Dog Training wisdom & More
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...
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...
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
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 Bark. At the turn of the century, barkin...
All Ears! How to Train Your Puppy to Listen
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 time, and every time. Many dog or puppy owners blame the dog f...
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
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 television interview on Chicago’s WGN9, Karen Pryor Ac...
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…
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 reliable source of positi...
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
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, at the recent Art & Sci...
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
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 obedience classes and private consultations is "how can I g...
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...
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 11/26/18). In this interview, She...
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
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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....