ACM40322
Certificate IV in Animal Behaviour & Training

This subject develops your ability to implement and maintain safe work practices in behaviour, training, and animal care environments. You’ll learn how to identify hazards, manage risks, complete reporting requirements, and contribute to continuous safety improvements. The subject ensures you can create and support safe environments for animals, clients, and colleagues.

This subject explores how to improve animal wellbeing through thoughtfully designed enrichment and behavioural husbandry practices. You’ll learn how to assess behavioural needs, plan and deliver targeted enrichment programs, and evaluate their effectiveness over time. With a focus on science-based methods and practical implementation, you’ll develop strategies that support natural behaviours, reduce stress, and enhance welfare across a range of species and care environments.

Biosecurity & Infection Control Management focuses on overseeing and implementing effective biosecurity and infection control measures within animal care facilities. This subject develops the skills needed to identify biosecurity risks, apply infection control strategies, and monitor workplace practices to reduce the spread of disease between animals, people, and environments. Emphasis is placed on compliance with legislation, workplace procedures, and animal welfare requirements, as well as guiding and supporting others to follow safe, hygienic practices across a range of animal care settings.

This subject equips you to offer informed, practical advice to clients and community members about choosing and caring for companion animals. You’ll learn how to match animals to suitable homes, explain basic care requirements, and communicate essential welfare considerations. This knowledge is invaluable for trainers, behaviour professionals, and anyone supporting owners in making responsible decisions.

Delve into sustainable practices within the animal care industry. This subject starts with an understanding of relevant regulations and foundational information on sustainability in animal care settings. Learn to critically analyse current practices and identify areas for improvement. The course focuses on setting achievable sustainability goals and provides strategies for effectively monitoring performance to ensure these objectives are met. This approach helps integrate environmental responsibility into everyday animal care practices.

This subject offers an in-depth exploration of practical animal husbandry, essential for anyone working in animal care. Gain insights into the daily operations within animal care facilities, focusing on health care, hygiene practices for housing, and individual animal cleanliness. You’ll learn about regular husbandry routines that ensure the wellbeing of animals under care. The course also covers critical skills such as making observations, administering treatments, keeping accurate records, conducting physical examinations, and administering medications. Furthermore, you will study the importance of maintaining security and managing stock within a care facility. This comprehensive overview equips you with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to provide high-quality care and maintain the health and safety of animals.

To ensure you really understand what you are learning, and master the necessary practical skills, you will undertake 10 to 20 days (8 hrs each) of work placement in an approved workplace. Required days will vary depending on the units you select.

We are very flexible – you can change the structure of the placement to suit you and the workplace, whether you do a day a week, or blocks of weeks.

Prior to starting your placement, you must successfully complete the WHS and subject, and the placement arrangement forms.

This subject equips you with the essential skills and knowledge needed for effective animal handling across a variety of species. Learn the fundamentals of working safely and compassionately with animals, including the proper use of handling equipment and transport methods. Detailed training covers specific techniques for managing dogs, cats, birds, other domestic species, and wildlife. This comprehensive approach ensures you are well-prepared to handle different animals in various care settings, emphasising safety and minimising stress for both the animals and handlers

Explore the comprehensive care and development stages of kittens in this detailed subject, essential for anyone involved in raising young felines. Begin with an understanding of the basic biology and behavioral traits of the feline species. Dive into the reproductive aspects, covering pregnancy and parturition, and learn how to support a mother cat and her newborns effectively.

The course is structured around the critical life stages of kittens: the Neonatal Period, focusing on care from birth to two weeks; the Transitional Period from two to four weeks; the Socialization Period from four to eight weeks critical for behavioral development; the Juvenile Period from eight weeks to six months when kittens grow rapidly; and the Adolescent Period up to twelve months, where they mature into young adults.

Topics also include practical skills such as maintaining proper hygiene, understanding feline body language to better interpret their needs, and essential healthcare. You’ll learn effective techniques for handling and restraint that minimise stress for the kittens. Finally, the subject covers best practices for finding new homes for kittens, ensuring they transition smoothly into their forever environments.

By the end of this subject, participants will be proficient in providing comprehensive care tailored to the developmental needs of kittens, facilitating their growth into healthy and well-adjusted cats.

Accept and Care for Animals focuses on managing the procedures involved in receiving, housing, and caring for animals within the facility. This subject develops the skills required to oversee animal intake, assess immediate care needs, allocate appropriate housing, and ensure daily care practices support health, welfare, and safety. Emphasis is placed on applying workplace procedures, maintaining accurate records, and coordinating care activities to ensure animals are managed humanely and consistently throughout their stay.

Euthanasia focuses on the knowledge and skills required to support humane euthanasia procedures within an animal care facility. This subject covers preparing for and assisting with euthanasia in accordance with legislative requirements, workplace protocols, and animal welfare principles. Emphasis is placed on minimising stress and distress for animals, supporting safe handling and infection control, maintaining accurate records, and responding professionally and compassionately when working with animals, colleagues, and carers during sensitive situations.

Implant Microchips focuses on the skills and knowledge required to safely and accurately implant microchips in cats and dogs in accordance with legislative and workplace requirements. This subject covers preparing animals and equipment, applying safe handling and restraint techniques, maintaining hygiene and infection control, and ensuring correct placement and function of microchips. Emphasis is placed on accurate identification, record keeping, and professional communication to support animal welfare and traceability.

Walk and Exercise Dogs develops the skills required to safely plan, manage, and supervise the exercise of dogs. This subject covers assessing dog behaviour and fitness, selecting suitable walking and exercise activities, using appropriate equipment, and managing dogs individually or in groups. Emphasis is placed on safety, animal welfare, risk management, and responding appropriately to environmental factors to ensure dogs are exercised in a controlled and positive manner.

This subject equips you with the essential skills needed to respond to common first aid situations involving animals. You’ll learn how to recognise emergencies, provide immediate supportive care, and take appropriate action until veterinary assistance is available. Practical tasks and scenario-based learning ensure you can act calmly, confidently, and safely when animals require urgent help.

This subject develops the customer service and communication skills essential for behaviour and training professionals. You’ll explore how to manage client expectations, deliver consistent service, respond to issues, and build strong client relationships. These skills support effective consultations, repeat business, and professional reputation.

This subject focuses on the principles and practical application of conditioning in behaviour change. You’ll learn how to evaluate training methodologies, design effective conditioning programs, and apply learning theory to real-world behaviour challenges. Through case examples and practical tasks, you’ll develop the skills to implement safe, ethical, and goal-focused behaviour modification across a range of species.

This subject teaches you how to conduct structured behavioural assessments and translate your findings into practical, personalised advice for animal owners or carers. You’ll learn how to collect reliable information, interpret behavioural indicators, identify underlying causes, and recommend appropriate management or training strategies. This prepares you for professional behaviour consultations and case-based work.