CBDTGeneral · L1 Unlocks a General franchise

Certified Buck's Dog Trainer

The entry credential of the Buck's certification system — a 30-day in-person residential bootcamp. Tools (slip lead, prong, e-collar) are introduced on Days 1-3 and used every day after; theory, tools, and handling interleave daily. Graduates earn the right to apply for a Buck's full-service franchise (Nicole reviews and provisions) and to be hired as a Buck's-branded trainer at any location. The four-modality assessment battery (written, informational oral, behavioral observation, physical practical) is administered in person in Week 4; a self-paced online course with three written finals is the prerequisite that earns the cohort invitation. Cert expires one year after issuance; renewal is an in-person evaluation (in person or in the field) plus an online exam.

Apply for CBDT Cohort dates

30 days · in person at HQ · 80% to pass · valid 12 months

A Buck’s trainer handling multiple dogs at once

Who can sit this program

No prerequisite — the General foundation is open to admitted applicants with no prior certification required.

The 30 days, in full

This is the actual syllabus for CBDT — 98 topics across 30 days, 155h 30m of scheduled instruction. Not a sample, not a summary.

Orientation, Buck's balanced-training philosophy, and immediate hands-on dog work with the slip lead.
- Buck's methodology and the balanced-training defenselecture
- Slip lead — anatomy, mechanics, fitlecture
- Live slip-lead lab — walk every facility doglab

Kennel ceiling: up to 5 dogsL1 · Foundation level

The foundation — it turns you from a trainer into an owner.

Unlocks eligibility to open your own Buck’s location (the matching franchise type)
Run up to 5 dogs in your kennel at a time

Your certification level sets the maximum number of dogs your kennel may hold at once — 5 at L1, 10 at L2, 20 at L3. You tell us how many you actually want to run within that ceiling. The number is a capacity limit set by your level, not a guarantee that a set number of dogs will be provided or booked.

How you're tested

Two stages: an online theory gate (three written finals) that earns your cohort invitation, then the in-person four-modality exam you sit at HQ — you pass all four to certify.

Stage 1 · before your cohort

Online theory gate

Once you're invited, you complete a self-paced online course and pass three written finals. Passing all three is the prerequisite that unlocks your cohort — it proves you're theory-ready. It is not a substitute for the in-person exam.

1Dog Theory final
2Business Operations final
3Advanced Trainer Knowledge final

Pass all three → you earn your cohort invitation.

Stage 2 · at your 30-day cohort

In-person four-modality exam

The certification itself is earned entirely in person. All four modalities — including the written — are sat at HQ. You pass all four to certify, and annual renewal runs the same battery.

1Written
Pass 80%
2Informational Oral
Pass 14 / 20
3Behavioral Observation
Pass 14 / 20
4Physical Practical
Pass 4 of 5 stations

Pass all four → you're certified.