Reading dog body language and communicating effectively with our own behavior are practiced skills that we need to mindfully develop over time. In this course you'll analyze videos of dogs and handlers having conversations. The handler needs to understand what the dog is telling them and also communicate their intentions to the dog. The goal is always for the human and the dog to be in agreement that "I'm into you!" Through this course, you'll recognize behaviors that suggest the dog is unsure, and consider how to de-escalate the conversation to "I'm into you!"

Course author: Devan Amundsen, CPDT-KA, is a certified dog trainer with over 15 years of experience working with not just dog owners, but dogs in shelters, assistance dogs and other working dogs

This course is the first in a two-part series. The second course is in development.

This class will be useful to foster caregivers and adopters, as well as foster care managers. As a foster caregiver, you can have a huge impact on the life of your foster dog. Your care and attention is critical in helping that dog find the right match. As an adopter, your new dog needs your help to make a comfortable transition to a new environment. Short videos model techniques for introducing dogs to new people, interacting with children, house training, dealing with separation anxiety, and more. It is recommended you take this class in conjunction with the class Helping a New Dog Adjust, which will give you even more training tips.

This course has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement.

training, behavior, dogs, puppies, foster, adopter, adoption

This component does not include a certificate. A certificate is not required to show completion.