More and more people have decided to make dogs a part of their lives, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The demand for veterinary care and rehabilitation for our pets has increased along side it.
The need for hydrotherapy services is also rapidly growing and with it the need for qualified Canine Hydrotherapists.

The Canine Ripples Foundational Online Training will provide you with the knowledge and skill to get you on your way to becoming a Canine Hydrotherapist.
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites
as you'll be learning the fundamentals and theory behind being a good hydrotherapist.
Time to Complete: The course will take approximately 40 hours to complete.
There is no time restriction, so you can
work through the modules based on your own schedule.

Following Successful Completion: When you have passed the final assessment, you'll be awarded a Certification of Completion of the Canine Ripples Hydrotherapy Practitoner Training.
The next step in your training to become a Canine Hydrotherapist is to get practical, hands on experience, swimming as many dogs as possible. They should be different; size, confirmation, age, breed, condition & temperment.
It's a critical part of your training, where you put into practice what you have learned in the online course and hone your handling skills and techniques so that you can safely and effectively swim dogs for healing, fitness and fun.
Therefore, we HIGHLY recommend that following this course you do an internship at a qualified canine facility of your choice. Included is an Internship Kit that will help guide you in this next step.
What you'll find in the course

The course consists of:
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Nine Online Learning Modules
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Final Assessment
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One on One Zoom call with us
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Internship Kit
We have a strong desire to ensure the highest level of professionalism in this fast growing industry. It's our mission to provide quality training that meets the high standard of education needed to begin a career as a canine hydrotherapist.
Our course reflects the accumulation of years of operating a successful hydrotherapy business and providing hydrotherapy training programs to hundreds of students.
This course is aimed at those that:
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wish to start a canine hydrotherapy business
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join a team at an existing facility
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own a hydrotherapy business and wish to train new hires on the fundamentals before getting them in the pool



1: Hydrotherapy Overview
We will cover: What is Canine Hydrotherapy? Why it is beneficial? Who is it for? How is it done? Where does it happen?

2: Hydrotherapy in Practice
Discover what consists of a "typical day" as a hydrotherapist. Everything from:
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setting up and conducting swim sessions
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client relations
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operational activities
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complimentary services
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other modalities
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etc.

3: Properties of Water
The key aspects of pool swimming are covered, such as: buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, viscosity, resistance, temperature and how to use them to your benefit.

4: Canine Anatomy & Physiology
We'll explore the main systems and how they function. As well, the anatomical directions and commonly used terminology, as it pertains to hydrotherapy will be presented.

5: Common Conditions
We'll review the most common conditions you'll encounter and the benefits of hydrotherapy that can be achieved. These conditions can become the base of your practice and services offered.

6: Canine Pool Psychology
We'll cover common behaviours you'll experience while swimming dogs. Knowing these allow you to quickly establish trust and ensure safety for you and the dog.

7: Handling & Techniques
Presented is an overview of techniques that can facilitate a dog's healing and how to create specific movements safely and appropriately for the dog’s condition.

8: Pools & Equipment
We'll look at pool design and the types of equipment that you'll need to enhance your swim sessions and to ensure safety of the dog, you and the client.

9: Pool Management
We'll cover how to manage and operate your pool so that you can achieve and maintain good, safe water quality.

COST: $995.00 CAD
plus any applicable provincial tax

Internship Kit
Upon completion, you'll receive an Internship Kit. It'll help you in your learning journey. It's a valuable tool, preparing you for what to expect from your internship and what your mentor should cover during their time with you. It outlines specific learning objectives that both you and your mentor can review, and plan for during your internship.
10: Final Assessment & One on One Call
You'll be presented with a 25 question exam that covers the key teaching points. Following that, we'll schedule a one on one call with you to review what you have learned and provide you with additional learning in any area you wish.

About Canine Ripples
Jennifer Donaldson

Lianne Zitzelsberger
Together, we established Canine Water Wellness, a canine hydrotherapy facility, in Ottawa, Canada in 2009. We embarked upon a new career together that ultimately became our passion and our life.
As we grew the business, we learned a lot about establishing a business and creating a safe healing space for our clients and their dogs. We continuously honed our hydrotherapy skills and knowledge and were rewarded by being part of the amazing healing process of hundreds of dogs – physically, emotionally and mentally. It has been the most rewarding thing we've ever done.
As there is no governing body that oversees or regulates this fast growing industry in Canada, we strongly felt that we needed to do anything we could to ensure that hydrotherapy is conducted in an educated, qualified, safe and professional manner.
Thus, we began a new career - training hydrotherapists. We wanted to share the knowledge and skill that we had gained as early pioneers in this ever growing industry and ensure that we all work ethically and within our scope of practice.
We began conducting training courses in 2012. We evolved into Canine Ripples Hydrotherapy Practitioner Training and eventually moved the theoretical material online and held hands-on-training sessions for all our students.
The COVID 19 pandemic created many challenges for us and the uncertainty
of the future led us to re-think how we could continue to provide our training in these times. By providing the fundamentals solely online now, our goal is to reach more people who want to enter into this amazing field and continue to help dogs to have their best quality of life.
With our online course, you are provided with foundational knowledge and skill needed to become a hydrotherapist BUT, you also need practical experience. It's an essential part of your training.
We sincerely hope and encourage you to seek out an internship following
our online course. Become an educated, qualified, safe and professional hydrotherapist, that all clients and veterinarians want to work with!
Our promise to you...
We will provide you with the benefit of our over 15,000 hours of experience as canine hydrotherapists and all that it entails. It's is simply the most rewarding thing we've ever done!
Lianne Zitzelsberger
CANINE RIPPLES
Hydrotherapy Practitioner Training


