Behavior consultant hours: 300 in 3 years
The knowledge assessed canine behavior consultant exam (the CBCC-KA) asks for a behavior log of at least 300 hours of behavior consulting in the last 3 years, on fear, phobias, compulsive behavior, anxiety and aggression. At least 225 must be individual hours, behavior modification with one dog or a client and their dog, and at most 75 may be group hours from specialized classes dedicated to fear, phobias, anxiety or aggression, never basic obedience. Your own dog never counts.
How behavior rows differ
The row rules are the same as the trainer log: at most one client or facility for one month per row, individual and group hours on separate rows, no acronyms, and only the month and year reviewed. The fields differ: the behavior log asks for the number of sessions in the month and the issue, such as fear, phobia, compulsive behavior, anxiety or aggression, instead of the type of service and training.
- Individual: a private behavior consultation, in person or remote, working on the dog's issue.
- Group: instructing a class whose curriculum is dedicated to fear, phobias, anxiety or aggression.
- Not counted: a basic obedience class, however many reactive dogs attend it.
Behavior consultant versus trainer
Both exams use 300 hours in 3 years with a 225 and 75 split, but the content differs. Trainer hours cover any training, from puppy manners to sports. Behavior hours must be behavior modification for the listed issues. An hour can appear on both logs only if it meets both definitions; the log on this site keeps the two logs separate.
The behavior consultant certification page lists the same age, education and attestation requirements as the trainer page.
Writing the issue and the sessions
Name the main issue you worked on with that client that month in plain words: fear of strangers, separation related anxiety, resource guarding aggression, a noise phobia. The instructions list fear, phobias, compulsive behavior, anxiety and aggression, or similar. Count the sessions you held with that client in the month, whether in person or remote, and put the hours for all of them on the one row.
Worked example: a consultant short on individual hours
A consultant logs 6 individual hours a month with one aggression case from March 2024, 5 hours a month teaching a fear focused class from January 2025, and one 20 hour month running a Saturday obedience class. Counted by this site's engine as of 27 September 2026: 180 individual hours, 90 group hours of which 75 count, and 20 obedience class hours not counted. Total 255.
Needs 45 more individual hours for the 225 minimum and 45 more counted hours for the 300 total, so at least 45 more individual hours. At 5 individual hours a month, the window would not reach these numbers within ten years. More group classes cannot close this gap; only individual cases can.
Common mistakes
- Counting basic obedience or manners classes as group hours.
- Counting more than 75 group hours.
- Logging cases with your own dog.
- Leaving out the number of sessions and the issue.
Log your own hours
The log keeps one row per client per month with the role and the hours, flags rows that will not be accepted, and the progress page totals hands-on and assisting hours inside the three year window. Everything stays in this browser.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the trainer certification first?
The behavior consultant page does not list it as a requirement. Check the current handbook before you apply.
Do remote consultations count?
The log instructions describe behavior consulting with a dog or a client and their dog without limiting it to in person work. Record remote sessions honestly as the service type.
Is the behavior log free on this site?
No. The behavior consultant log is one of the features Premium, the optional paid plan, adds. Logging your training hours and every total stay free.
Sources
Last reviewed 27 September 2026 against:
- CBCC-KA Candidate Handbook, Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, 2026 testing periods, read 27 September 2026. Used for: Eligibility: the 300 hours in three years, the 225 individual behavior hours, the 75 dedicated group class hours, no basic obedience and no own dog.
- CBCC-KA Online Training Log Instructions, Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, 2025 edition, template upload or direct entry, read 27 September 2026. Used for: The 300, 225 and 75 hours, the fields, the issues, group class rules and own dogs.
- How to become a certified dog behavior consultant, Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, web page listing the 2026 handbook, read 27 September 2026. Used for: The eligibility list, age, education and attestation.
This guide is our own summary of the published documents, not legal advice and not a finding about your eligibility; the credentialing authority decides. If it disagrees with the current documents, the documents win. Trainer Hours is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) or any other certifying body. CPDT-KA and CBCC-KA are marks of their owners.