Canine Studies Program FAQs

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Q: Does Seattle Dogworks recommend their Canine Studies Program graduates to any local employers, such as The Humane Society or any other organizations.

A: The program itself is very rigorous, requiring a pre-program interview to assess your personality, goals, ethical positions, etc. Cristine Dahl works very closely with students through the program to gain a further understanding of their skills, abilities, and ethical stance.  While we will not recommend ANY trainer or graduate of the program solely on his or her graduation from the program, we will actively recommend and promote those completing the program who continue to meet the academic and ethical standards of a good trainer. (just like we wouldn't recommend a doctor simply because she's a doctor, we would recommend a doctor because she's a GOOD doctor).

Q: Is the CPDT credential one that you recommend to your dog trainers / behaviorists to pursue post graduation?

A: Seattle Dogworks does not endorse the CPDT per say. The reason is fairly straight forward: in order to earn a CPDT, an applicant must only have logged a certain number of teaching hours and pass an exam. While this used to be a reasonable way to credential people in the animal training field, at SDW, we no longer believe this to be a weighty enough credentialing system.  A shocking number of CPDTs have no knowledge of animal learning theory whatsoever beyond the scope of knowledge required to answer the CPDT exam questions. The unfortunate fallout is a significant number of people calling themselves trainers who tout the four letters behind their name as credentials far beyond their actual abilities.  SDW does not support this effort.

It's important to note that while CPDT is accepted by many trainers and owners, the SDW position is becoming more and more popular especially among the more educated top professionals and educators in the field.  It is also important to note that SDW trainers who have earned a CCS (Certificate in Canine Studies) continue to enjoy success in both their public and private professional lives. 

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206.919.8105 trainer@seattledogs.com

Certified in Dog Training and Behavior Counseling by the Academy for Dog Trainers