CPDT-KA, and other wins this week! (Patreon)

Hey Folks! 

I hope you all are having a stellar week!

Back in March I took the Certified Professional Dog Trainer exam. It's something I never sat for previously because, frankly, no one had ever asked my credentials outside of my Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI) credential. 

But as I continue to have a larger online presence and move forward with the development my own courses, I decided it was time to get my certification. 

And if I'm being honest, I was afraid to take the test. While I'm a decent test-taker, because of my ADHD, studying is really hard for me. And I'm wayyy out of practice having finished my masters 13 years ago now! This test is also particularly challenging to study for because the study material basically includes a TON of books to read without any real study material except more material you have to pay for. And it's like 3.5 hours long. So just the physical act of sitting for it is a lot ... but I digress ... 

Moral of the story is that I studied really hard and ended up passing with a 94%, getting a 97% on the difficult section that I was worried about (yay!). 

While this doesn't change anything about my dog training, I hope it does show my commitment to continuing education. Part of being a CPDT-KA is continuing to upgrade my knowledge to remain certified, which is something I am always dedicated to doing. Lifelong learning is what makes dog training fun for me! 

So, that was my big win for the week! Anyone else have a big, (or little!) win for the week? I'd love to hear it :) 

(more information about what this certification entails outside of the test is in the attached document, including references, hundreds of hours of documented training, adherence to LIMA principles, etc.)