Best Canine Nutrition Courses Compared: Feed Real vs Billinghurst

Designed for “dog parents” wanting to learn how to feed real food (fresh, homemade, raw, or otherwise).

Focus: foundational canine nutrition, gut physiology, essential nutrients (protein, fat, vitamins, minerals), and how to build a balanced bowl or meal — even if using commercial food.

Covers raw-feeding basics: muscle meat, bones, and organs; fats (omega-3/6); carbohydrates; vitamins & minerals; how to meet or interpret standards (AAFCO & NRC), even when feeding fresh; transitioning safely; and addressing common concerns (bacteria, imbalance, etc.).

Practicality: aims to guide pet parents to feed fresh food, even on a budget confidently; optional extra “DIY Fresh Food Workshop.”

Geared toward veterinary staff, trainers, retail staff, canine wellness coaches — basically people who want to take nutrition beyond personal feeding.

7 units, with dozens of articles, quizzes, final exam; deep dive into macro- & micronutrients; how raw food components (meat, bone, fat, seafood/fatty sources, organs, fiber) work together; fat balancing; interpreting feeding standards (AAFCO & NRC) when feeding raw; how to build balanced meals or bowls; safety (bacteria, nutritional imbalances); special topics like aging dogs, supplements, clinical markers, interactions with medications.

Certification + digital badge; continuing education credits (for veterinary professionals).

Outcome: I walked away with a substantial improvement in knowledge — but even with CPCN, I didn’t feel ready to independently formulate meals for others or offer full nutrition consultations without deeper veterinary/nutrition credentials.

Created by Dr. Ian Billinghurst — widely regarded as a pioneer of the raw-food (BARF) movement.

Course emphasizes “species-appropriate nutrition,” raw feeding principles, evolutionary nutrition, and whole foods for optimal health.

Curriculum includes raw basics, potential dangers of raw, evolutionary perspective, raw feeding for dogs and cats, practical raw meal planning — and, for the professional version, “Professional Raw” segment aimed at raw-feeding advocates.

Course details: the professional plan is extensive—about 203 lessons/quizzes across ten parts. I completed the remainder after months of sporadic progress, and finally finished over 12 days. The trick was to speed up the recordings to 1.25.

Certification: upon completion, you become “BRNC-certified” (Billinghurst Raw Nutrition Certification). Lifetime access + updates; also monthly live Q&A sessions with Dr. Billinghurst.

Clear, accessible foundation: The course does a great job breaking down canine physiology (gut microbiome, anatomy), essential nutrients (protein, fats, vitamins, minerals), and raw food components (meat, bone, organs, fat, fiber). According to your review, you learned “so much” even as an experienced raw-feeder.

Balanced approach — no kibble shaming: The course doesn’t shame kibble feeders. Instead, it acknowledges not everyone can go full raw/fresh — and offers guidance even for those using commercial foods.

Affordability: It’s a solid entry-level investment for pet parents who want to do better without spending a fortune on courses.

Actionable and empowering: After the course, I felt more confident — able to ask better questions, make more informed choices, and even tweak my dogs’ diets (more protein for seniors, less reliance on synthetic-vitamin-heavy base mixes, adding hemp seeds for better nutrient absorption, etc.).

Depth & scientific grounding: This course goes well beyond basics. It covers nutrient interactions, balancing diets across life stages (puppy, adult, senior), using whole foods and/or supplements, fat balancing, meal planning, potential risks, and even how medications might influence nutrition.

Certification for credibility: Earning the CPCN gives you a credential (and digital badge) — helpful if you blog about dog nutrition, share info with others, or aim to educate pet-owner decisions. That was part of why I took this course.

Flexibility and online convenience: The course is online, self-paced, and doesn’t require travel or formal prior credentials — broadening access.

Balanced tone and practical mindset: I appreciated that the course doesn’t push a dogma; instead it helps you understand both raw/fresh feeding and how to meet recognized standards (AAFCO/NRC), even if you want to mix methods.

Legacy and authority: Created by Dr. Ian Billinghurst — often called the “father of the raw food movement” — this course is steeped in raw feeding history, philosophy, and evolutionary nutrition principles.

Comprehensive raw-feeding curriculum: Covers everything from an evolutionary perspective, food sourcing, feeding practices, preparing raw meals, adjusting meals for different life stages or activity levels, and safely handling raw food to avoid common pitfalls.

Flexibility — minimal reliance on recipes or spreadsheets: Although I prefer to use Animal Diet Formulator for educational purposes, this course gave me the confidence to feed fresh/raw using whole foods without obsessively tracking every nutrient or relying on software. For many raw feeders, that freedom and simplicity are huge wins because not everyone has access to complex software.

Certification & community aspects: The BRNC certification offers legitimacy if you want to consult or guide others. Lifetime access + updates, plus monthly live Q&A sessions with the founder — a major advantage many courses don’t offer.

Because it's foundational, it may not satisfy someone wanting to formulate meals precisely (for example for special health conditions, growth phases, therapeutic diets). It’s more about understanding principles and making better choices.

Certificate is low-stakes (badge of completion) — fine for personal use, not professional credibility.

Even after completing the course, I didn’t feel comfortable offering full meal-formulation services or nutrition consultations — especially without a veterinary background. However, many others immediately started offering consultation services upon completion.

Access is only one year (with updates) — so long-term reference requires membership payment ($9/month, $84/year)* or relying on memory/notes.

It’s information-rich: not a quick weekend click-through. I found it helpful to take breaks to absorb the material.

Raw feeding — even when guided — carries intrinsic risks. For example, homemade raw diets can have difficulty achieving proper calcium:phosphorus ratios; feeding the wrong bones can cause dental or gastrointestinal issues; some homemade diets have been reported to fail to meet recognized nutrient guidelines.

Because the philosophy leans away from rigid nutrient tracking (recipes, spreadsheets), there’s a greater reliance on intuitive feeding and trust in “species-appropriate” raw diets — which may not sit well with those who prefer quantifiable metrics or detailed monitoring.

The course is quite extensive and could feel overwhelming (203 lessons/quizzes!) — and requires personal dedication and discipline to complete.

For a first step or a refresher: I’d go with Dog Food Basics. It’s affordable, digestible, and helps me understand core principles without requiring a significant commitment.

If I cared about credibility and depth but wasn’t ready to go all-in raw: I’d go for Feed Real CPCN — I appreciate the science, the balanced tone, and having credentials for blogging or advising.

If I believed strongly in raw feeding (species-appropriate, ancestral) and wanted to simplify meal prep and trust my gut and experience rather than spreadsheets: I’d choose Billinghurst Institute’s Ultimate Raw Program — especially if I want to embrace raw feeding not just as diet, but as lifestyle.

Feed Real Dog Food Basics is an excellent entry-level, foundational course for any pet parent interested in real food feeding — whether raw, fresh-cooked, or balanced commercial recipes. It strikes a thoughtful balance between education, practicality, and affordability.

Feed Real CPCN (Professional Canine Nutrition Certification) is a powerful middle ground: deep enough for serious learners, credible enough for public-facing work, but grounded enough to avoid dogmatic extremes. The certification adds legitimacy — though as you noted, it might not be sufficient by itself to start offering formal meal-planning services.

Billinghurst Institute Ultimate Raw Program represents the most immersive, raw-focused philosophy. For those who resonate with raw feeding ideals and want to lean fully into species-appropriate, evolutionary-based nutrition — this course delivers. But with that freedom comes responsibility (and inherent risks).