The Fundamentals of Dog

By Jamie Damato Migdal, CEO & Pet Industry Entrepreneur

We’re coming up on what is one of my absolute favorite times of year – the start of the Behavior Fundamentals class! For those of you who are new to CanineLink, Fundamentals is an eight-week course designed to provide a solid foundation in canine behavior, development, and history. Each week features speakers drawn from the top ranks of industry professionals, as well as interactive assignments, externships, instructor-led field trips, and readings from internationally-renowned experts.

I think that one of the best things about the Fundamentals class is that it can serve equally well as a stand-alone for those who want to deepen their knowledge about dogs, or as a first step for those are planning to continue on to our Essential and Advanced Training Skills courses.

One of the other things that I love about Fundamentals (in a “brings tears to my eyes” sort of way) is the feedback I get from students:

I had the pleasure of knowing Jamie as a client when I worked in the salon industry, and when I was exploring the idea of a career with dogs, I of course turned to her for advice. The Fundamentals course seemed like a great first step towards a career change; it exposed me to so much that I never knew, and definitely changed my perspective on dogs. The Training and Career Academy presented me with so many networking opportunities, as well as the chance to meet some awesome and dedicated professionals!

Even if you aren’t looking to make a career change, this course will open your eyes to so much important information. I think that both dogs and humans would benefit greatly if owners were more aware of how dogs communicate and what they are trying to tell us.

- Jennifer K., graduate, Behavior Fundamentals and Essential/Advanced Training Skills.

After researching dog training and behavior schools online, I realized that I could either take a hands-off online program or go to a university to study general animal behavior, neither of which was what I was looking for. I finally found CanineLink and everything about it fit what I wanted. Classroom work, relevant reading materials, hands-on externships and an amazing network of pet industry professionals all in one place!

Fundamentals gave me the foundation I needed to better understand overall canine behavior, and gave me the building blocks that I needed to move forward to the Essential Training Skills course. If you’re wondering whether Fundamentals is right for you, all I can say is - go for it! Even if you are taking this class just because you are an animal lover and are not planning on working directly with dogs as a profession, the knowledge and skills that you take away from this class will forever change the way you look at and interact with dogs. Your own dogs will thank you!

– Nancy P., graduate, Behavior Fundamentals and Essential Training Skills.

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Our next Behavior Fundamentals class starts on Wednesday, February 5. Payment programs are available. For more details, go here; to sign up, contact Sarah Gaziano at sarah@caninelink.com or 312.772.K9K9.