Basics of Canine Nutrition- Full Certificate Course

This course is the foundation for all the others. Here we learn about canine nutrition from the ground up, starting with digestion, nutrients and food sources, basic nutrient requirements of dogs, as well as an evaluation of feeding types (commercial diet, raw diets and home cooked recipes).

Part One is an examination of the essential nutritional needs of the domestic dog. We take a close look at canine digestion, and then go straight into nutrients – what they are, which foods provide them, how much of each an individual dog requires (using the National Research Council’s Nutrient Requirements of Dogs, 2006) and how nutrients interact, affect the bioavailabity of other nutrients. This information forms the very “basics of canine nutrition” and any study of the topic needs to start here. It is tremendously empowering to know what an individual animal will need dietarily and how to provide it. If you don’t study the nutrients, you can’t go forward in nutrition. ?

Part Two builds on the knowledge you gained in Part One; here we evaluate various methods of providing nutrients with an eye to what might work best for an individual dog. Commercial diet, home made cooked diets, and various forms of raw feeding are evaluated without bias, but a clear presentation of both pro and con of each. We also look at feeding for life stages, and basics of supplementation, although individual needs and supplements for health issues are explored more fully in other courses.

This course provides a solid foundation for the subject, and teaches critical thinking, so graduates can dispassionately evaluate various methods of feeding, and decide on which will suit an individual dog. It does not promote the superiority of any one type of diet over others, but is based on the premise that dogs require nutrients from appropriate food sources, and there are many good methods of delivering them. Coverage is given to each group of nutrients and the foods that provide them, so graduates emerge with a broad and sophisticated understanding of the topic.

The Basics of Canine Nutrition Course is suited to those who have an interest in knowing more about canine nutrient requirements and digestion, reading dogfood labels, identifying food sources of various nutrients, deciding between raw, cooked or commercial diets,and generally making sound nutritional choices for their dogs . It will be of great value to those in the retail field, to veterinary assistants, breeders, behaviourists and trainers, TellingtonTouch practitioners, those involved in various sports and competitive work, and of course, anyone who simply loves and lives with dogs. It lays the groundwork for the Advanced Nutrition/ Dietary Formulation programme and is an extremely important companion course to the Applied Herbalism course.

When & Where

This is the mentored version (for the unmentored version, see Audit Option). The course is done entirely online and is open ended. For this version your assignments are automatically marked, and am personally available for commentary, classroom discussion and support as needed in in our FaceBook private group. You can also always email me with questions about the material.

Materials

Course materials are provided; two text books are also required. These are Dog Food Logic by Linda Case, and Canine and Feline Nutrition: A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals, 3rd Edition.

There are sixteen modules, which cover a wide range of foundational topics: for more detail, check here: https://thepossiblecanine.com/basics-of-canine-nutrition-courses-updated-information

Upon completion, you receive a Certificate of Completion. The course is open-ended, meaning you can start anytime, and take as long as you need to complete it. I highly recommend sticking to a regular schedule of study if possible!

A full Course Overview is available by request.