CPDT-KA Examination Study Objectives

The Examination Study Objectives are a detailed expansion of the CPDT-KA Examination Domains. Examination
candidates should carefully review the domain structure and emphasis within the examination; more weight is
given to some of the domains than others. Candidates are encouraged to develop their own plan for personal
study and may choose to include study aides beyond the scope of this document.

Candidates should download the Candidate Handbook from www.ccpdt.org for detailed and complete
examination information.

The CCPDT Candidate Handbook, the examination application form, the examination, nor the CPDT-KA
credential constitutes a contract between the candidate or the certificant and the CCPDT. The CCPDT reserves
the right to change any of the requirements concerning its CPDT-KA credential, including but not limited to the
eligibility requirements, examination content, recertification requirements, fees, use of the mark, name of the
mark, and the website. Information published in the current version of the Candidate Handbook on the CCPDT
website supersedes all other printed or electronic versions of the Handbook.

Reference Links

CCPDT Candidate Handbook including CPDT-KA Examination Domains, Code of Ethics and References List:
(www.ccpdt.org, click on Take the Test to download the Handbook).
Training and Behavior Practices Policy and Humane Hierarchy Position Statement: (www.ccpdt.org, click on
Governing Documents to download).

Domain: INSTRUCTION SKILLS (32% of the exam)

1. Interpersonal Skills
Recognize appropriate/inappropriate uses of verbal and written interpersonal communication skills
Define good listening skills when interacting with individuals or groups
Demonstrate knowledge of professional language and presentation when communicating
Identify clients with special needs; communicate appropriately to address the needs of the client and
the dog
Discuss why the use of good interpersonal skills can maintain and increase client compliance
Recognize environmental challenges to training and how to communicate solutions to the client
Determine appropriate, professional and timely methods for managing difficult individuals within a
classroom environment

2. Teaching Skills
Recognize differences between auditory, visual or hands-on learning styles of individuals
Describe the differences between explaining, demonstrating and assisting clients
Discuss the development and design of lesson plans, curriculum, and handouts

Page 1 of 4
 Demonstrate knowledge of available resources to accomplish teaching tasks including CCPDT website
resources, other online sources, networking with fellow trainers, educational materials and seminars
Understand the variable criteria for selecting an appropriate dog to demonstrate a behavior or
training process

3. Managing the Training Environment

Recognize potential hazards of indoor and outdoor training environments
List appropriate proactive measures to ensure participant safety while training
Describe appropriate physical layouts that are conducive to classroom training
Explain training distractions/disruptions caused by dogs, client or training environment
Discuss methods to manage, reduce or eliminate distractions and disruptions

Domain: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY (6% of the exam)

1. General Health
Understand basic grooming requirements necessary for a dogs health
Understand common contagious diseases including: observable symptoms, disease prevention by
proactive veterinary care and contagious disease containment procedures
Identify common parasites affecting dogs and discuss basic disinfectant/containment procedures
Discuss observable symptoms in dogs that should prompt a trainer to suggest the owner seek
veterinary counsel
List symptoms that would indicate limiting a training plan, including illness, injury, recent surgery,
weight issues, etc
Understand the effects of proper/poor nutrition on general health and dog behavior
Explain the basic procedures of spay/neuter and how they may affect dog health and behavior

Domain: ETHOLOGY (20% of the exam)

1. Canine Domestication
Understand the timeline of events in the domestication process of dogs
Explain common and significant differences between a domesticated dogs and wolves

2. Canine Development
Describe the typical physical development of a puppy to adult dog
Explain the normal behavioral development process from puppy to adult dog
Discuss social relationships and social structures between dogs
Determine factors that can influence physical, behavioral and social development
Identify factors that may inhibit physical, behavioral and social development

3. Body Language
Identify behavior suggesting the desire to increase/ decrease distance from a stimulus
Discuss observable behavior signals that may indicate stress in a dog
Recognize characteristics that may limit or inhibit a dogs ability to communicate properly

Domain: LEARNING SCIENCE TECHNIQUES AND APPLICATION (32% of the exam)

1. Reinforcement
Describe positive and negative reinforcement as behavior consequences
Describe the schedules of reinforcement and how each schedule may affect behavior

2. Reinforcers
Define primary reinforcers
Define secondary/conditioned reinforcers

Page 2 of 4
 Explain the use of variability in the selection of reinforcers
Discuss the individual and environmental factors that should influence the selection of reinforcers

3. Punishment
Describe positive and negative punishment as behavior consequences
Identify flagrant positive punishment practices for a CPDT-KA

4. Punishers
Identify items commonly conditioned for use in positive and negative punishment
Determine physical or individual factors that should influence the selection of conditioned punishers

5. Learning Theory Definitions

Discuss the foundations, principles, and differences of operant and classical conditioning
Understand the process of operant conditioning in training a behavior to a dog
Identify a classically conditioned response from an operant one in a training scenario
Describe common classically conditioned stimuli in a typical dogs environment
Define and be able to discuss the processes of Habituation, Desensitization, Counter-Conditioning,
Extinction, Learned Irrelevance, Learned Helplessness and the Premark Principle
Compare the advantages/disadvantages between the training techniques of: prompting, luring
shaping, targeting, modeling, and capturing.

6. Cues
Discuss how a trainer measures stimulus control: the use of antecedents, discrimination between
cues, generalization of cues and behavior
Explain the process by which a trainer should add a cue or change a cue for a given behavior
List environmental cues that may trigger behavior

7. Environmental Management
Identify dog behavior that may be triggered by environmental factors
List appropriate management/training solutions to combat the effects of such factors

8. Application for Solving Training Problems

Define common approaches to training problems including management, desensitization and counter-
conditioning

Domain: TRAINING AND MANAGEMENT EQUIPMENT (7% of the exam)

1. Basic Training Equipment

Define the common training purposes for ancillary equipment such as: clickers, targets,tethers/tie
downs, remote reinforcement dispersers and toys
Describe the potential training applications of containment systems including: fencing, baby gates,
exercise pens, and crates
Understand equipment products that can be classified as aversive and their intended use

Domain: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES AND ETHICS (3% of the exam)

1. CCPDT Training Policies and Position Statement

Understand the organization of the Humane Hierarchy Position Statement and the order of applied
behavior consequences

Page 3 of 4
 Describe a hypothetical application of the Humane Hierarchy Position Statement when given a
training scenario
List the aversive training practices found in the CCPDT Training and Behavior Practices Policy that are
prohibited by a CPDT-KA
Describe the nature of client confidentiality and consequences of breaking client privacy
Explain the disadvantages of offering a guarantee regarding a specific training outcome

2. Referrals to Other Professionals

Recognize situations or symptoms that indicate a client should meet with another professional before
continuing training (i.e. groomer, fellow trainer, behavior consultant, veterinarian or veterinary
behaviorist)

Page 4 of 4