Intro to CARAT
Transform how you assess individual dogs beyond breed generalizations and behavioral labels. 8 comprehensive video sessions with live Q&A support.
CARAT gives you the skills to move beyond assumptions and see each dog’s unique temperamental “recipe” – the specific constellation of traits that shapes how they experience and respond to the world. You’ll learn to:
- Understand temperament within the CARAT framework and language
- Recognize specific temperament traits expressed in patterns of observable behaviors
- Use precise language to describe what you’re seeing instead of interpreting
- Consider suitability for a lifestyle, task, home in new ways that respect the dog as an individual
Includes: 8 video sessions, 5 live Q&A sessions, extensive video analysis, case studies, CEUs (IAABC-18, KPA-22, PPAB-16), one-year access. $375.
Next Course Starts: September 14, 2025
SAVE $50! Early Bird Dog Pricing available NOW through August 17th, 2025.
NOTE: This product is purchased through Thinkific. When you click to purchase, a new window will open for that site, where you will need to create a Thinkific account to complete the purchase.
$325.00
Description
Intro to CARAT: Ethology of the Individual
Transform How You See and Assess Every Dog You Meet
Next Course Starts: SEPTEMBER 14, 2025
What You’ll Learn: A systematic framework for observing and scoring individual temperament traits that goes beyond breed generalizations and behavioral labels.
Developed by Suzanne Clothier in 2007, CARAT (Clothier Animal Response Assessment Tool) is a novel assessment system that categorizes behavior traits in multiple components that are intuitive and practical. CARAT looks at these main categories and specifics of temperament traits to build an assessment:
- CORE: Arousal, Resilience, Energy
- SOCIAL: Sociability, Social Tolerance, Social Use of Space
- SENSORY: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Olfactory
- PERSISTENCE: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Olfactory, Predatory/Chase
- INTERACTIVE: Patience, Biddability w/Familiar, Biddability w/Stranger
- COMPLEX TRAITS: Social Confidence, Environmental Confidence, Self Modulation
Your Investment: 8 comprehensive video sessions with live Q&A support and extensive video analysis
The Outcome: Professional understanding of CARAT methodology that transforms how you assess, place, and work with individual dogs
Why CARAT Changes Everything
We love our labels. “Reactive.” “Stubborn.” “High drive.” “Shy.” But what do these actually tell us about the individual dog in front of us? When we rely on vague descriptions or breed generalizations, we miss the nuances that determine whether a dog will succeed or struggle in a given environment.
CARAT gives you the skills to move beyond assumptions and see each dog’s unique temperamental “recipe” – the specific constellation of traits that shapes how they experience and respond to the world.
In just 8 sessions, you’ll learn to:
- Understand temperament within the CARAT framework and language
- Recognize specific temperament traits expressed in patterns of observable behaviors
- Use precise language to describe what you’re seeing instead of interpreting
- Consider suitability for a lifestyle, task, home in new ways that respect the dog as an individual
Your Professional Development Journey
Comprehensive 8-Session Program Theory, real assessment footage, case studies, and practical applications that build systematically from basic observation to professional assessment skills.
Timeline: Self-paced video sessions with structured weekly support
Learning Components:
- 8 Core Video Sessions: Foundation principles → trait categories → practical application (60-90 minutes each)
- 5 Live Q&A Sessions with Suzanne Clothier for discussion and skill development (60-120 minutes each)
- Extensive Video Analysis showing real dogs demonstrating different trait combinations
- Case Study Applications of successful and unsuccessful placements with CARAT analysis
What Makes CARAT Different
Observe systematically: 18 specific traits scored on bidirectional scales with defined behavioral parameters
See individuals: Assess the dog in front of you, not breed expectations or population statistics
Predict accurately: Visual profiles that show how dogs will likely respond in new situations and what training approaches work best
Describe precisely: Built on Suzanne Clothier’s proven methodology using observable behaviors, not interpretations
Apply immediately: Framework works for any dog professional – trainers, shelters, breeders, service dog programs
Your Assessment Transformation
Before CARAT:
- Relying on vague labels like “reactive” or breed generalizations to describe dogs
- Missing the nuances that determine success or failure in placements
- Struggling to explain why some training approaches work and others don’t
- Making placement decisions based on assumptions rather than systematic assessment
After CARAT:
- Recognizing specific temperament traits and patterns using observable behaviors
- Understanding how temperament traits help predict how individual dogs will respond
- Using precise language to communicate what you’re seeing to colleagues and clients
- Making informed decisions about training approaches and environmental matches based on individual needs
Is CARAT Right for You?
This course is perfect for:
- Professional (or aspiring) dog trainers seeking systematic assessment skills beyond basic behavior observation
- Shelter professionals wishing to improve adoption matching and placement success rates
- Service dog organizations enhancing candidate selection and placement accuracy
- Breeders wanting to understand and document temperament traits in their breeding programs
- Any serious animal professional involved in assessing canine behavior and temperament
You’ll succeed if you:
- Have basic dog handling experience and understand fundamental canine behavior
- Work professionally with dogs or are a serious student of canine temperament
- Want to move beyond vague labels to a systematic framework and nuanced assessment
- Are committed to developing sophisticated observation skills that take time and practice to master
Your Investment & Value
What’s Included:
- Complete 8-session video curriculum with real assessment footage and case studies
- 5 live Q&A sessions with Suzanne Clothier for discussion and skill development
- Extensive video analysis library showing dogs demonstrating different trait combinations
- Case study applications with successful and unsuccessful placement analysis
- Continuing Education Units (CEUs): IAABC (18), KPA (22), PPAB (16)
- One-year access to all course materials from enrollment date
- Foundation for continuing to CARAT certification pathway
Time Commitment:
- Video sessions: 8 sessions at your own pace (60-90 minutes each, approximately 25-30 hours total content)
- Live Q&A sessions: 5 sessions (60-120 minutes each), fully recorded if you can’t attend live
- Video analysis: Additional time reviewing assessment footage and practicing observation skills
Pricing Options:
- Course Tuition: $375 Early Bird Dog $325.00 (through August 17)
- CEUs included IAABC (18), KPA (22), PPAB (16)
The Value: This comprehensive introduction transforms how you assess and understand individual dogs, building observation skills that enhance every aspect of your professional practice and create better outcomes for every dog you evaluate.
What Students Say
“CARAT does change everything! Suzanne’s CARAT Assessment Tool is brilliant! Learn to observe and understand your dogs on a level you never dreamed possible!” — Mary K.
“CARAT has really changed the way I look at canine temperament and behavior–I would definitely recommend this course if you work with dogs or just love dogs and want to understand them better.” — Annika B.
“I am an occupational therapist for humans, a dog trainer, and an international educator in the areas of Animal Assisted Interventions and Service Dogs. Suzanne’s theories and processes have given me so many tools for my toolbox, and have made me a better human healthcare practitioner and dog trainer/instructor.” — Melissa W.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need prior temperament assessment experience to succeed in this course?
A: No specific assessment experience required, but you should have basic dog handling experience and understand fundamental canine behavior.
Q: What if I can’t attend the live Q&A sessions?
A: All 5 Q&A sessions are fully recorded, so you won’t miss anything if you can’t attend live.
Q: How long do I have to complete the course?
A: You have one-year access to all materials from enrollment date, allowing you to progress at your own pace.
Q: Is this the same as CARAT certification?
A: This is Level I-Intro training that provides the foundation. CARAT certification requires additional courses and practical assessment requirements.
Q: Will this work with the dogs I currently work with?
A: CARAT applies to any dog regardless of breed, age, or background. The framework has been tested across thousands of assessments in real-world applications.
Ready to Transform Your Assessment Skills?
Intro to CARAT isn’t just another temperament course – it’s a fundamental shift toward understanding the individual dog in front of you rather than relying on labels and assumptions.
With Suzanne Clothier’s guidance and systematic video analysis, you’ll develop the sophisticated observation skills that distinguish master assessors from those who rely on guesswork.
Your journey toward professional assessment mastery begins with seeing individuals.
“Warning: once your eye has been trained to observe the elements of CARAT, you will not be able to unsee. But I think you’ll find this is a good thing, and one that takes your assessment skills to a new level.” – Suzanne Clothier
NOTE: This product is purchased through Thinkific. When you click to purchase, a new window will open for that site, where you will need to create a Thinkific account to complete the purchase.
22 reviews for Intro to CARAT
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Carolyn Maddox –
CARAT is such a much more nuanced way to understand dogs and our relationship to them. This seminar was a great introduction to it and the feedback from other participants in the Q and A sections of the class was such an awesome complement to the course work.
Jennifer Fritton –
Thank God for the pause and rewind feature!
The CARAT Virtual Seminar was an amazing experience. Fun, entertaining, immensely thought-provoking and above all, educational and valuable for the understanding of dogs (and cats, birds, horses, people…). I’ve done the introductory CARAT course both in person and now as a virtual course, and while I loved the richness of being there in person, Suzanne is right when she says your brains may be leaking out your ears by the end of the 2 day seminar.
The virtual course, by contrast, allowed the luxury of hitting pause, working some things out in your head, going off to take a look at what you saw in your own animals, and coming back all the more illuminated. Also invaluable was the ability to rewind and watch portions again or go through the entire session again. The Q&A’s after each session were as wonderful as the actual sessions for expanding understanding, clearing up confusion and realizing that if so many of the others have the same questions, maybe you’re not as hopeless as you feared trying wrap your brain around the concepts!
This course is more than worth the cost of admission whether you’re a dog trainer or not. The growth in understanding of who my animals are as individuals is an absolute treasure.
Barbara Laricos –
Observing and understanding dogs is a fascinating and essential element for anyone who works with our four-legged friends. But how does one develop a high degree of skill in that? Suzanne Clothier has captured this in her CARAT assessment tool, which gives a framework to identify and evaluate each dog’s distinct temperament characteristics. The result is a picture of the “whole dog” that helps assessors understand who that dog is (what motivates him, what worries him, how he reacts to people and environments etc.) and develop the best fit/approaches for him. This seminar is an introduction to CARAT and I highly recommend it.
Learning to use CARAT yourself is a longer but worthwhile process. Because CARAT depends on the observational skills of the assessor, the path to CARAT includes in-depth work to develop observation skills. I can’t think of a better person to teach this than Suzanne. Her own abilities continue to amaze me. The next seminar will be on observation skills and I can’t wait to learn more from her!!!
A note about the format: I’ve taken several wonderful in-person seminars with Suzanne and at first was not sure about doing this online. But I’m so glad I did! In 2-day in-person workshops, I had the chance to see Suzanne work directly with dogs and deliver mountains of good information. But unfortunately, it was so much good info that it was slightly overwhelming for me (I’m not a professional in the dog world) and I probably lost a good bit of what I learned. But the online presentation was just what I needed. It was a series of lessons over several weeks and included pre-recorded videos that I could pause and re-watch to let them really sink in, as well as slides I can print out and retain for later reference. A live Q&A session was held each week to clarify and reinforce the information. I’m sure I understood and will retain much more of this thanks to the online format.
Thank you, Suzanne, for such a wonderful experience!
Mary Kulakowski –
CARAT does change everything!
Suzanne’s CARAT Assessment Tool is brilliant! Learn to observe and understand your dogs on a level you never dreamed possible! Thoughtful interaction between Suzanne and all participants. Questions welcomed!!! This course is an excellent resource for everyone who cares about dogs, from breeders, to those involved with working dogs, to those who want to understand the relationship they have with their own “best friend.” “10 out of 10 stars” in my book!
Deirdre McGrath –
The seminar has opened my eyes further to dogs being individuals and how they approach the world. The seminar alters one’s way of being with a dog or guiding that dog and its handler.
DeeDe Baker –
I took my time going through this program by ensuring I could focus 100% on each video. Boy am I glad I did! I feel like this is just the tip of the iceberg, and am intrigued and terrified all at the same time! This is something anyone who works with dogs should want to learn about.
Lynn Desautels –
CARAT has deepened my ability to understand the dogs in my life and to work with them more effectively. I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue to learn from Suzanne, and while I miss being able to do things in person, the online format provides a very effective way to absorb the material.
Oliver Ringrose –
CARAT changes everything – Such a thought provoking introduction to the world of CARAT, the hooked is baited for me to continue to learn more about the specifics of the individual, truly enjoyed the course.
Silvia Redini –
I enjoyed every minute. Suzanne was always inspiring, engaging, entertaining and very clear in her sessions. I am so looking forward to learning more as it will change the way I work for the better for the sake of the rescue dogs in my care
Melissa Winkle –
A must have course!
I am an occupational therapist (OT) for humans, a dog trainer, and an international educator in the areas of Animal Assisted Interventions and Service Dogs. In my work, I assist people to select, prepare and train dogs for work in these areas. My ‘trademark’ is creating profiles of dogs and people and how they may or may not fit into the job description they envision. Suzanne’s theories and processes have given me so many tools for my toolbox, and have made me a better human healthcare practitioner and dog trainer/instructor.
So many of her ideas are in line with how we work with humans- especially those with physical, cognitive or psychiatric disabilities. Her concepts make it an easy transition to include into working with our dogs in practice, and the humans we coach to self-train under our direction for animal assisted interventions and service dogs. OTs treat humans holistically, not asking ‘whats the matter with you”, but instead asking “what matters to you”. I feel that her workshops help make this full circle to work in the same manner with dogs for these jobs. If a dog chooses to work in our career paths, I don’t necessarily need a dog to fit into a specific box, I am happy to create a job description that fulfills what that dog needs and prefers Suzanne’s courses help to make that happen.
Caroline Howard-Vallis –
This course is a must for any dog lover. Suzanne explains things in such a clear way with the best analogies. Intro to CARAT is enlightening and educational in equal measure. I can’t say enough good things about this course.
Annika Browne –
CARAT has really changed the way I look at canine temperament and behavior–I would definitely recommend this course if you work with dogs or just love dogs and want to understand them better. The course is well taught with lots of Q&A availability with Suzanne for all your questions.
Christina Knispel –
This course is great for those who want to learn the fundamentals of CARAT. I find myself scoring animals and people, too.
Jill Bowers –
This course is substantive, challenging, & fully supported by weekly Q&A sessions with Suzanne . These sessions were instructive in themselves because of the opportunity to learn from the questions & observations of the professionals in the class. Intro to CARAT gave me an unparalleled opportunity to learn from Suzanne Clothier, world class close observer of the natural world & generous teacher. Thank you ! I look forward to Observation Part 1!
Wesley Loyd –
This was such a great course and has already got me thinking and changing the way I try to assess a dog. I look forward to learning even more!
Bridgette McAuley –
Hello, This course is brilliant! I love the way Suzanne is able to frame canine behavior into such a useful tool and break it down for any layman to digest and understand. I greatly look forward to more she has to teach the animal care community. More novice animal professionals should learn to observe and process the way Suzanne is teaching us to listen.
Bridgette McAuley –
This course is brilliant! I love the way Suzanne is able to frame canine behavior into such a useful tool and break it down for any layman to digest and understand. I greatly look forward to more she has to teach the animal care community. More novice animal professionals should learn to observe and process the way Suzanne is teaching us to listen.
Ashley Alden –
Eye Opening!
Fabulous course – I had originally paid for it and life got away from me and my access expired. I was hesitant to pay for it twice, but I really wanted to take it, so I did. I honestly think it was totally worth it 2x over and can’t stop talking about it with my trainer/breeder/rescue friends. I’ve become a total Suzanne Clothier fan girl and am anticipating taking many more courses from her in the future! Can’t recommend this course enough. Mind blown.
Laura Respecki –
This course certainly draws you in and makes you question your personal training methods and rethink what is best for the dog n front of you. I have not been so deeply motivated to learn in a very long time. Suzanne is captivating.
Doreen Alessi-Holmes –
Intro to CARAT has really helped me to see dogs (and their behavior) more clearly, and to have better language to describe what I see. I love what I’ve learned and am going to continue my learning journey with Observation Skills part 1. Thank you, Suzanne!
Michelle Masters –
Brilliant Course that just leaves you wanting more!
I’ve loved every minute of this Intro to CARAT course. The course is well paced, interesting, engaging and above all shows you just how valuable having this knowledge is when you live/work with dogs. Understanding dogs on the level that CARAT provides is a game changer in terms of how we interact with them, support them, and teach them. As always Suzanne delivers, what is a complex topic, in an easy to understand & enjoyable way and the weekly Q&A calls are great for chatting with her personally, to gain further clarity on both the understanding of and application of CARAT. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wishes to not only understand dogs better, but really be able to understand each dog as an individual.
Doreen Alessi-Holmes –
If you work with dogs, and you wish to help them become their best selves, this is the place to start! Intro to CARAT has really helped me to see dogs (and their behavior) more clearly, and to have better language to describe what I see. As I begin to learn how to assess an individual dog’s temperament with more accuracy, I can provide my clients with better tools for helping their dogs with their challenges. I love what I’ve learned and am going to continue my learning journey with Observation Skills part 1. Thank you, Suzanne!