This course will teach you about canine communication, play, greetings, conflict resolution behaviors, and puppy social development. Dig into the science of canine social behavior, with an emphasis on dog-to-dog social interactions. Veterinarians, behavior consultants, trainers, groomers, kennel staff, shelter workers, day care staff, pet sitters, dog walkers, and keen guardians will all benefit from this course.
This course will help you:
- Explain the importance of social relationships between dogs from a scientific perspective
- Accurately interpret body language in dogs and understand how body language is linked to emotional states and communication
- Describe and understand the stages of puppy development and how development can affect adult behaviors, including the development of problem behaviors
- Recognize and interpret play and greeting behaviors in dogs
- Describe the functions of conflict and reconciliation behaviors in dogs
Course Begins: September 16, 2021
Weekly online meetings begin: Sept 23 at 7pm Eastern
Duration: 5 Weeks
Instructor: Camille Ward, M.S., M.S., Ph.D., CAAB
Auditors may learn from other students but will not receive instructor feedback.
Auditors do not attend online meetings and meetings are not recorded.
Class Schedule
This is a 5-week instructor-led course. Each week includes a recorded lecture, a scheduled live discussion, required readings, and guiding questions. Knowledge of the lecture material will be assessed through participation in course discussions. Students will have access to the course material for 60 days after the course ends.
Course Completion/CEU Requirements
To receive CEUs and/or a certificate of completion:
Auditors must review all course material. This will be verified in the Learning Management System.
Full Students must review all course materials and required readings, attend the weekly class meetings, and prepare responses to a set of guiding questions for each weekly class meeting discussion. Students who miss more than one meeting will not receive credit for the course.
Students should expect to spend an average of 3-4 hours per week on course material and viewing, depending on individual speed of learning and the week’s materials.
Online Course Cancellation Policy
- Full refunds available more than 30 days before program start.
- 50% refund available 16 – 30 days before program start.
- No refunds available 15 or fewer days before program start.
About the Instructor
Dr. Camille Ward is the President and founder of About Dogs LLC, where she specializes in behavioral consultations for the prevention, modification, and management of canine behavior problems. Her philosophy stresses relationship building and working from the dog’s point of view.
Dr. Ward received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan studying cognition and the development of social behavior in domestic dogs. In addition to her work on dogs, she also conducted behavior studies on crows, primates, and fish. She received her certification through the Animal Behavior Society as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB).
Dr. Ward has lectured nationally and internationally at scientific and dog training conferences on canine behavior. She has published on animal behavior in a variety of scientific academic journals, and her work has been featured on MSNBC, in Cosmopolitan magazine, and in the Bark. She has also taught animal behavior to undergraduate students at the University of Michigan, and she designed and taught a seminar called Dog Cognition, Behavior and Welfare. She recently published a paper entitled: “Greeting Behavior between Dogs at a Dog Park” in the journal, Pet Behaviour Science. She also co-hosted a symposium on “Comparative Canine Behavior” at the 53rd Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Society. The symposium was the first academic forum for canine behavior research in North America and included invited speakers from around the world to present their research on the behavior and cognition of both domestic dogs and wild canids.
Dr. Ward is on the Advisory Group of Dr. Marty Becker’s Fear Free Initiative, where the emphasis is on the emotional well-being of dogs during veterinary visits, grooming procedures, when working with trainers, and more. She also worked as an Animal Behaviorist for the ASPCA’s Anti-Cruelty Team, working with other professionals on the rehabilitation of dogs rescued from fighting, hoarding, puppy mills, and other forms of abuse.
