The Caring Human Code® Foundation Course
Professional Track
For Professionals Who Want to Understand Dog Behaviour Beyond Training
Most dog training programs focus on
teaching dogs what to do.
Sit. Stay. Heel. Control the behaviour.
But behaviour is not just something to control.
Behaviour is communication.
Many behaviour problems are not training problems at all.
They are communication problems.
For decades, traditional dog training has focused on visible compliance — stopping behaviours like pulling, barking, jumping or reactivity as quickly as possible.
But when behaviour is treated only as disobedience, the underlying emotional and environmental causes are often missed.
Over time this can lead to:
- Increased stress for both dogs and handlers
- Dogs suppressing important communication signals
- Escalation of behaviour problems instead of resolution
- Dogs that comply but still feel insecure
- Professionals managing behaviour rather than understanding it
Dogs are not machines to be programmed.
They are social, emotional beings with complex communication systems and nervous systems that respond to safety, stress and environment.
If you work with dogs and feel that traditional training models do not fully explain behaviour, this course offers a deeper framework.
Instead of suppressing behaviour, you will learn to interpret it.
Instead of focusing only on obedience, you will learn to understand communication.
Instead of reacting to symptoms, you will learn to analyse underlying causes.
This is not simply another training method.
It is a professional mindset shift.
Why Most Training Programs Miss This
Most training programs focus on teaching dogs what to do.
Very few teach humans how to understand why behaviour happens.
They focus on:
- commands
- techniques
- behaviour modification
But behaviour does not exist in isolation.
It is influenced by:
- communication signals
- emotional safety
- stress and regulation
- environment
- human behaviour
Understanding behaviour requires observation, reflection and analysis.
That difference is the foundation of The Caring Human Code®.
This course provided a clear and practical framework for understanding my dog’s behaviour in a deeper and more meaningful way. The video examples and teaching about calming signals made it easier to observe, understand, and communicate with my dog in a kind and respectful way. This learning has been truly transformative and has strengthened our relationship every day.
– Patti, USA
The Missing Link Many Dog Professionals Are Searching For
Many professionals working with dogs spend years learning different training techniques.
Yet many still experience the same frustration:
Some behaviour problems keep returning.
Some dogs do not respond to training as expected.
Some situations feel more complex than the techniques they have learned.
Often this happens because something essential is missing.
Not another training method.
But a deeper understanding of communication, emotional safety and behaviour systems.
This is exactly where The Caring Human Code® framework makes the difference.
For many professionals, this course becomes the missing link that connects everything they have learned before.
Instead of focusing only on training techniques, you begin to understand:
- why behaviour happens
- what the dog is communicating
- how stress and emotional safety influence learning
- how your own presence affects the situation
- how to guide clients in a more effective and ethical way
When you understand these underlying principles, your work with dogs changes significantly.
You are no longer simply teaching techniques.
You are helping clients understand their dogs at a much deeper level.
A Stronger Professional Advantage
Professionals who understand communication and behaviour systems gain a clear advantage in their field.
You will develop the ability to:
- analyse behaviour situations more accurately
- recognise early stress signals before problems escalate
- guide clients toward sustainable solutions
- explain behaviour in ways that build trust and credibility
- support both dogs and owners more effectively
Many professionals discover that this deeper understanding allows them to help clients in ways their competitors often cannot.
Not because they use more techniques — but because they understand behaviour more clearly.
The Foundation for the Caring Human Code® Professional Certification
This Foundation Course is also the first step toward the Nordic Dog Trainer Professional Certification in The Caring Human Code® Method.
Together, the Foundation Course and the certification pathway provide professionals with:
- a clear ethical framework
- deeper behavioural understanding
- strong observational skills
- practical tools for working with clients and dogs
For many professionals, this education becomes the foundation that strengthens everything else they do in their work.
It provides knowledge and perspective that supports long-term professional credibility and impact.
For dog professionals who want to make a real difference for the dogs and people they work with, this knowledge is not simply useful.
It becomes an essential foundation.
A Professional Framework Built on Communication
The Caring Human Code® is Nordic Dog Trainer’s original framework for understanding and working with dogs.
It combines Scandinavian values of respect, equality and responsibility with a deep understanding of canine communication.
Since 2012, Nordic Dog Trainer has taught thousands of dog guardians and professionals from more than 60 countries.
Through many years of teaching and practical work, this knowledge has developed into a structured framework focused on:
- communication
- emotional safety
- observation
- ethical responsibility
Rather than starting with techniques, the framework begins with understanding the dog as a communicating, feeling individual.
Rooted in the Original Calming Signals
At the core of this framework lies the understanding of calming signals, first identified by the Norwegian trainer Turid Rugaas.
Her internationally influential book On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals has helped shape global understanding of canine communication for more than 30 years.
In this course, calming signals are taught as a complete communication system, not as a simplified checklist.
You will learn:
- how dogs communicate through body language
- how stress signals appear in behaviour
- how human responses influence emotional safety
- how communication affects behaviour outcomes
The course also includes a special lecture by Turid Rugaas, explaining calming signals from the original source.
Very few programs teach this knowledge with real depth and continuity.
Who This Course Is For
This course is designed for people who work with dogs or want to deepen their professional understanding of behaviour.
Participants often include:
- dog trainers
- dog walkers
- groomers
- shelter staff
- breeders
- daycare staff
- behaviour consultants
- rescue workers
- other professionals working with dogs
The assignments require observation of multiple dogs, not only your own.
This means the course works best for people who already interact with dogs regularly through their work or activities.
The Nordic Dog Trainer Shelter Support Initiative
– Shelter workers €300 compensation
Around the world, thousands of dedicated people work and volunteer in dog shelters. Every day you care for dogs who may arrive frightened, stressed, or struggling to adapt after difficult experiences. The work you do requires patience, compassion, and commitment — and it has a profound impact on the lives of many dogs.
We believe that a deeper understanding of canine communication, emotional safety, and behaviour can make a significant difference for dogs living in shelters. When shelter staff understand how dogs communicate stress, fear, and calming signals, it becomes easier to prevent conflicts, reduce tension, and support dogs in feeling safer and more understood.
Because of this, Nordic Dog Trainer has created the Shelter Support Initiative as part of the Professional Foundation Course.
How the Shelter Support Initiative Works
If you work or volunteer at a dog shelter, you can apply for the Shelter Support Initiative when enrolling in the Professional Track of The Caring Human Code® Foundation Course.
Participants who:
- complete the course
- submit all 12 mandatory assignments
- and within three months after the course ends provide documentation showing that they have applied the knowledge from the course in practical work, training, or educational activities at their shelter
will receive a €300 refund of the course fee.
This means that after successful completion and implementation, the final cost of the course is only €197.
Why We Offer This Initiative
Shelter environments can be challenging places for dogs. Many dogs experience high levels of stress, unfamiliar surroundings, and limited opportunities to communicate their needs clearly.
When shelter workers and volunteers understand:
- calming signals
- stress and emotional regulation
- communication-based interaction
- ethical ways of supporting behaviour
they can often improve the wellbeing of many dogs at once.
Our goal with this initiative is to support the people who are already doing the hard work of caring for shelter dogs — and help bring better, more ethical knowledge into shelters where it can make the greatest difference.
Supporting Those Who Help Dogs Every Day
We offer this initiative as a way of recognising and supporting the incredible work shelter staff and volunteers do for dogs around the world.
By making this knowledge more accessible, we hope to help create environments where dogs are better understood, experience less stress, and have a greater chance of successful rehabilitation and adoption.
We are proud to support shelter professionals who are committed to learning, reflecting, and improving the lives of the dogs in their care.
If you work or volunteer in a shelter and want to bring this knowledge into your daily work with dogs, we warmly welcome you to apply for the Nordic Dog Trainer Shelter Support Initiative.
Professional Learning Structure
The Professional Track is designed as a structured learning process that combines theory with observation and reflection.
Professional Track includes:
- 12 mandatory assignments
- behavioural observation work
- reflection exercises
- case-based thinking
Assignments are designed to help you develop:
- professional observation skills
- deeper understanding of communication signals
- ethical decision-making in real situations
This structured coursework ensures that the knowledge is not only understood intellectually, but integrated into professional practice.
Mandatory Coursework
Assignments play a central role in the Professional Track.
Throughout the course you will complete 12 structured homework assignments connected to the modules.
These assignments involve:
- observing dogs in real-life situations
- analysing communication signals
- reflecting on emotional and environmental influences
- applying the Caring Human Code® framework
The assignments are designed to strengthen your ability to observe and interpret behaviour — one of the most important professional skills when working with dogs.
A Required Foundation for Professional Certification
The Foundation Course Professional Track is also an official prerequisite for Nordic Dog Trainer Professional Certification programs.
Professionals who wish to continue into advanced training or certification with Nordic Do Trainer must complete this foundation first.
This ensures that all professionals entering the certification pathway share a common framework of communication, ethics and observation.
Inside the Course – The C.A.R.I.N.G Framework
The course consists of six modules built around the C.A.R.I.N.G. framework, the core structure of The Caring Human Code®. Each letter represents a key principle for understanding behaviour.
C – Caring
Communication Before Control
A – Awareness
Understanding emotional safety and stress
R – Regulation
The human’s role in the behavioural system
I – Interaction
Communication through body language and movement
N – Natural behaviour
Respecting the dog’s natural needs and instincts
G – Gentle Living
Creating ethical, dog-friendly environments
A Course Unlike Anything Else
For more than 14 years, this approach has been developed and taught to thousands of students worldwide.
It is not a trend.
It is not a softer version of obedience training.
It is a fundamentally different framework for understanding behaviour.
If you are looking for quick behaviour fixes or new techniques to add to your toolbox, this course may not be the right fit.
But if you want to develop a deeper professional perspective — one that changes how you observe, interpret and work with dogs — this course offers a unique foundation.
The program was extremely well structured and offered a more direct and interactive learning experience. The live Q&A sessions and video discussions about calming signals and body language made the learning practical and engaging. This has completely changed how I see my dog and our relationship. I now experience a deep connection built on trust, understanding, and respectful communication. The course was a wonderful opportunity to deepen my knowledge and strengthen this bond.
– Alexia Panou, Greece
Who This Course Is NOT For
This course may not be the right fit if you are:
- looking for quick behaviour fixes
- mainly interested in obedience training techniques
- not willing to observe and reflect on behaviour systems
- not interested in completing assignments
This course is designed for true ethical professionals who want to develop deeper understanding and responsibility when working with dogs.
A Stronger Professional Advantage
Professional students receive separate Q&A sessions specifically for professionals.
These sessions allow discussion of:
- behaviour cases
- observation challenges
- professional dilemmas
- practical application of the framework
The course includes:
- 6 live Q&A sessions for professional participants
- all sessions recorded
- short pre-recorded lectures you can watch anytime
- unlimited replay access for one year
You will also receive detailed PDF materials with:
- assignment guidelines
- observation instructions
- reflection prompts
Practical information
Course start: 7 April
Immediate access to a preparation module after enrollment.
Duration: 12 weeks
Course access: 1 year
Includes:
- 6 live (and recorded) professional Q&A sessions
- 12 mandatory assignments
- final assessment
Enrollment is open.
If you want to move beyond technique-based training and build a deeper professional understanding of dogs, communication and behaviour – this course provides the foundation.
Build a deeper professional understanding of dogs and behaviour.
Pricing – Choose the Option That Fits You Best
Payment options USD
Pay in Full or Pay over 3 months
$939 USD / $319 USD
Payment options EUR
Pay in Full or Pay over 3 months
€797 EUR / €319 EUR
Built on Professional Teaching Methods
The course structure is also based on the pedagogical principles presented in Lisbeth Borg de Waard’s (Nordic Dog Trainer’s founder and creator of The Caring Human Code®) book The Dog Trainer’s Teaching Manual: From Theory to Practice: Science-Based Principles and Practices for Planning, Leading, and Evaluating Dog Training Classes.
This unique book focuses specifically on how dog professionals can plan, lead, and evaluate dog training classes using science-based teaching principles.
The methods presented in the book form an important foundation for how the lectures, assignments, and reflection exercises in this course are structured.
