The Basics of Canine Nutrition

This course is the foundation for all the others, insofar as here we learn about the topic from the ground up, starting with anatomy/digestion, nutrients and food sources, and basic nutrient requirements of dogs.  I hear more misunderstanding, half truth and total fallacy in this core area than any other aspect of canine nutrition!  Here is the opportunity to learn the facts, before interpretation can reasonably be developed. It’s my goal and privilege to help guide  students through the maze of conflicting opinions and often outdated information,towards a thorough, confident understanding of  canine nutrition. It’s a starting point and an overview, but a comprehensive one nonetheless.

Part One is an examination of the essential nutritional needs of the domestic dog, and Part Two evaluates various methods of providing those needs; commercial diet, home made cooked diets, and various forms of raw feeding. We also look at feeding for life stages, and basics of supplementation, although individual needs and supplements are explored more fully in other courses. This course provides a solid foundational overview and teaches critical thinking, so the student 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 rather bases itself on the premise that dogs require nutrients from appropriate food sources, and there are many good methods of delivering them. Always I emphasize the importance of balancing the science with the individual. Coverage is given to each group of nutrients and the foods that provide them, so the graduate emerges 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, 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 programmes and is an extremely important companion course to the Applied Herbalism course.
The course is done entirely online, and is available as mentored or non-mentored – the tuition fee for the mentored programme and Graduation Certificate is $500.00 plus texts; the unmentored version is $250.00.For the mentored version I am available to all students for marking, commentary, classroom discussion and support as needed.
you receive a Certificate of Completion suitable for framing. There are sixteen modules, consisting of reading, research and written assignments, and you have unlimited time to complete the course, although I highly recommend sticking to a regular schedule of study. I reserve the right to remove students after 12 months of non-contact.

A full Course Overview is available by request.