Become a Certified Canine Compulsive Behavior Specialist (CCCBS)
Advanced education for dog trainers who want a deeper understanding of canine compulsive disorders, repetitive behaviors (ARBs) and humane behavior support strategies.
→ Evidence-informed education rooted in canine behavior science, welfare, and practical case application.
Created by Fanna Easter CDBC, CSAT, KPA CTP, CPDT-KA, canine behavior professional specializing in repetitive and compulsive behaviors in dogs.
This certification does not replace veterinary care or diagnosis.
It is designed to help professionals recognize, support, and appropriately refer complex behavior cases.
Why This Certification Exists
Some behaviors need more than basic training knowledge and skills
Many repetitive and compulsive behaviors are often misunderstood or leave trainers wondering:
→ Is this an ARB?
→ Where do I even start?
→ Can progress happen?
Dogs struggling with compulsive disorders need careful observation, behavior modification support, environmental assessment, and collaboration with veterinary professionals.
The CCCBS program helps trainers better understand:
- Recognize common presentations of ARBs
- Collect meaningful behavioral data
- Use FBA data to design an individualized behavior plan
- Interpret collected data to form a hypothesis about behavioral function
- Implement core behavior-change strategies based on conditioning principles
- Adjust the protocol using ongoing measurements and progress indicators
- Client communication and case management
- Teach and apply foundational replacement skills
Who This Certification Is For
Is CCCBS Right for You?
DOG TRAINERS
Expand your understanding of complex canine behavior cases
Learn how to identify repetitive behaviors, support clients compassionately, and work within ethical trainer boundaries.
BEHAVIOR CONSULTANTS
Add structure and specialization to your behavior education
Deepen your knowledge of compulsive behaviors, stress responses, case history evaluation, and management strategies.
Inside the CCCBS Certification
√ Identify Patterns and Influences Behind Repetitive Behavior
√ Explain why behaviors persist, including reinforcement patterns and functional outcomes
√ Describe the role of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in understanding and “decoding” behavior
√ Use an ABA framework to determine the function of behavior
√ Use FBA data to design an individualized behavior plan
√ Implement core behavior-change strategies based on conditioning principles
√ Apply ARB data using the APAPT Tracker:
-
- field-based decision model for in real environments
The ADAPT Framework™
ADAPT is not a step-by-step process. It is a decision-making loop for real-world behavior work.
Assess
Observe behavior in context to understand what is actually occurring (not just what is reported).
Document
Capture objective data to establish a clear baseline and reduce interpretive noise.
Analyze
Interpret patterns across time, environment, and contingencies to identify function and maintaining variables
Pivot
Refine strategy based on data—not assumptions—adjusting antecedents, consequences, and handler response.
Transfer
Support the Guardian in implementing and maintaining consistent behavior change in real life settings.
How the Certification Works
Certification Process
A clear, structured path designed to support your growth while building real-world confidence with ARB cases.
1. Enroll
Join the certification through our simple online registration.
2. Confirm Readiness
Sign a brief attestation to acknowledge your professional experience and course expectations.
3. Complete Pre-Course Training
Build your foundation with short, focused lessons before live classes begin.
4. Join 5 Weeks of Live Learning
Attend weekly online sessions covering ARBs, case understanding, and humane, practical behavior strategies.
5. Apply Learning Through Case Work
Work through guided assignments using either your own real-world case or a structured practice case provided in the course.
6. Graduate with Confidence
Complete your final assessment and demonstrate your ability to apply ARB concepts in real scenarios. Successful students earn certification.
What Makes This Program Different
The CCCBS program focuses on understanding the “why” behind repetitive and compulsive behaviors — not simply suppressing visible symptoms.
It’s time to move beyond guesswork and learn how to gather objective data, apply structured interventions, measure outcomes, and thoughtfully pivot when needed. The goal is always long-term success — including effectively guiding and handing over the guardian so progress can continue beyond your direct involvement.
This program emphasizes:
- Humane, welfare-centered approaches
- Evidence-informed education
- Ethical trainer boundaries
- Objective observation and case analysis
- Practical, adaptable support strategies
Common Inquires
Here are the answers to our most common enrollment questions
Preferred qualifications for enrollment
Hands-On Experience
- Minimum 3 years of active dog training experience including both group classes and/or private lessons
- Minimum 6 months working with complex behavior cases such as reactivity, fear based behavior, or phobias (thunder storms, etc.)
Knowledge Foundation Required Enrollees should have a working understanding of:
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
- Counter conditioning and systematic desensitization
- Basic Applied Behavior Analysis (the ABC model — Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence)
Formal certifications are not required.
Not Sure if You Qualify?
All enrollees complete a short pre-course foundations module covering essential ABA terminology used throughout the certification. If you already have this knowledge, you can test out quickly and move straight into the core curriculum. This ensures every student starts on the same page regardless of their training background.
Why These Prerequisites Exist
This course works with clinical-level content. The prerequisite knowledge isn’t about gatekeeping — it’s about making sure you can fully apply what you learn from day one.
How does this course approach complex behavior?
This course is grounded exclusively in modern, science-based training methods including positive reinforcement, counter conditioning, and systematic desensitization.
By enrolling in this certification, enrollees commit to applying modern, science-based training methods in their practice and to prioritizing the emotional wellbeing of every dog they work with going forward.
This commitment includes refraining from the use of aversive tools including choke chains, pinch collars, electronic collars, and STEM collars, as well as avoiding physical corrections or forced compliance in all training interactions
Will this certification qualify me to diagnose Canine Compulsive Disorder?
Diagnosis of Canine Compulsive Disorder falls exclusively within the scope of a licensed veterinarian (DVM) or veterinary behaviorist. This certification does not change that boundary nor is it intended to.
What this certification does equip you with is equally valuable — upon completion you will be able to:
- Identify and accurately describe the overt behaviors you are observing
- Analyze the likely function and context of those behaviors
- Document your behavioral observations in a clinically meaningful way
- Communicate that information effectively to the dog’s veterinary team to support an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan
Think of your role as the essential bridge between what you observe in the training environment and what the veterinarian needs to make an informed clinical decision. That collaboration is where your certification carries real professional weight.
What is the tuition cost?
This certification is currently available at the exclusive beta rate of $555 — a significantly reduced investment offered to our first cohort of founding students only.
It’s important to understand what this program actually includes because this is not a passive video course you watch and forget:
Your $555 beta investment includes:
- 5 weeks of structured, expert-level curriculum developed exclusively for this certification
- Applied case study work where you actively practice what you learn each week
- 5 live 60-minute Zoom sessions with direct access to a specialist in Canine Compulsive Disorder
- Weekly office hours giving you an additional hour of expert guidance and support every week
- A comprehensive final certification exam
- A professional credential you can immediately use to distinguish your practice and attract complex behavior cases
This is a coaching-intensive, clinically focused certification program — not a self-paced course. This is a rigorous, hands-on certification that requires active participation and commitment throughout all 5 weeks.
Beta enrollment is extremely limited. When this cohort closes, tuition increases to $1,111.
Is this course available virtually only?
Yes, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Compulsive behaviors can be one of the most frustrating and overwhelming situations in the dog training profession — and the dogs and families living with it need help. By offering this certification entirely online, we hope to reach as many passionate, experienced trainers as possible regardless of where they call home.
Whether you’re across town or across the world, if you’re ready to deepen your understanding of abnormal repetitive behaviors and learn how to measureable relief for dogs and their frustrated, often heartbroken families — we’d love to have you here.
Every trainer who completes this certification is one more knowledgeable, compassionate voice in a space that desperately needs it. We’re so glad you found us. 😉
Can shelter and rescue staff or volunteers enroll in this certification?
Not yet — but a dedicated program designed just for you is coming and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
If you work in a shelter, rescue organization, or foster network you already know these behaviors intimately. You see them every single day. What we want to give you is the clinical language to describe what you’re observing, the knowledge to understand what’s happening beneath the surface, and a clear path to communicate that information to veterinarians and behaviorists so every dog gets the help they actually need.
You don’t need to become a dog trainer to make a profound difference in these dogs’ lives. You just need the right knowledge and vocabulary — and that’s exactly what we’re building for you.
Because your world looks very different from a private training studio, we want to hear directly from you before we build anything. Virtual listening sessions are coming soon where you can share your real day to day experiences and help shape a program that actually fits your life and your work.
Get on the waitlist and be the first to know when it launches — we’d love to have you part of this from the very beginning.
What is the course like and what should I expect?
Here’s how each week flows:
- Watch your pre-recorded video lessons at your own pace (complete before Zoom sessions)
- Complete that week’s assignment applying your new knowledge directly to your behavior case (complete before Zoom sessions)
- Attend a live 60-minute Zoom session where you’ll discuss your case findings, ask questions, and learn alongside your cohort
- Drop into weekly office hours — a dedicated one hour session where you can bring questions, or go deeper on anything from that week
Your case study — the heart of the experience:
From week one you’ll be working with a real or assigned ARB case. Each week you’ll apply what you’ve just learned directly to that case building your analysis progressively over the full five weeks.
Week 5 brings it all together:
Your final week includes a online certification exam as well as a live discussion where you’ll present your case findings to the group.
Time commitment:
Plan to dedicate approximately 5 hours per week to coursework. This includes video lessons, assignments, your live Zoom session, and office hours.
A honest note before you enroll:
To earn your Canine Compulsive Disorder certification, full program participation is required — including completion of all pre-recorded video lessons, weekly case study assignments, and live Zoom sessions, along with a passing score on the final online exam. Every requirement exists because every piece of this program builds the expertise your certification represents.
Advance Your Understanding of Complex Canine Behavior
Support dogs and guardians with greater confidence, compassion, and professional understanding.
Humane • Evidence-Informed • Professional Education
