practical, from the general to the specific. It begins with general information about the origin of dogs and dog breeds, continues with important need-to-know information about dog behavior and socialization, and later introduces students to hands-on activities with dogs. The course finishes with a deeper exploration of animal learning, thinking, and behavior modification.

For content guidelines and more detailed information, click here.

SAMPLE THE COURSE NOW FOR FREE!

or contact us to speak with a CCTP representative:

CCTP
c/o CONTINENTAL KENNEL CLUB
P.O. BOX 1628
WALKER, LA 70785

Phone: 1-888-252-8042
Email: cctp@ckcusa.com
Fax: 1-225-686-1545

Please have your school/school system's contact information including address and contact numbers handy, along with your own information.  

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