Full Course with Certification as low as $199.99 per person. Group discounts are available.
Without credible, meaningful training and certification, your company is vulnerable in the following ways:
- Spending excess management/training time training employees
- Untrained employees performing tasks they are not yet qualified to do
- Excess of Employee Turnover which costs your company thousands of dollars per employee
- Employee Safety Risks
- Pet Safety Risks not being able to identify warning signs of illness, aggression or breed tendencies
- Lack of consumer confidence, not differentiating your company from inferior competition
Up to 25% off for multiple employee discounts:
- 2-3 employees 10% discount
- 4-6 employees 15% discount
- 7+ employees 25% discount
- If you qualify for any of the above discounts, send an email to info@OPCLearningCenter.com to request the discount. Please provide your company name, location, phone, owner’s contact information and number of employees you will be enrolling. All group discounts need to be used within (3 months).
Level 1 of the Outstanding Pet Care Learning Center is designed for entry-level pet care technicians and provides a better understanding of what pet care involves on a day-to-day basis. It imparts the critical knowledge needed from Day One. The well-being of the pets in your care–and the reputation of your pet care facility–depend on understanding pet behavior and handling, facility sanitation and disease prevention, just to name a few important topics. The Outstanding Pet Care Learning Center has taken the previous Pet Care Service Association’s educational program and expanded and updated it to include the latest information ranging from immunizations and zoonotic diseases to canine and feline behavior and nutrition. This program surpasses any other industry training available with many courses featuring photos and videos to illustrate concepts and techniques as well as immediate on-line testing and certificates.
Class 1 Personal Success Development
Career opportunities in pet care exist today because of the increasing importance of the human-animal bond. Pet owners view their pets as members of the family and will go to great lengths to ensure their pets’ health and happiness. A quality pet care facility relies on training and continued education to provide the best care for pets and peace of mind for the pet owner. Providing the means to understand and learn the importance of the details in the employee’s position can make the difference between a satisfied client who will refer their friends, and a disgruntled customer who posts negative reviews online. But what makes a great employee? This module will identify the areas needed to become the industrious, informed, honest and reliable team members that are needed to provide great pet care.
Class 2 Canine and Feline Familiarization
This module covers familiarization with different types of dogs and cats that may be cared for in a pet care facility. Knowing breed-specific and gender-specific traits and their predisposed medical issues will assist in providing a safe and stimulating environment for different breed’s needs. Breeds typical of each group (herding, sporting, hound, etc.) are discussed, along with characteristic behaviors and traits. Breed-predisposed health issues are also covered, along with conditions that affect many breeds. Examples include brachycephalic syndrome, skin folds, and bloat (gastric dilatation and volvulus). Knowing this information will help to identify potential wellness issues and deliver the best breed-specific care.
Class 3 Getting Started in Providing Quality Pet Care
Are your employees trained to recognize symptoms of illness and external parasites? Are they qualified to administer necessary medications to pets? Our experience shows quality pet care facilities perform pre-entry screenings on pets as they enter the facility. This module includes a step by step pre-entry procedure; care of different life stages and disabilities; administration of medications (oral, topical and injectable); and the importance of proper record keeping.
Class 4 Employee Safety in the Pet Care Facility
Everyone from the facility owner or manager to the newest hire should be concerned with safety to maintain and assure a healthy environment for both pets and humans. Pet care facilities are filled with countless potential hazards. Chemicals, slips and falls, repetitive motion injuries, back injuries from improper lifting, and zoonotic diseases (infections transmitted from pets to people) are among the top culprits. This updated module gives an overview of OSHA regulations, chemical handling, basic hazard prevention, and zoonotic disease avoidance.
Class 5 Maintaining a Healthy Pet Care Facility
Maintaining a clean, odor-free, and disease-free facility is critical for the wellbeing of the pets in your care and the satisfaction of their owners. This updated module will familiarize you with all the factors that go into maintaining a safe and healthy environment, including immunizations, disinfectants, ventilation, odor control, pet comfort, and record keeping.
Class 6 Dog & Cat Handling and Behavior
Since dogs and cats can’t ‘talk’, they communicate through body language. Anyone caring for pets in a pet care facility needs to know how to interpret those signs. This is especially important when it comes to aggressive behavior, understanding the difference between offensive and defensive postures, and knowing the potential triggers of aggression. This valuable information will help team members deal with pets safely and avoid costly and painful injuries. This module also discusses other behavior issues which impact the entire pet care facility including separation anxiety.
Class 7 Security of the Pets in Your Care
When a client leaves their pet at a pet care facility, they want assurance that their pet will be safe, secure, healthy and happy. This module provides training on proper use of leashes, handling of pets, entrance and exit of enclosures, and escape prevention. This information will keep pets safe and secure in the facility and prevent incidents that would contribute to pet owner’s hesitations about leaving their pets in someone else’s care. Other areas that will be covered will include safety issues relating to pet belongings, toys and collars; fire safety; and emergency evacuation.
Class 8 Vaccines and Other Disease-Preventing Protocols
An outbreak of an infectious disease in a pet care facility can be devastating. When there is an outbreak and pets are sick it impacts every part of the business from employee morale to the facility’s reputation. Along with maintaining a sanitary and well-ventilated facility, vaccinations are critical to protect the health of pets. This newly-updated module explains current immunization technology and provides an overview of currently available vaccines. Even before a pet checks into a pet care facility, it is critical that each team member understands which vaccinations are required by the facility–and why.
Class 9 Parasites
When caring for dogs and cats there is always the potential for parasites. One thing that is guaranteed to upset a pet owner is discovering a parasite on their pet and believing that the pet acquired the parasite from the facility. Understanding how to recognize internal and external parasites is the best preventative to an infestation. Many parasites are zoonotic (contagious to humans) and having the knowledge to recognize parasites early can prevent spread and potential health issues for those working in the facility. This module contains current information and gives an overview on internal parasites (including roundworm, heartworm and Giardia) and external parasites (including fleas, ticks and mites).
Class 10 Nutrition
Nutritional needs for pets vary by species, life stage (puppies to seniors), health status, chronic illnesses and breed. Obesity and food allergies are common issues in dogs and cats that frequent pet care facilities. This module discusses how canine and feline nutritional needs differ; medical problems that may be treated with specific diets prescribed by the pet’s veterinarian; feeding methods; how to read a pet food label; and human foods that can be harmful for pets. In addition, specific diet-related problems that may be seen in the pet care facility are discussed, including gastric dilatation and volvulus.
Class 11 Introduction to Grooming
This module will familiarize employees to grooming basics. Varying grooming needs of different breeds and coat types, toe nail trimming, ear cleaning, eye cleaning, teeth brushing, bathing, and equipment are all covered. Safety is addressed, as the grooming salon is an area of the pet care facility which presents unique hazards to pets and those performing these services.
To verify the information covered was actually understood, testing is included after each module. Once an owner, manager or staff member passes all of the courses in Level 1, they will automatically be sent a certificate. This certificate can be proudly displayed and give pet care facility owners, managers and clients a sense of comfort knowing this valuable information has been covered.
