Mental health and education professionals are thoroughly trained to work with human clients, and volunteers sometimes receive a brief orientation to the client population they’ll work with. To practice ethically and humanely, however, both professionals who integrate dogs into their practice also need equivalent information about their canine partners and experience working with dogs. The canine-assisted intervention specialist (CAIS) certificate provides the knowledge and experience you need to ensure a therapy dog’s welfare and well-being in professional settings.
You’ll examine your own preferences and biases about dogs as the program delves deeply into topics such as canine behavior, selection, training and health and wellness. You'll also have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with multiple dogs in partnership with a canine organization of your choice, in your own community. At the end of the program, you’ll have a deeper understanding of the needs of your canine partners, you will have practiced training dogs for specific skills helpful in human-animal interactions, and you’ll have increased knowledge of the ethics and standards involved in working effectively and humanely with dogs in your practice.
An Emphasis on Ethics, Knowledge and Skill
The canine-assisted intervention specialist certificate program provides comprehensive education, training, and practical experience with canines so you can ethically incorporate dogs into your professional treatment strategies. We emphasize three areas of competence in working with canines:
Ethics
Ethical practice of human-animal interactions requires careful consideration of all choices made regarding our canine partners. We focus on options and best practice related to canine welfare, including sourcing and selection, duration of work, training methods, retirement considerations, advocacy and more.
Knowledge
This program emphasizes knowledge related to dogs, including the theoretical foundation of canine learning, meanings of canine behavior, understanding various training methods, training plan development, and canine health and wellness needs.
Skill
Delivering human-animal interactions in an ethical and sustainable way requires skill working with dogs. We focus on skills that include training plan implementation, ability to match training methods with dogs, demonstration of two of the four quadrants of training in practice, and accurate interpretation of dog behavior.
21
The certificate earns 21 continuing education units documented on a University of Denver transcript.
15
Enrollment is capped at 15 students per cohort for a high quality learning environment.
5
In just two years, there have been five countries on three continents represented in this certificate.
A Program for Working Professionals
Designed for professionals—educators, program directors, volunteer coordinators, and more — who are already using canines in their careers, the CAIS certificate provides the canine-specific education, knowledge and skill needed to conduct humane and ethical practice. The program also is beneficial for volunteers with experience in human-animal interactions. Although CAIS applies canine information to human-animal interactions, it does not include education on intervention planning, the history of the human-animal bond, or other administrative aspects of a well-rounded, human-animal intervention practice.
Application Information
Cohorts are filled on a first come, first serve basis. Due to high interest, it is recommended to submit your application early.
Featured Courses
IHAC 0118
Canines 1 Course
About this Course
Educators and human physical and mental health professionals receive thorough education about working with their human clients. In order to practice ethically and humanely, professionals who integrate canines into their practice need equivalent information about their canine partners and experiential practice with canines. The intent of the Canines 1 course is to expose participants to a foundation of knowledge and experience with canines. Such knowledge and experience is necessary to develop the competencies needed to adequately assure a therapy dog’s welfare and well-being. Further, this course exposes human health and education professionals to resources for continuing education regarding canines.
IHAC 0128
Canines 2 Course
About this Course
The intent of the Canines 2 course is to build on the knowledge and experience gained in Canines 1 and continue to expose participants to a foundation of knowledge and experience with canines. Such knowledge and experience is necessary to develop the competencies needed to adequately assure a therapy dog’s welfare and well-being. Further, this course exposes human health and education professionals to resources for continuing education regarding canines.
IHAC 0138
Canines 3 Culmination Project
About this Course
Learners finalize their certificate online and in real-time online with other cohort members by presenting their three-part certificate culmination projects to the cohort. Individual cohort members provide peer review of each project.
Learners prepare for their presentation by organizing video and documentation. Each learner posts his/her projects on-line, and each learner will complete peer-review documentation on all other cohort members’ projects. Learners are assigned one week to demonstrate their competencies to their colleagues by making a live on-line presentation to colleagues that addresses one part of their certificate culmination project. Each learner’s live presentation is limited to a maximum of 30 minutes (so four learners present each week).
Certificate Faculty and Staff
Arielle Giddens
Assistant Director of Professional Programs, Institute for Human-Animal Connection
Learn More
CAIS Related Stories
Closer Look at the Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist Certificate
The Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist (CAIS) Certificate at the Institute for Human-Animal Connection (IHAC) is one of the newest offerings in the IHACPro professional development suite of programs, and it has quickly become very popular! It was created in 2018 but went through numerous revisions in 2020 to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic and public health best practices. Led by Clinical Professor and IHAC Director Emeritus Philip Tedeschi and Adjunct Professor Jen Pearson, this 7-month online program educates professionals who include canine interactions in their work.
Chermon Prison Dog Program
In a new project, inmates adopt abandoned dogs, train them and help them find a home. The inmates themselves receive a certificate in dog training and earn a friend, in a place in which any warm connection has meaning.
From Learning to Include Animals to Specializing in Canine Interventions
Darlene Brace, Behavioral Health Director in an integrated medical and dental clinic, is a graduate of both the Animals and Human Health (AHH) and Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist (CAIS) certificates. In both of these programs, Brace learned valuable skills and knowledge that she has been able to take into her personal practice.