Next Step K9 Center is dedicated to assisting our community and clients through a variety of resources. This page provides links to the resources we find most valuable to those in need.

Veterinary Behaviorists: A Veterinary Behaviorist is a DVM who has also studied behavior extensively and can assist with Aggression, Anxiety, Fear, Phobias, and Compulsive Disorders. Veterinary Behaviorists (DAVCM, CAAB, ASAVB certifications) are able to provide medical support as well as training to clients. Additional Vet Behaviorists can be found here https://www.dacvb.org or https://avsab.org/directory/

Dog Trainer Certifications and Licensing: Dog training as a profession is currently unregulated by state or federal standards in the US. However, like any trade skill the professional you choose should have a few core things in place before you do business with them. Insurance, all applicable city, county or state kennel permits, as well as be able to show/demonstrate education or expertise in the field through education, competition experience, or a combination. Below we’ve listed some of the most respected organizations for Dog trainers.

Council of Professional Dog Trainers: The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers® (CCPDT®), established in 2001, is the leading independent certifying organization for the dog training profession. The CCPDT is the leader in the development of rigorous exams to demonstrate mastery of humane, science-based dog training practices. https://www.ccpdt.org

Other Professional Training organizations include: The Pet Professionals Guild (PPG), The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), Family Dog Mediation (FDM, LFDM), National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI).

Additional Training Resources:

The Muzzle Up Project https://muzzleupproject.com

Aggression in Dogs Aggressivedog.com

A few of our favorite Books:

Podcasts: