CPDT-KA case studies

CPDT-KA · Put your knowledge to work in context.

The Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA®) is a credential offered by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers® (CCPDT®), an independent certifying organization established in 2001. According to CCPDT, it is the leading independent certifying organization for the dog training profession and develops rigorous exams to demonstrate mastery of humane, science-based dog training practices. The CPDT-KA is intended for professional dog trainers who wish to validate their knowledge and signal a high level of professional distinction; thousands of dog training professionals worldwide maintain CCPDT certifications. The exam is designed to assess knowledge of humane, science-based training practices, though the specific content outline and domain weights are not published in the source material available here. The CPDT-KA case studies are 5 cases and about 4,652 words.

The vibration collar in puppy kindergarten

You teach a six-week puppy kindergarten with six puppies enrolled, one hour per week. At session three, a client arrives with her 12-week-old Labrador retriever wearing a vibration bark collar.

886 words, about 4 min 2

Resource guarding in a home with a seven-year-old

Nadia calls after a scare. Her four-year-old spayed female mixed breed, Pepper (18 kg), was chewing a bully stick on the living-room rug when Nadia's seven-year-old son walked past roughly a meter away.

940 words, about 5 min 3

The dog that "knows it" at home

A client, Marcus, hires you to fix his two-year-old border collie's "stubbornness." He says Sit and Come are perfect at home but terrible at the park, and that Bramble "knows he's being naughty" because he looks guilty afterward. You ask for data from one week of practice.

915 words, about 5 min 4

The contractor using choke chains

You own a small training business. Six months ago you began using an independent contractor, Alex, who has two years of experience and no credential.

940 words, about 5 min 5

Nine-hour absences and a howling dog

An 18-month-old mixed breed, Juno, was adopted four months ago. Priya works four days a week and is out of the house nine hours on those days.

971 words, about 5 min