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PROFESSIONAL COURSE

IN THE JOB OF DOG TRAINER

The pet dog trainer always strives, in the content of their training, to respect the emotional, mental and physical nature of the dog, to teach owners to communicate and interact with their dogs, to socialize and familiarize dogs with their environments and to respect their client in welcoming and supporting them.

General content of this training

Method of education of the
clicker training

Through this method recognized to promote the learning of our pet dogs, you will learn to use the different rewards, social and taste, to optimize the educational cooperation of dogs and the impact of motivation on learning. The notion and exercise of timing will also be transmitted to you in the use of this educational method.

Scientific laws of learning applied to everyday life

The scientific laws that govern positive learning are fundamental to understanding the concept of conditioning and the impact of reinforcements and punishments on behavior. Its daily applications will allow you to better define the learning mechanisms in dogs.

Social communication
of the pet dog

Differentiating between character, emotion, behavior and communication signals will be necessary in the exercise and understanding of communication and social behavior of dogs. You will learn to analyze annoying behaviors in order to prevent them, to understand the different trigger mechanisms and to define the limits of adaptation of a pet dog. The notions of socialization and familiarization and the establishment of gestural and verbal markers will also be necessary in order to accommodate the management of a good relationship with a pet dog.

Professional approach to dog training

Developing an education program to optimize the adaptation of the pet dog in its environment is fundamental in the process of this training. We will also support you in learning how to manage individual, home and group courses and more, dogs in groups in order to practice the profession of dog trainer. In a professional approach, he recognizes his limits of skills and knows how to refer and work with other professionals in the dog professions.

L'expérience en refuge vous permettra d'aborder divers profils de chiens sans pour autant pouvoir vous appuyer sur les dires d'un maîtres. Vous apprendrez à lire, communiquer, gérer vos postures pour mieux communiquer avec eux. Des exercices pratiques vous permettront d'optimiser votre pratique et de leur apporter les atouts nécessaires pour unen

adoption à venir.

Approche en refuge

For whom?

Open to dog professionals in order to acquire additional information to optimize their professional practice; to future educators in order to obtain the theoretical and practical knowledge essential to practice as a future professional in education and behavior; to dog owners, wishing to go in depth in the educational and behavioral understanding of their dog, to acquire practical and theoretical knowledge necessary for the optimization of their relationship with their dog.

The trainers

Catherine Collignon and Nicolas Ducasse are the reference trainers, experts in dog education and behavior.

The assistant trainers are Sylvie Pedroni, dog trainer; Éléonore Canitrot, veterinary doctor and Paul Candou, multi-skilled assistant; all were trained within the Animalin Center.

Important information

Our courses are supported by video supports and slideshows. The course content may be slightly modified to optimize teaching. We pay particular attention to practice and our theoretical courses reflect a reality on the ground. The dog trainer training is divided into 4 sessions. Each session contains theoretical and practical modules, progressive and interdependent. At the end of the 4 sessions, a training certificate may be given to you. This condition will be subject to the evaluation of Catherine Collignon and Nicolas Ducasse who throughout the sessions will inform you on the points to be deepened if necessary and will be transparent about your ability to practice as a professional. You are then free to continue or stop along the way if their opinions should be unfavorable at the end of a session.

Additional information

Places

Centre Animalin, Gers (32)

Refuge de Torreilles (66)

Dates and duration

Depending on the modules

Total: 50 days

Price

Self-financing: €6,980

Support: €7,600 (for any request, contact us )

Pré-requis

Depending on the modules per session

Module 1

Learning and education in everyday life

For prevention of educational and behavioral problems

Level 1

Upcoming dates in video

2024 Satisfaction Survey

Overall rating: 100% very satisfied

Score on 12 different points: 97% Very satisfied - 3% satisfied

Module théorique proposé en visio - Dates en attente

Nota : contenu en cours de révision sera légèrement modifié

What do we know about dogs?

  • Determine their needs, instinctive behaviors, learned behaviors, personality, character, emotions and temperament

  • Define different personality types and understand their daily challenges.

Approach to canine communication

  • Social hierarchy, punishment and authority: what can we understand from them?

  • How do dogs learn?

  • The laws of learning applied to everyday life and positive techniques: what can we learn from them?

  • Understanding and managing anxiety and stress.

Education and relationship

  • What should we teach a pet dog?

  • How to prevent educational and behavioral problems?

  • What are the useful accessory accessories?

  • Reflections on the learning to be implemented on a daily basis.

Additional information

The reference trainers

Catherine Collignon and Nicolas Ducasse

Place

Animal Center - Aurimont, Gers (32)

Dates

Upcoming video dates

Duration

4.5 days - Number of hours: 33 hours

Schedules

To be confirmed

Amount in self-financing

Price per video - Pending

Amount with request for support

No support request possible

Request for quote or internship agreement

Online registration

100% - Non-refundable if you cancel

Meals and accommodation

Distance learning

Prerequisites

Aucun - Ouvert à tous

Module 2

Clicker-training

Discover your dog's willingness to interact and cooperate with you by reconsidering the notions of obedience, disobedience and hierarchy through the clicker-training method.
 

Dates pending for 2025

2024 Satisfaction Survey

Overall rating: 100% very satisfied

Score on 12 different points: 97% Very satisfied - 3% satisfied

Theoretical and practical content

Approche théorique de la méthode du Clicker-training

1st day - Theoretical part

  • What is Clicker-training,

  • Why can't this technique not work?

  • Clicker-training learning theories,

  • Clicker training from the dog's point of view,

  • The different positive techniques to get the dog to understand what we want from him,

  • Understand the interest of the different values of primary and secondary reinforcements,

  • The rules of Clicker-training,

  • Understanding the proposals,

  • The importance of timing,

  • Placement of verbal and gestural orders or cues.

Practical approach to the Clicker-training method

1st and 2nd days - Practical parts

  • Initiating dogs to clicker training,

  • Building motivation to work on clicker training,

  • Using the lure in clicker training,

  • Practical exercises,

  • Put yourself in your dog's shoes and get him to suggest,

  • Setting up verbal and gestural cues: knowing how to select them, identifying those that the dog has selected, knowing how to place them.

  • Respond to the problem that each dog present poses to us,

  • Excitement and barking,

  • Motivation and concentration.

Additional information

Les formateur.trices référent.es

Catherine Collignon et Nicolas Ducasse

Place

Animal Center - Aurimont, Gers (32)

Dates

October 12 and 13, 2024

Duration

2 days - Number of hours: 14h

Schedules

Day 1: 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. / Day 2: 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Amount in self-financing

300 €

Amount with request for support

350 €

Demande de devis ou convention de stage

Inscription en ligne

30% as a reservation: €90

Limited participation

10 participants - 1 dog/participant

Meals and accommodation

Not included

Camping pitch 15€/person/night

Prerequisites

Coming with a dog

Module 3

Clicker training

Découvrir la volonté d'interagir et de coopérer de votre chien avec vous en reconsidérant les notions d'obéissance, de désobéissance et de hiérarchie à travers la méthode d'éducation du clicker-training.
 

Dates pending for 2025

Enquête de satisfaction 2024

Appréciation générale : 100 % de très satisfaits

Note sur 11 points différents : 98 % Très satisfaits - 2 % satisfaits

Theoretical and practical training

Review of the fundamentals of the clicker-training method

1st day - Theoretical part

Review of the fundamentals

Positive techniques covered: shaping and target targets

The rules of shaping

How Dogs Raise Criteria

Understanding the importance of proposals

Increase your timing

Making the dog efficient and creative in non-click

Solving problems of low motivation or lack of proposals

The different Targets

Approche pratique et théorique des techniques positives du façonnage et des targets cibles à travers la méthode du clicker-training

1st and 2nd days - Practical part

  • Positive shaping techniques and target targets

  • Shaping Rules for Beginners and Advanced Dogs

  • How do dogs increase criteria?

  • Understanding the importance of propositions in these two techniques,

  • Increase your timing,

  • Make the dog efficient and creative in non-click,

  • Solve problems of decreased motivation, lack of proposals, excitability or lack of concentration,

  • Exercises with different targets and goals.

Additional information

The reference trainers

Catherine Collignon and Nicolas Ducasse

Lieu

Animal Center - Aurimont, Gers (32)

Dates

October 19 and 20, 2024

Duration

2 days - Number of hours: 14h

Schedules

9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Amount in self-financing

300 €

Amount with request for support

350 €

Request for quote or internship agreement

Inscription en ligne

30% as a reservation: €90

Limited participation

10 participants - 1 dog/participant

Meals and accommodation

Not included

Camping pitch 15€/person/night

Prerequisites

Have completed the Clicker-training module level 1
Coming with a dog

Module 4

Walking on a leash

The leash walking technique developed by Catherine Collignon originates from the laws of learning and the dog's point of view and after years of observation in the field. A technique that works on 10 out of 10 dogs.

26 et 27 avril 2025

2024 Satisfaction Survey

Overall rating: 100% very satisfied

Score on 12 different points: 99% Very satisfied - 1% satisfied

Theoretical and practical content

Theoretical approach to the
walking on a leash

1st day - Theoretical part

  • The origin of the thinking around leash walking and dogs that pull on the leash: why certain recommended techniques do not work or only work on 6 out of 10 dogs

  • How a dog learns to pull on a daily basis

  • What is a reward from the dog's point of view?

  • The laws of learning applied daily during leash walking to get a dog to pull or stop pulling,

  • Understanding that from both a human and a dog perspective, the social behavior of following is inherent to both the human and canine species.

  • Understanding social movement and social communication.

Practical approach to the
walking on a leash

1st and 2nd days - Practical part

  • Understand the verbal or gestural cues that the dog will rely on and their implementation to acquire symbiosis in walking on a leash without pulling,

  • Clicker training exercises to optimize learning to walk on a leash in educational rehabilitation,

  • Learn how to stimulate and reinforce positively at the right time to optimize follow-up,

  • Mastering negative reinforcement to optimize static learning,

  • Practice walking on a leash:

    • capture practice,

    • social travel exercises,

    • awareness of the importance of anchoring,

    • Mastering the social invitation to follow.

Additional information

The reference trainers

Catherine Collignon et Nicolas Ducasse

Place

Centre Animalin - Aurimont, Gers (32)

Dates

October 26 and 27, 2024

Duration

2 days - Number of hours: 14h

Schedules

9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Amount in self-financing

300 €

Amount with request for support

350 €

Request for quote or internship agreement

Online registration

30% as a reservation: €90

Limited participation

10 participants - 1 dog/participant

Meals and accommodation

Not included

Camping pitch 15€/person/night

Prerequisites

Have completed the “Clicker-training level 1” module
Coming with a dog

Module 5

Shelter application - education and prevention

Adaptation to the environment, definition of personality and implementation of clicker-training techniques and leash walking with shelter dogs.

March 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28, 2025

2024 Satisfaction Survey

Overall rating: 100% very satisfied

Score out of 12 different points: 100% Very satisfied

Content

Practical application and adaptability through clicker training and leash walking techniques

  • Reading the dog and analyzing the personality of the dog present,

  • Body adaptation and space management based on what the dog tells us, acquisition of certain positions and learning (entering and exiting the box, statics, familiarization),

  • Putting on the harness and walking on a leash,

  • Implementation of secondary reinforcements


NB: The shelter dogs you will be working with will not have any minor or major behavioral problems.

Additional information

The referent trainers

Catherine Collignon and Nicolas Ducasse

Lieu

The SPA shelter in Torreilles (66)

Dates

from March 24 (noon) to 28 (2 p.m.), 2025

Duration

4 days - Number of hours: 33

Horaires

Hours 1st day: 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Other days: 9am-5pm
Last days: 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Amount in self-financing

650 €

Amount with request for support

690 €

Request for quote or internship agreement

Inscription en ligne

30% as a reservation: €195

Limited participation

10 participants

Meals and accommodation

Not included

Pré-requis

Have completed the “Introduction to clicker training - level 1” and “Managing walking on a leash” courses.
For professionals already working in clicker training and having completed our "Walking on a leash" course

Module 7

Interview conduct

Introduction to the profession of dog trainer through the conduct of a personalized interview adapted to the request of the owner and the needs of the dog.

Dates pending for 2025

2024 Satisfaction Survey

Overall rating: 100% very satisfied

Score on 12 different points: 93% Very satisfied - 7% satisfied

NOTICE
GIVE YOUR OPINION

Content

Introduction to the profession of dog trainer

  • The positioning of a professional

  • Attitude towards dogs and humans

  • Code of Ethics

Conducting an interview

  • Conducting an interview

  • The different maintenance techniques

  • Building and conducting an interview for the prevention of behavioral problems and behavioral rehabilitation

  • Learning to Set Goals for Dog Owners

  • Practical exercises and role-playing, without a dog

Additional information

3 reference trainers and assistants

Catherine Collignon, reference trainer

Nicolas Ducasse, trainer at the Animalin center

Sylvie Pedroni, external assistant trainer

Place

Animal Center, Aurimont - Gers (32)

Dates

Dates pending for 2025

Duration

3 days - Number of hours: 23

Schedules

Jour 1 : 9h - 17h30 - Jour 2 et 3 : 9h30 - 17h

Montant en auto-financement

450 €

Amount with request for support

500 €

Demande de devis ou convention de stage

Inscription en ligne

30% as a reservation: €135

Limited participation

10 participants - 1 dog/participant

Meals and accommodation

Not included

Camping pitch 15€/person/night

Prerequisites

Presence of a dog not obligatory

Module 8

Learning and education in everyday life

Putting into practice the learning seen in theory during module 1 for the prevention of behavioral problems.

Level 2

Upcoming dates in 2025

REGISTRATION

2024 Satisfaction Survey

Overall rating: 100% very satisfied

Score out of 12 different points : 100% Very satisfied

 Contenu 80 % pratique

Nota : contenu en cours de révision sera légèrement modifié

Putting educational techniques into practice in everyday life

Day 1: 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

  • The dog trainer: a profession, its qualities, its objectives,

  • Definition of so-called positive methods

  • Review of the fundamentals of learning

  • Review and reflections on the dog's educational program for daily practical application

Day 2, 3 and 4: 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

  • Refinement of thinking and learning logic around the dog's educational program in its daily life

  • Adaptation of the educational protocol depending on the dog present,

  • Prediction of a behavior,

  • Analysis of the various motivations of the dog present,

  • Analysis of the present canine personality,

  • Analysis of the ability to communicate on both sides,

  • Analysis of the emotional state of the dog present,

  • Management and ability to measure the impact of our gestures based on the dog's responses,

  • Ability to gain the trust of the dog present to optimize its learning,

  • Practical exercises of what we must teach a dog on a daily basis (application of theory to practice),

  • Reception exercises, interview and educational program with clients and clients' dogs. Real cases

Informations complémentaires

Les formateur.trices référent.es

Catherine Collignon and Nicolas Ducasse

Lieu

Animal Center, Aurimont - Gers (32)

Dates

Dates pending for 2025

Duration

4 days - Number of hours: 28 hours

Schedules

9h - 17h30

Montant en auto-financement

560 €

Amount with request for support

610 €

Request for quote or internship agreement

Online registration

30% for reservation: €168

Limited participation

10 participant.e.s - 1 chien/participant.e

Meals and accommodation

Not included

Camping pitch 15€/person/night

Pré-requis

Avoir effectué le stage "Apprentissages et éducation au quotidien niveau 1" et le module "Entretien" - Venir avec un chien

Module 9

Socialization
of the dog

The concept of socialization through the notions of proximity, approach, contact, stimulation or even sharing of resources.

Dates pending for 2025

Enquête de satisfaction 2024

Overall rating: 100% very satisfied

Score out of 12 different points: 100% Very satisfied

NOTICE

Theoretical and practical content

Practical and theoretical approach to the concept of socialization

  • Define what we mean by socialization

  • Primary and secondary socialization,

  • The criteria for optimizing socialization,

  • Possessiveness, a criterion to be taken into consideration on social responses,

  • Difference between communication and aggression,

  • What are the criteria to use to define whether a dog is poorly socialized?

  • Disadvantages Advantages of Puppy Classes

  • A class for whom? and why?

  • Play in dogs in the socialization process,

  • Reading and communication, personality analysis, management of natural predispositions,

  • Social responses in dogs: growling, barking, avoidance,

  • Is olfactory identification by contact a necessary and safe reality?

  • Organizing a group walk to optimize socialization

  • Educational walk: natural monitoring, management of a walk, introduction to education.

Additional information

The referent trainers

Catherine Collignon and Nicolas Ducasse

Place

Animal Center, Aurimont - Gers (32)

Dates

Dates pending for 2025

Duration

2.5 days - Number of hours: 17.5 hours

Schedules

1st day: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. / Other days: 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Amount in self-financing

350 €

Amount with request for support

400 €

Request for quote or internship agreement

Online registration

30% for reservation: €105

Limited participation

10 participant.e.s - 1 chien/participant.e

Meals and accommodation

Not included

Camping pitch 15€/person/night

Prerequisites

Venir avec un chien

Votre avis nous intéresse

Merci d'avoir partagé votre avis avec nous.

Learning and education in everyday life

Blouwe Dominique (Thursday, March 21, 2024 3:07 PM)

An incredibly rich course at the end of which you feel equipped to understand your dog and succeed in training him. 4 1/2 days of theory, presented in such an educational way (constructed, progressive, interactive) and exciting that you don't see them go by. Whether you are destined for the profession of dog trainer or you are simply a dog owner like me, the teaching is accessible and effective. And, as always, in listening, good humor, kindness, benevolence. Thank you Catherine and Nicolas for being as you are for dogs and for us!

Initiation au clicker-training

Stephanie M. (Tuesday, March 12, 2023 3:42 PM)

Very informative course that really gives us the keys to this superb tool that is the clicker. The lessons are varied, the discussions are rich and all in a good mood. I put into practice the lessons of the training on a daily basis and the results are great. My dogs are enthusiastic at the sight of the clicker, I see that they like it and that they don't get tired of it :)

Leash walking management

Anne Lohr (Sunday, November 12, 2023 1:29 PM)

Arriver avec de Croyances, Observer, Ecouter, Apprendre, Analyser, Pratiquer, Se Remettre en Questions, et Repartir avec de Nouvelles Compétences ( même s'il reste à travailler au quotidien pour que tout se mette en place naturellement) ....
Merci Beaucoup pour votre Bienveillance, le Partage, le Cadre, les Conseils personnalisés, l'Ecoute.
A bientôt avec Plaisir.

Shelter application - education and prevention

Paul (Wednesday, May 15, 2024 11:57)

First experience of training in a shelter, the SPA of Torreilles, which aims to put into practice in a concrete framework the various prerequisite courses (clicker, walking on a leash, etc.). We were a good small group, which allowed us to work with several dogs in order to promote their adoption. Thanks to the surgical technique and the excellent advice of our 2 trainers, each 4-legged individual showed us the best of themselves. I recommend this course to those who wish to deepen their technique in a real situation, however if it is your first time in a shelter prepare yourself to be emotionally touched. Finally, I thank our 2 trainers, Catherine & Nicolas for having made me discover this universe and share their passion with their always benevolent look, thank you also to the SPA of Torreilles for its welcome.

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