Dog Training wisdom & More

Read on for how-to tips that improve training, insights that inspire action and news that's worth sharing with others.

All

News & Events

People

Training Wisdom

Reinforcement Without Food

When thinking about positive reinforcement, food treats are likely top of mind. However, there may be times when you can’t use food because it’s off-limits for medical or other reasons....

Puppy Start Right For Your Business

While there's so much that goes into getting puppies off to a great start, puppy socialization classes can play a pivotal role! Positive exposures to as many sounds, sights, textures, and scents...

What is Clicker Training

If you have a dog, you have probably heard of clicker training. But what exactly is it? Is clicker training right for you and your dog?...

Concept Training in Action: Go to Crate

Teaching your dog the concept of left and right is useful for many circumstances, including trail-walking, dog-sports competitions, retrieving exercises, husbandry, and more. The skill is also...

Teach an Emergency U-Turn

Have you ever been out on an enjoyable walk with your dog, rounded the corner, and suddenly come face-to-face with another dog? Or maybe it’s a child on a skateboard. In an instant, your relaxing...

Happy Cat Day: Fun with Shaping

How do you celebrate National Cat Day? At Karen Pryor Academy (KPA), we celebrate by teaching our cats new behaviors, of course! Cats can be trained easily with shaping, the process of using a...

Stress-Free Husbandry Work at Home

Many dogs are anxious about receiving husbandry care—especially if they find new experiences scary or if they have had a bad experience in the past. The good news is that by training low-stress...

Practicing Cues to Overcome Distraction

If your dog is sensitive to people or dogs, it can make everyday activities like walks, vet visits, and group classes stressful for both of you. However, when your dog is engaged with you instead...

Building Confidence with Training

If you work at or have ever visited a shelter, you know these dogs: the shy dogs that cower in the corner of the kennel, reluctant to interact with visitors, staff, or other dogs. Unfortunately,...

Teaching Puppies Not to Bite

You want to interact with your puppy but, ouch, those little razor-sharp teeth! Puppy biting is a completely normal part of puppy development, but it’s important to teach puppies not to bite so...

Creating a Freestyle Sequence with Michele Pouliot

Multiple-time International Freestyle Champion Michele Pouliot is often asked how she makes her dazzling freestyle routines seem so effortless. Ready to find out? In this video, Michele and her...

Preparing for Your Kitten’s First Vet Visit

Anyone who has ever taken a cat to the vet knows that it can be a stressful experience for both feline and human. Just the sight of a cat carrier can send your cat into hiding! This stress and...

Teaching Interactive Play

Here’s a common scenario: Your dog loves to chase toys. You pick up a toy and your dog dances wildly in anticipation. “Throw the toy, human! Throw it!” You toss the toy and your dog chases it…...

Teach Calm Greetings

Does your dog go berserk when you come home? Do you wish your dog would greet you calmly rather than barking or jumping on you? Having your dog greet you (and your visitors) politely is a...

Building Value in Secondary Reinforcers

Many people only think of using a primary reinforcer, such as food treats, when they are training behavior with an animal. However, there are many benefits to having of a variety of reinforcers...

Teach Your Dog to “Leave It”: Part 2

In Teach Your Dog to “Leave It,” Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Juliana Willems demonstrated the first step to teaching the “leave it” behavior: rewarding eye contact. In Part 2 of this...

AVSAB Advocates for Humane, Reward-Based Training

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) position statement on humane dog training emphasizes the belief that Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) and Karen Pryor Clicker Training (KPCT)...

Puppy Start Right: Home Visits

During the pandemic, many people have opted for private consults over group puppy classes. The consults can be done in-home or virtually and provide more personalized attention than in a group...

How to Create a Safe Place for Your Dog: Part 2

In Part 1 of How to Create a Safe Place for Your Dog, KPA faculty member Debbie Martin demonstrated how to establish a safe station for your dog when she is feeling anxious or fearful. Now, in...

Karen Pryor Academy Welcomes New Alumni Relations Coordinator Breanna Norris

Waltham, MA, August 4, 2021—Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) is pleased to welcome KPA Certified Training Partner (CTP) Breanna Norris as the organization’s Alumni Relations Coordinator, supporting a...

Concept Training in Action: Take a Hike

Teaching your dog to tell the difference between left and right on cue is not only fun, but the skill can be handy when you are walking on hiking trails. To begin teaching this behavior, you will...

Michele Pouliot Teaches Bow from Down

The bow is not only an impressive trick, but is also one of the critical skills in canine freestyle routines. In this video, multiple International Freestyle Champion Michele Pouliot demonstrates...

Teach Your Dog to Relax in a Crate

Many people feel guilty about crate training their dogs, as they think that confinement is cruel. However, when crate training is introduced positively, it can be extremely beneficial for both...

Teach a Hold

Teaching your dog to hold an object builds a solid foundation for teaching advanced behaviors for dog sports, such as retrieve. To teach the hold behavior, choose an object that your dog likes...

Teach Your Cat to Sit

One of the most useful (and easy) behaviors that you can teach your cat is to sit on cue. Not only will the sit behavior impress your friends, but teaching a sit helps manage unwanted behaviors,...

Foundation Behaviors for Shelter Dogs: Loose-Leash Walking

When they think about adding a new dog to the family, many people dream of long, leisurely strolls with their dogs walking beside them nicely. However, leash pulling is one of the most common...

Using Shaping to Build Confidence

Shaping is the process of breaking down a behavior into small steps and reinforcing each small step as you work toward the final goal behavior. It is a great tool for teaching complex behaviors,...

Puppy Socialization goes Beyond Play

Puppy socialization is not just about playing with other puppies or being petted by humans. Practicing body handling, introducing novel objects, and desensitizing puppies to sounds are all key...

How to Create a Safe Place for Your Dog

Is your dog fearful of loud noises or events, such as thunderstorms, fireworks, or even the vacuum cleaner? Or is your dog fearful of certain people, like children or strangers? Creating a safe...

Modifier Cues in Action

When people think of dog training, they don’t often think beyond teaching basic cues. However, dogs are capable of so much more! Instead of simply cueing your dog to retrieve an object, you can...

Teach Your Dog to “Leave It”

Have you ever dropped a pill and scrambled to pick it up before your dog rushed over to scarf it down? Have you been out for a walk and your dog discovered a sharp chicken bone or other dangerous...

Teach Your Dog to Accept Eye Drops

As eye infections in dogs are common, your veterinarian may prescribe eye drops for your dog at some point. After introducing your dog to eye drops to acclimate your dog to the approach of the...

Teach Your Dog a Controlled Retrieve

Is your dog obsessed with chasing balls and toys? It’s tempting to try and wear out your dog by mindlessly throwing the ball over and over again. However, often this only increases your dog’s...

Using “Go Sniff” as a Reinforcer

Does your dog spend most of your walks sniffing the ground? Well, there’s a good reason for that! Unlike humans who rely on sight for environmental cues, dogs rely on scent. Sniffing is how they...

Puppy Socialization: Puppy’s First Vet Visit

Vet visits are stressful for many dogs. Being placed on strange surfaces and touched all over your body with strange objects can be unnatural and frightening. However, a vet visit doesn’t have to...

KPA CTP Andre Yeu Featured on National TV

KPA CTP and faculty member Andre Yeu was featured recently on CTV’s morning show Your Morning. In a focused segment on dog training success, Andre offered tips on booking trainers (who are very...

Interview with Juliana Willems

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Juliana Willems will lead the KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program in Washington, DC. (Application deadline May 25, 2021.) In this interview,...

An Introduction to Clicker Mechanics

What is the first step to becoming a good trainer? Good clicker mechanics! By practicing your clicker mechanics before you begin training your dog (or any animal), you will become skilled at...

Karen Pryor Academy Announces Scholarships for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color

Waltham, MA, April 13, 2021—Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) is thrilled to announce Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) scholarship opportunities for people who are Black, Indigenous, or otherwise of Color....

Low-Cost Enrichment Through Shaping

Shelters can be a stressful environment for dogs. Fortunately, there are simple, low-cost enrichment activities that can be implemented to provide comfort, reduce stress-induced behaviors,...

KPA CTP’s Dog-Enrichment School Gets the Spotlight in Asia

KPA CTP Joy Chia and her dog-enrichment school appear in a recent (March 21,2021) Channel News Asia (CNA) online article, and accompanying video, about the Ponggol Seventeenth Avenue...

Successful Cat Introductions

Bringing a new cat into a home with other cats? Let’s face it: cats are territorial, so you will want to be sure to introduce your cats slowly to minimize fearful or aggressive interactions. In...

It’s No Secret… Dog Training Is Fun!

Training your dog is not only essential for teaching life skills and avoiding problem behaviors, but it also offers an opportunity for you and your dog to have fun together! In this video, KPA...

Ken MacLeod: KPA CTP, Newsmaker, and Set Designer for Television

Ken MacLeod, KPA CTP, has been a newsmaker in recent months. Profiled in Modern Dog magazine and featured on the Oh Behave! podcast on Pet Life Radio, Ken has a training business, My Positive...

Karen Pryor Academy Expands into Korea

Waltham, March 22, 2021—Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) is pleased to announce that its Dog Trainer Foundations and Dog Trainer Foundations Immersion courses are now available in Korean, with teaching...

Teaching a Head-Tuck Bow

Multiple International Freestyle Champion Michele Pouliot frequently dazzles crowds with her Head-Tuck Bow routine. In this video, Michele shows you how you can teach this behavior easily at home...

Puppy Platform Training

Training puppies? Consider incorporating a stationing platform into your training plan! A stationing platform provides many benefits. It not only serves as a designated and safe space for...

Teaching Verbal Cue Discrimination

As trainers, we need to be able to depend on our dogs’ ability to respond to the correct verbal cue and not to other stimuli. Verbal cue discrimination training is an important skill; it ensures...

Chicken picking red cap from other colored caps while trainer watches

Concept Training Across Species

For many animals, cold winter climates, the pandemic, or recovering from an injury often results in less exercise outdoors, leading to stress, anxiety, and depression (just as it does for...

Teach the Heel Position

Teaching your dog to heel is not only easy and fun, but it helps encourage your dog to love walking beside you. The heel position is an essential skill for obedience competitions, heelwork to...

Teach Your Dog to Spin

Teaching your dog to spin is a fun and easy way to start teaching basic tricks. The spin behavior can serve as a solid foundation for advanced tricks. This video by KPA CTP Sabine Johnson shows...

Teach Your Dog to Love a Muzzle: Part 2

Even if your dog is the sweetest dog in the world, there may be a situation where s/he needs to wear a muzzle. For example, in the current pandemic many veterinary offices use muzzles as a...

Interview with Bobbie Lyons

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Alexis Davison will lead KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) programs in Sydney, Australia (application deadline 1/25/21) and Adelaide, Australia...

KPA Faculty Member on Chicago TV

KPA faculty member Laura Monaco Torelli was featured recently on FOX 32 Chicago where she offered advice on how to help pets get adjusted to a new home. Inspired by the recent relocation of...

Teach Your Cat to Wave

Although it is National Train Your Dog Month, dogs shouldn’t have all the fun! Try training your cat to provide much-needed enrichment, manage unwanted behaviors, and add fun new tricks the cat’s...

Teaching Foundation Behaviors: Name Cue

Capturing your dog’s attention is an important foundation for all other training, and it demonstrates the positive relationship you have with your dog. A simple way to get a dog’s attention is by...

Flip the Switch with Shaping

Shaping, teaching a new behavior by breaking it down in small increments, is an essential tool for teaching complex (and often useful) behaviors. In this video, KPA CTP Megan Ramirez uses shaping...

Puppy Socialization from Home: Polite Greetings

Most dogs are social animals, which is why teaching puppies the appropriate way to greet other dogs is a critical skill. A dog that greets other dogs politely can make your walks less stressful...

Using Toys as Reinforcers

Have you ever wanted to reward your dog for a job well done, but didn't have food treats with you? Consider playing with your dog to reinforce good behavior! Using play as a reinforcer adds...

Training at a Distance

When training at a distance, there are many different objects that can be used to help your dog to stay in place, such as a mat or raised platform. These training aids give your dog a definitive...

Interview with Jen Biglan

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Jen Biglan will lead the KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program in Dublin (East Bay), CA. (Application deadline March 5, 2021. Apply before January 5,...

Cooperative Care: How to Administer Ear Drops

In the course of their lifetimes, most dogs will get an ear infection that requires ear drops. However, administering ear drops to an ear that is already sensitive and/or painful is intimidating...

Training is Fun for the Whole Family

The joy of raising a family dog should be a great family experience. One of the benefits of clicker training is that, with clear instruction and supervision, young family members can easily grasp...

Interview with Alexis Davison

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Alexis Davison will lead KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) programs in Sydney, Australia (application deadline 1/25/21) and Adelaide, Australia...

Puppy Socialization: Check It Out!

Socializing is more than introducing your puppy to lots of people and animals—it’s also about exposing your puppy to everyday objects and experiences. Teaching your puppy to be comfortable in...

Teaching Foundation Behaviors: Drop It

Teaching dogs to “drop it”—to release an object that they have—is an often-overlooked skill. However, it is probably one of the most important behaviors that you can teach your dog. As an...

How to Teach Cooperative Nail Trims: Kitten Edition!

Many cats are just as frightened of nail trims as their humans are of giving them. However, by taking a cooperative approach, nail trimming sessions do need to be a nail-biting experience!...

Teach Your Dog to Retrieve Everyday Items

What if your dog could bring you his/her bowl—or even a beer? Training a dog to retrieve everyday items is not only helpful, but it is also a great way to keep your dog active mentally and physically....

Shelter Enrichment for Cats: The Target Game

The shelter environment is stressful for dogs, and for the people who work there, but the environment is especially stressful for cats. In addition to losing all familiar contacts and past...

Teaching Foundation Behaviors: Introducing Recall

A reliable recall, or come when called, behavior is one of the most important foundation behaviors. Mastered, it lets your dog enjoy freedom and off-leash time and help keeps him/her safe. In...

Setting Your Dog Up for Success with Oral Medication

Does your dog resist oral medication? If so, you are not alone. Most dogs (like people) don’t enjoy swallowing pills. However, if you open your dog's mouth forcefully to push a pill down his...

Training in the Shelter: Harness Desensitization

Walking a dog with a harness is safer and more comfortable than walking a dog with a traditional collar. However, many dogs are afraid of having a harness put over their heads. Shelter dogs are...

Using Paired Cues to Accelerate Learning

When you think of training new behaviors, you think of training one behavior at a time. For example, in one training session you may teach your dog to jump on a platform and in another you may...

Fun and Functional Puppy Socialization

An umbrella snapping open during a rainstorm. A walker rolling along a sidewalk. These are a few of the many common situations a dog might find scary if s/he hasn’t been exposed to them at an...

Teach Your Cat to Go to Mat: Part 1

Thinking about training your cat? Why not teach your cat to go to a mat? This behavior has many applications: preventing counter-surfing or door-dashing or putting your cat in a carrier for...

Teaching Foundation Behaviors: Stay

Teaching your dog to stay, an essential foundation behavior, is an investment that will be valuable in a variety of situations, such as preventing your dog from dashing out the front door or out...

Teaching Trick Behaviors: Mic Targeting with Duration

Canine freestyle champion Michele Pouliot is known for using innovative trick behaviors in her entertaining routines. One of the foundation trick behaviors that she uses often is targeting an...

Karen Pryor Academy Announces Five New Faculty Members

Waltham, MA, September 9, 2020—Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) is pleased to welcome five new faculty members to its world-renowned Dog Trainer Professional program (DTP). Jen Biglan, Bobbie Lyons,...

Teach Non-Verbal and Verbal Cues

New trainers often ask which cues should they use in their training: verbal cues or a non-verbal cues. The answer is not an either/or – it’s both!...

Concept Training: Shape Discrimination

Can animals recognize shapes? As Ken Ramirez demonstrates frequently, they can! But why teach shape discrimination? Training an animal to discriminate between different shapes is not only...

Teach Your Dog How to Give Eye Contact

One of the first steps of training any behavior is to teach your dog to focus his/her attention on you. After all, a dog that is not looking at you is likely not listening to you, either! In this...

Introducing Your Dog to Eye Drops

Receiving eye drops can be quite stressful for many dogs (and humans!). However, with some planning and training, you can teach your dog to participate willingly. It can be an eye-opening experience!...

Puppy Socialization During Covid-19: Drop-Off Classes

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in fostering and adopting pets has soared. However, with many dog parks closed and social distancing and quarantining orders in place, puppies may miss...

Adding Distance to a Behavior

Adding distance to a behavior is one of those things that sounds simple on the surface but can get sticky in practice. In this video, KPA faculty member Hannah Branigan and her dog Rugby...

Michele Pouliot Teaches Head in a Prop

Canine freestyle, also known as musical freestyle, is a modern sport where dogs and handlers perform dazzling choreographed routines set to music. Each behavior is taught individually and cued...

How to Capture a Behavior

One of the fastest and easiest ways to train a new behavior on cue is to capture a behavior that your dog does naturally and that happens frequently. In this video, Ken Ramirez shows how he...

Training in the Shelter: Introduction to Targeting

Targeting, when a dog to touches a body part to a specific object or person, is a very valuable and versatile skill to teach a shelter dog, as it serves as a base for so many useful behaviors...

How to Paddle Board with Your Dog

Looking for a fun activity to do with your dog this summer? Stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) can provide an awesome outdoor adventure for both you and your pup. In this video, KPA faculty member...

Teaching Behaviors as Secondary Reinforcers

Understanding reinforcement is the key to understanding how dogs learn. Reinforcement can be categorized as either primary or secondary. A primary reinforcer is a reinforcer that an animal needs...

Stationing for Veterinary Procedures

Let’s face it, most diagnostic or therapeutic procedures are not pleasant for dogs. However, by practicing at home for what the dog will need to do during a procedure, such as holding a...

Get Puppies Off to a Great Start— From Anywhere

One of the most common questions that puppy parents ask is “What should I teach my puppy first?” Teaching a puppy a cue to hand target (touching the palm of your hand when it is presented) is...

Teach Your Dog to Put Toys Away

Are you always tripping over dog toys? Did you know that, according to the CDC, tripping over dog toys caused almost 10% of pet-related fall injuries? Fortunately, you can avoid becoming a...

Teach Your Cat to Ring a Bell

As many cats live their entire lives indoors, clicker training can provide valuable mental and physical stimulation. But where to begin? Training a cat to touch a target is not only fun and easy,...

Teaching a Release Cue

As important as it is to teach your dog basic behaviors such as “sit” and “stay,” it’s equally as important to teach a release cue to let the dog know when he can release from his current...

Modifier Cues: Left Paw Versus Right Paw

If you teach a dog to distinguish between his left paw and his right paw, you will have a terrific skill for competition training. The behavior has many other handy applications, such as grooming...

Improve Your Dog’s Strength, Stride, and Core with Homemade Cavaletti

Cavaletti training, walking or trotting over poles, has been used for equine conditioning traditionally but we now also use it with dogs. It is a fun and easy way to improve core strength, flexor...

Teach an Alternative Behavior to Barking

Does your dog bark wildly when the doorbell rings? Dogs bark when they hear the doorbell for several reasons: they are excited (“Yay, someone is here!), they are scared (“Oh no, someone is...

Leg Weaves for Canine Freestye

Teaching your dog to weave through your legs is great for building confidence, and the leg weave is a fundamental skill for dog sports like Canine Freestyle. The goal of leg weave is for your dog...

Getting Started with Non-Food Reinforcers

The effective use of non-food reinforcers is a critical skill that all trainers will likely use or need at some point in their training career. In this video, Ken Ramirez and his dog Marlin...

Teach Four on the Floor

Most shelter dogs have not been taught how to greet people, so they greet them like they would other dogs—they jump up, lick, and try to wrestle or play. Taking the time to teach shelter dogs...

Creating a Two-Part Sequence

If your dog is fluent in more than one behavior, those individual behaviors can be linked together by learned cues to form a sequence! This allows us to teach dogs more complex tasks, such as go...

Husbandry Work at Home

In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, many pet owners are wondering how to implement husbandry care. Use this time to work on building calmness and trust in your dog while handling his head...

Building Confidence with Uneven Surfaces

Puppies are always learning. Their first experiences with new stimuli shape how they will respond to those stimuli later on in life. By exposing puppies to new stimuli, such as surfaces, in a way...

The Power of Environmental Cues

All behavior is impacted by the environment. Even if the trainer does nothing consciously, the animal will still perceive cues that are in the environment during training. In this video, Ken...

When Dogs are Quarantined, Too

A timely article in The New York Times online newspaper entitled “Helping Your Dog Survive During a Quarantine” provides excellent advice for pet owners who are anticipating, or already...

Teach Loose-Leash Walking

With longer, warmer days ahead, it’s a good time to enjoy the outdoors together with your dog. Why not prepare now by teaching your dog to walk nicely on a leash? One of the easiest and most...

Linda Ryan Earns ASAB CCAB Status

Linda Ryan, one of the first graduates of the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program from the United Kingdom and now a KPA faculty member, recently attained accredited...

Match-to-Sample Revisited

Ken Ramirez believes that animals are capable of far more than we give them credit for—when training is fun! For example, animals can learn to identify a specific object among a group of both...

Get Your Dog Ready for Dog Sports

Spring is almost here and that means dog-sports season is right around the corner! Practicing key foundation behaviors now, indoors with low distraction, will boost your success when you are...

Helping Dogs Overcome the Fear of Objects

Is your dog afraid of ordinary objects? Does he freeze or try to run away when he sees a bag blowing in the wind? Does he bark or growl at cardboard boxes, ladders, or brooms? There are many...

Thinking Outside the Treat Pouch: Secondary Reinforcers

When you give your dog a treat for a job well done, you are using a primary reinforcer, which is something that an animal needs to survive (i.e., food, water, shelter). While food reinforcers can...

How to Teach Your Dog Not to Beg at the Table

One of the most common problems that pet owners want to solve is how to teach their dogs not to beg at the table. So how do you restore peace to mealtime? One of the most effective ways to...

The Power of Relationships

Anyone who lives or works with animals knows how powerful the human-animal bond can be. In this heartwarming tale from his new book The Eye of the Trainer: Animal Training, Transformation, and...

Teaching Voluntary Weight Checks

Weight checks are a standard part of every vet visit, but for many pet owners getting their dogs onto the scale can be a drag (literally)! However, with a little target training and lots of...

Introducing Puppies to Novel Sounds, Surfaces, and Stimuli

Introducing puppies to new stimuli and different surfaces is essential to the development of a confident and well-adjusted adult dog. Puppy classes offer an invaluable service to clients looking...

10 Amazing Cat Tricks

Just because it’s National Train Your Dog Month doesn’t mean that dogs get to have all the fun! KPA Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP) Jacob Hollingsworth and his rescue cat Kitty not only...

Michele Pouliot Teaches Keiko Canine Freestyle

During the winter you may be searching for activities that you can do with your dog to keep you both entertained and active. Why not try dancing with your dog? Canine Freestyle, also known as...

Teach Your Dog to Cheek Target

What types of useful behaviors can you teach with targeting? In last week’s blog Teaching Your Dog to Hand Target, we explored the many useful applications of teaching your dog to target the palm...

Teach Your Dog to Hand Target

Trainers are often asked, “What behaviors should I begin teaching my dog?” Teaching your dog to touch the palm of your hand is not only very easy for beginner clicker trainers to teach, but it is...

How to Teach Cooperative Nail Trims

If you and your dog find nail trimming stressful, you are not alone. Nail trimming is one of those necessary but dreaded tasks that many pet owners prefer to hand over to professionals. However,...

How to Teach Your Dog to Back Around You

A fundamental skill for canine freestyle is the dog backing around the handler. It’s also a fun trick that will impress your friends! Before you begin teaching this behavior, make sure your dog...

Karen Pryor Academy Helps Raise Standards for Dog Training Professionals

Waltham, MA, December 16, 2019—Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) will be the first private education institution to join forces with three leading industry associations in the effort to raise...

Dog Trainer Foundations Skills in Action!

Karen Pryor Academy’s Dog Trainer Foundation course offers dogs and their humans what they really crave: fun together! When you build a solid foundation of positive reinforcement skills, your dog...

Training Another Species to Become a Better Dog Trainer

Think you’re a great dog trainer? Try training a cat, bird, guinea pig, or horse! Training other species is not only fun, but it will ultimately improve your dog-training skills. Working with...

Puppy Show and Tell

Puppy training is more than socialization and problem-solving; it’s about setting the foundation for a lifelong partnership between people and their dogs. By building a solid foundation built...

Sit: Adding the Cue

Is your dog performing a new behavior reliably, but not necessarily when you want him to? Maybe you're hoping for a sit, and your dog is frantically running through his entire repertoire trying...

Teach Your Dog Left and Right

Teaching your dog to tell the difference between left and right on cue is a fun exercise that is handier than it seems! It’s a terrific skill for many competition venues, including agility,...

Karen Pryor Academy Announces 2019 Zoe Shelter Scholarship Recipients

Waltham, MA, October 31, 2019—Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) and Lisa White, DVM, founder of Veterinary Behavior Management Solutions in Cincinnati, Ohio, are pleased to announce and congratulate the...

Low-Cost Enrichment Ideas for Shelters

Life in a shelter is stressful for dogs—even at the most humane shelters. A variety of enrichment activities can enhance the quality of dogs’ lives while they are at the shelter by reducing...

Teach Go to Place

With the holiday season around the corner, now is the time to begin holiday training. What if instead of jumping around like a lunatic when the doorbell rings, your dog waits politely in a down...

Teach Clapping as a Secondary Reinforcer

When you give your dog a treat for a job well done, you are using a primary reinforcer, which is something that an animal needs to survive (i.e., food, water, shelter). While food reinforcers can...

Interview with Laurie Luck

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Laurie Luck will lead KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program in St Louis, (application deadline 06/01/2018). Learn more about the DTP program or apply...

KPA’s Train Your Cat Course in the News!

In a recent online news article about training the family cat, KPA’s Train Your Cat course was recommended. Emphasizing that cat training classes benefit “both the animals and the humans,” the...

Teach Your Dog to Offer a Paw

If your dog pulls away when you touch his paws, you are not alone. Many dogs dislike having their paws touched. However, there are circumstances when you need to handle your dog’s paws, such as...

Michele Pouliot and Deja Demonstrate Prance Ahead

Imagine moving across a dance floor, with every move in synch with the music. Now imagine your dog dancing with you, weaving between your legs, spinning and prancing in unison with you, helping...

KPA Trainers Recommended in Recent New York Times Article

Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior (KPA) was lauded recently by Wirecutter, the product review site owned by The New York Times. The Times article, titled Does Your Dog Need a...

Teach Your Puppy to Enjoy Collar Handling

Nothing is more frustrating than reaching for your puppy only to have him back away just out of your reach. The Gotcha Game helps your puppy be comfortable and enjoy being gently restrained by...

Shaping a Head Dip

Shaping, the process of teaching a new behavior by breaking it down in small increments, is a great way to encourage creativity and focus in animals as well as an essential tool for teaching...

Can Dogs Count?

When we think of animal training, we don't often think beyond teaching certain cues. However, Ken Ramirez encourages everyone to think beyond the cue and rethink what dogs are capable of. With...

Teach Your Dog to Back Up to a Target

Teaching a dog to back up is important for many dog sports, as it is a fundamental skill. However, did you know that backing up can be a particularly useful skill in everyday life as well?...

Help Your Dog Feel Comfortable Wearing a Cone

They are called “cones of shame” for a reason. Most dogs have to wear one of those awkward, plastic, lamp-like cones at some point in their lives—after surgery, injury, or skin infection. Chances...

Training with Non-Food Reinforcers

One of the biggest objections to positive reinforcement training is the perception that it’s “all about the food.” However, while food may be the primary reinforcer for training new behaviors,...

Wait at a Boundary: Part 2

Teaching your dog to wait at a boundary, like the threshold of a door, is not only a useful skill but could also save his life! In Wait at a Boundary: Part 1, KPA faculty member Shelly Brouwer...

Stress-Free Nail Trims: Teach Your Dog to Accept the Dremel

A nail Dremel is a great alternative to use with dogs that hate having their nails clipped by guillotine-style clippers, although the noise it makes takes some getting used to. In this video, Ken...

The Many Applications of Targets: Closing a Door

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program student Jessica Benoit (RVT, CPDT-KA) is using her knowledge of targets to teach her dog Vegas to close a door. Jessica and Vegas...

Training Games: Fun with a Beach Bucket

With scorching heat in many parts of the U.S., many dogs may not be able to enjoy long walks or trips to the dog park on hot days. Here’s a fun training game that boosts your dog’s creativity and...

Teach “Go On” and “Go Around”

Have you ever observed a dog performing behaviors at a distance from his handler and wished you could teach your dog to do that? You can! Teaching your dog to work at a distance is not only a fun...

KPA CTP in the News: Ask the Trainer

Juliana Willems, KPA CTP, of Dog Latin Dog Training returned recently to Dr. Katy Nelson’s Ask the Trainer television segment. Offering answers to pet owner questions and suggesting steps to fix...

Teach a Paw Target, Part Two: Adding a Cue

In last week’s featured video, KPA CTP Michelle Wieser and her dog Timber demonstrated how to teach a paw target. By maintaining a high rate of reinforcement, very quickly Michelle was able to...

Teach a Paw Target

Training a dog to target an object with his paw is easy and fun. A paw target is a foundation behavior that has many practical applications, including closing doors, wiping paws, ringing bells,...

Help Puppies Get Started on the Right Paw… for Life

Most people understand the importance of socializing puppies, and there are numerous puppy classes available. However, many classes are not true socialization classes. Instead, they focus...

Karen Pryor Academy Welcomes New Application & Enrollment Coordinator Annie Chastain

Waltham, MA, June 18, 2019— Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) is pleased to announce the selection of KPA Certified Training Partner (CTP) Annie Chastain as KPA’s new Application & Enrollment...

Teach Your Cat to Spin

Everyone knows that you can teach tricks to dogs, but did you know that cats can be trained easily, too? Since many cats live their entire lives confined indoors, clicker training can provide...

Cat Pawsitive National High-Five Day Contest Winner Clicks to $5,000 Prize

In early June, the Oshkosh Area Humane Society (OAHS) was awarded the $5,000 first prize in the Jackson Galaxy Project’s National High-Five Day contest. Voters selected the video of OAHS cats...

Teach Your Old Dog New Tricks

Chances are that when your dog was younger, you spent many hours training new behaviors like spinning, jumping, bowing, and more. Now that your dog is a senior and slowing down physically, he may...

Simple Strategy for a Stress-Free Vet Visit

Visiting the veterinarian's office can be a stressful experience, for both pet owners and their pets. Teaching a dog simple behaviors, such as hand targeting, ahead of time gives the dog a job to...

Wait at a Boundary: Part 1

Do you have a dog that barrels out doorways or from the crate? What about from the car? This can be a dangerous behavior, but boundary training can help. Anything can be used as a boundary. In...

Stationing for Concept Training

Stationing—training an animal to go to a designated area and stay there until cued otherwise—is an essential tool for most training. In this video, Ken Ramirez demonstrates how good, solid...

Shaping a Head Turn

Teaching your dog to turn his head is a fun exercise, and the skill is handier than it seems. A head turn can be used as the start of teaching “left” and “right,” a directional skill that is...

Teach a Puppy to Enjoy a Muzzle

Being very comfortable wearing an appropriate and well-fitted muzzle is a good training goal for any dog—particularly in situations where the dog may become worried or uncomfortable (think vet...

KPA CTP Places High in World’s Most Amazing Dog Competition

In spring 2019, Maddisen-Leigh Phelan, KPA CTP, and her border collie Rev were finalists in Facebook’s World’s Most Amazing Dog competition. The only Canadians in the nine-episode series,...

How to Capture a Sit

One of the fastest and easiest ways to train a new behavior on cue is to capture the behavior. “Sit” is a simple behaviors to teach your dog, because it’s a behavior that your dog already offers...

Interview with Laura VanArendonk Baugh

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Laura VanArendonk Baugh will lead upcoming KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) programs in Washington, DC (application deadline July 8, 2019) and in...

How to Teach a Chin Rest

Teaching your dog a chin-rest behavior is useful for training shy, overly excited, or reactive dogs. It is also helpful building cooperation during medical procedures (vaccinations, medication...

Teach Your Dog to Go Around an Object

Are you looking for a fun training exercise this spring? Teaching your dog to go around an object, such as a cone, is a useful skill and the foundation for many dog sports. Learn how to teach...

Teach Your Cat to Target

Targeting, where an animal touches an object with her nose or paw, is not just a useful behavior for dogs—it can be a very useful and fun behavior for cats, too! A target can be used to lead a...

Shaping Success: Strategic Treat Placement

Strategic treat placement is a key part of dog training, yet it is often overlooked. The placement of reinforcement during and after a behavior can make a difference as to the dog’s understanding...

How to Transfer a Cue

Cues should always be clear and consistent. However, cues do allow for some flexibility and can be transferred. Are two cues too similar, so similar that your dog confuses them (for example,...

Teach Settle on a Mat

Teaching your dog to settle on a mat is very useful—for both practical and safety reasons. Dogs need a safe place to settle down. When you teach your dog to settle on a portable mat, your dog...

Dog Saves Valentine’s Day

Dogs make the best Valentines—today and every day! They love unconditionally, are faithful and unselfishly devoted, and can always make you smile! In this video, Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty...

What it Means to Be a KPA CTP: Michelle Mullins

Michelle Mullins is the owner of and Director of Training at Honest To Dog, LLC. She provides private, in-home training, focusing on vet/grooming tasks as well as on reactive and aggressive dogs....

Chin Rest Behavior for Veterinary Care

Teaching your dog a chin rest is useful for building cooperation during medical, such as vaccinations, administration of medications, and eye and ear care. Watch as Karen Pryor faculty member...

Make Your Shelter a Bark-Free Zone

Constant barking is stressful for shelter dogs, staff, and visitors. A small shift in routine management can reduce the noise level to zero. Watch as Karen Pryor Academy faculty member Steve...

The Shaping Game

Shaping is the process by which you gradually teach a dog a new action or behavior by rewarding him during each step of the process. It is a great way to teach some difficult behaviors, expand a...

Teach Your Dog Directionals

Did you know that you can teach your dog the difference between left/right, up/down, or over/under? The second course in Karen Pryor Academy’s (KPA) Concept Training series dives deeper into...

Paying Attention: A Training Exercise for Puppies and Dogs

Does your dog know how to pay attention to you? When your dog is focused on listening to you, training will be more successful! In this video, Karen Pryor Academy faculty member Debbie Martin...

Teach Your Dog to Target

January is National Train Your Dog Month, a time to celebrate the joy of training. Enjoy a healthy relationship with your dog in the new year! One of the most important foundation behaviors you...

Your Cat Can Do WHAT?

The cat: independent, strong-willed, often aloof. Not exactly training material, right? Surprise surprise: clicker training blows the roof off of many preconceptions—and the oxymoron of a trained...

The ABCs of Barking

The ABCs of Barking Why all the barking? Barking happens for a reason. Sounds obvious, right? It didn't always, according to applied ethologist Julie Hecht, writing in the spring 2013 issue of The...

All Ears! How to Train Your Puppy to Listen

All Ears! How to Train Your Puppy to Listen Tuning you out Do you find yourself repeating instructions to your dog or puppy? You can learn how to train a puppy or dog to listen to you the first tim...

Puppy Socialization: Exploring New Surfaces

The first four months a puppy’s life are the most influential. Most of what is learned during this early period becomes the foundation for adult behavior patterns. To decrease the possibility of...

How to Crate Train Your Dog

The holiday season is a joyous time for humans. It's full of festive parties, holiday décor, delicious treats, and visitors. However, while holidays are fun for people, this time of year can be...

Choosing the Paws-itively Perfect Toy for Your Dog

'Tis the season for finding that perfect gift for those we love, and for many of us that includes the special furry family member in our lives! There is nothing more joyous for dog owners than to...

Give Thanks for Pets

If you are hosting Thanksgiving this year, your focus is probably on the bird—not the dog. But to ensure a happy and stress-free day for both you and your pet, plan ahead for safety on...

Thanksgiving Feast—in a KONG!

Holidays are fun to celebrate with furry family members, but the abundance of guests, commotion, and food can be challenging for you and your dog. A KONG toy is a fantastic way to keep your dog...

Interview With KPA Faculty Member Shelly Brouwer

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Shelly Brouwer will lead a KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) National program in Boulder, Colorado (application deadline 11/28/18). Learn more about the...

Congratulations to the 2018 Zoe Shelter Scholarship Recipients

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) and Dr. Lisa White, DVM, founder of Veterinary Behavior Management Solutions in Cincinnati, Ohio, are pleased to announce and congratulate the winners of the 2018 Zoe...

Dos and Don’ts of Pet Halloween Costumes

The Dos and Don’ts of Halloween Costumes for Pets According to an article in the New York Post, 31 million people will dress up their pets for Halloween. Will you be one of them? In a recent tele...

2018 Zoe Shelter Scholarships Available

In honor of Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month, Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) is proud to announce the availability of four Zoe Shelter Scholarships to KPA’s Shelter Training & Enrichment course....

Define Positive for Me…

DEFINE POSITIVE FOR ME... A recent article in the Psychology Today e-magazine discusses the challenge of finding true positive reinforcement animal training. Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) is cited as a...

Interview With Lindsay Wood Brown

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Lindsay Wood Brown will lead a KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program in Richmond, Virginia (application deadline 8/23/18), and Murfreesboro,...

Interview With Helix Fairweather

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Helix Fairweather will lead a KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program in Portland, Oregon (application deadline 8/30/2018). Learn more about the DTP...

Interview with Sherrie Yuschak

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Sherrie Yuschak will lead a KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) National program in Columbus (Reynoldsburg), OH (application deadline 7/27/18)....

Interview with Laurie Luck

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Laurie Luck will lead KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program in St Louis, (application deadline 06/01/2018). Learn more about the DTP program or apply...

The Keep Going Signal

The Keep Going Signal Ken Ramirez, EVP and Chief Training Office of KPCT, revisits the Keep Going Signal (KGS), a confusing training tool. Ken spoke about the KGS at ClickerExpo this year, and, a...

KPA Welcomes Sam Haeussner

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) is pleased to welcome Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Certified Training Partner (CTP) Sam Haeussner as Alumni Relations Coordinator, supporting a rapidly growing constituency...

How to Teach Loose-Leash Walking

How to Teach Loose-Leash Walking Oh, my aching arm Get your dog to walk without pulling! But how? We are masters at allowing our dogs to drag us down the street. The most asked question at obedienc...

Interview with Hannah Branigan

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Hannah Branigan believes that clicker training is the perfect technology to teach new behaviors, especially for competitive performances. Here, she talks...

6 month dog trainer professional training program with Shelly Brouwer

Interview with Shelly Brouwer

INTERVIEW WITH SHELLY BROUWER Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Shelly Brouwer , CTP, will lead a KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program in Boulder, Colorado (application deadline 11/...

Instructor Laura Monaco Torelli of Karen Pryor Academy runs the (KPA) DTP Dog Trainer Professional Program in Chicago IL

Interview with Laura Monaco Torelli

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Laura Monaco Torelli will lead KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) programs in Chicago, Illinois, (application deadline 05/28/2018). Learn more about the...

Teach Settle on a Mat

Teach Settle on a Mat Settle down over there! Is your dog a little too excited? Too excitable? Is he a maniac when people come to the door? Does he bug you when you're trying to eat dinner? Would y...

6 month dog trainer professional training program in San Diego, CA

Interview with Nan Arthur

Karen Pryor Academy faculty member Nan Arthur will lead the KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program in San Diego, California. Applications are being accepted for this program until May 21, 2018....