Online Courses from the ASPCA Learning Lab
At the ASPCA Learning Lab, we like to say “Everyone Is on the Behavior Team.” To us, that means that everyone can—and should—support the animals’ behavioral and mental health in everything they do.
We designed the "Everyone Is on the Behavior Team" course collection for everyone who works or volunteers at a shelter. You can easily add the ideas from the training to your daily routine.
7 Ways to Reduce Stress When Handling Dogs and Cats | Register for 7-Week Email Course
This course comes packaged as 7 mini-lessons we deliver straight to your email inbox once a week. You’ll get tips on how to:
- Entice animals to move or stay in place with light or darkness
- Create chutes to encourage dogs and cats to move from one place to another
- Use yoga mats to create non-slip surfaces
- Use a rolling crate to move fearful or reluctant animals
- Strategically place treats to get dogs and cats to go where you want them
- Encourage volunteers and staff to use treats as a tool more often
- Use lick mats to keep animals happy and in place
How to Interact with Dogs to Minimize Stress | Register/Login to Enroll
This 20-minute course will help you support the mental health of dogs by moving in ways that lower the chance of causing them stress. You will learn how to:
- Spot stress in a dog before approaching and during interactions
- Position your body when approaching a dog who is stressed
- Share your knowledge with others
Approved for 1 CEU by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT)
How to Communicate Shelter Animal Behavior Clearly | Register/Login to Enroll
In this 20-minute course, you will learn how to:
- Understand the value of everyone's animal behavior observations
- Use objective language and the right kind of details to describe behavior clearly
- Give your behavior observation logs a makeover to communicate better
Approved for 1 CEU by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT)
How to Encourage Good Behavior in Shelter Dogs | Register/Login to Enroll
In this 15-20-minute course, you will learn how to:
- Tap into a dog’s natural inclination to learn
- Reward the right behaviors during leashing and walks
- Join the 14-Day Better Behavior Challenge
Approved for 1 CEU by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT)