Certified Dog Trainer (CDT) - Canine Professionals

Find a Canine Professional

Find a Canine Professional

CDT v2.0 Resource Manual (September 1, 2021)-English (PDF) CDT v2.0 Resource Manual (September 1, 2021)-Spanish (PDF) Webpage updated: October 13, 2021
 Contact: [email protected]

This title verifies competence as a dog trainer with advanced skills.  The IACP, acknowledges the struggles, dog trainers face when seeking assistance to help them further develop their dog training skills, due to lack of reliable referral.  The intention for developing certifications is to create a valid evaluation to assess an individual dog trainer’s capability and proficiency. The CDT portfolio assessment is designed to assess well-rounded Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) by recognizing a dog’s temperament, how to shape its behavior, and the ability to educate the dog’s owners.  The portfolio assessment itself is a combination of written narrative reports and written client feedback that are reviewed by a panel of professional peers.   ​ Examples of topics and skills addressed in the portfolio are listed below with the most common elements listed in bold.

Applicants passing the CDT Portfolio Assessment may add the initials IACP-CDT to their name.

Professional dog trainers who have three (3) years of professional dog training experience are eligible to take the CDT Portfolio Assessment.  

Before you can start the CDT Portfolio Assessment, you must first apply to take the exam by submitting the following materials:

To apply for the CDT Portfolio Assessment and pay Registration Fee, click here. If you experience online registration difficulties, please contact [email protected].

Once application has been approved, you will receive an official CDT Welcome Letter that will identify when you may start your exam and when your exam is due.  The official exam dates will allow you one (1) year to complete the exam and submit for grading.

The CDT Portfolio Assessment consists of three (3) Case Studies dog training sessions, each of a different dog.  A case study is a method that requires you to describe the situation of the dog and owner when you first meet, what training plan did you develop or classes you offered, how you implemented or applied that plan, and how you changed a dog’s current set of behavior(s) to a different set of behavior(s) as a direct result of your training program.  Each case study includes:

The primary language for the CDT Portfolio Assessment and supporting documents is English.  CDT Portfolio Assessment packages written or spoken in languages other than the English language must be accompanied with a translation in English.  Other languages currently available for the CDT Portfolio Assessment, not requiring an English translation are,

To ensure that certificants demonstrate the highest standards of ethics, exceeding legal minim , through self-regulation of their personal conduct are required to sign and adhere to the IACP Code of Conduct Affidavit for Certificants and the Certificant Code of Ethics.  These affidavits are required during certification exam application, initial issuance, and/or renewal.   

To see, download or print a copy of the complete:

To see, download, or print a Spanish copy of the complete:

Política Sobre el Código de Ética del Certificador (julio 22, 2020),  haga clic aquí Código de Ética del Certificador-Declaración Jurada de Certificante,  haga clic aqui Código de Conducta del Certificador-Declaración Jurada de Certificante, haga clic aquí

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PO Box 928 Lampasas, TX 76550

Phone: (512) 564-1011 Fax: (844) 361-7981 Office Hours: Mon-Thur 9AM-4PM CST

PO Box 928 Lampasas, TX 76550

Phone: (512) 564-1011 Fax: (844) 361-7981

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