Calming signals
specialist
Certified by Turid Rugaas
With Turid Rugaas as your personal mentor, this course offers a unique opportunity to study the calming signals of dogs and become a specialist in this area.Â
Turid Rugaas has devoted her life to studying canine behaviour and communication, and is internationally renowned for her work on calming signals –Â subtle body language cues that dogs use to communicate their feelings of stress, anxiety, or discomfort. She has written several books, including “On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals”. Rugaas has received numerous awards for her work, including the Norwegian King’s Medal of Honour.
Teacher:
TURID RUGAAS
Upon sucessful completion you will be certified Calming Signals Specialist by Turid Rugaas.
Please Note: Prior knowledge is required for this course. To be eligible to enroll, you must have completed one of the following:
- At least Level 1 from Nordic Dog Trainer
- Turid Rugaas IDTE
- Anne Lill Kvam IDTE
If you do not have any of these, you may complete this self-study online course instead, and you must also have read the book On Talking Terms with Dogs by Turid Rugaas.
Learning objectives
- Very good knowledge about the meaning of the terms calming signals and distance increasing signals
- Very good understanding of the use of calming signals as communication between dogs and between dogs and humans
- Very good knowledge of how to use our body language to communicate in a friendly way to dogs and to reduce stress and misunderstandings between dogs and humans
- Very good skills in using human body language to reduce stress and communicate in a clear and non-threatening way to dogs
- Very good observation skills of calming signals
- Good ability to describe and interpret calming signals and distance increasing signals in various situations
- Being able to observe and understand calming signals and distance increasing signals and to avoid escalation of aggression in the dog
- Being able to observe and understand calming signals to avoid escalation of stress in the dog
How does it work?
Duration: 7 months
14 online lectures and Q&A’sÂ
All lectures and Q&A will be recorded, but it is mandatory to attend minimum 80 % live.
Approx. 12 in-depth individual study and filming assignments.
Workload: min. 4 hours per week.
Please note that you will benefit greatly from having someone to help you do the practical filming.
Where?
Online
Language: English
Dates for mandatory zoom sessions 2026:
Time: 19.00- 21.00 (7pm – 9pm CET)
16th April
30th April
14th May
28th May
11th June
25th Jue
6th August
20th August
3th September
17th September
1st October
15th October
29th October
12th November
All sessions will be recorded.
Books:
This course includes practical assessement and you are required to read the following books:
Rugaas, Turid (2005). On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals. Dogwise Publishing
Rugaas, Turid (2008). Barking – The Sound of a Language. Dogwise Publishing
Eaton, Barry (2010). Dominance in Dogs: Fact or Fiction? Dogwise Publishing
The books are not included in the course fee.
