Dog Training wisdom & More

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 place to be. However, sometimes you may...

Puppy Tip: Teaching Good Habits

Ever wonder why puppies never wander far from their caregivers? Wanting to be close to you is an expected behavior for the puppy stage, but this stage doesn’t last long. Once puppies reach adolescence, when they are approximately 5-6...

Cat-Alyze Your Trick Training

Trick training is usually associated with dogs, but that’s no longer the case. Cats are now joining the fun! With positive reinforcement and patience, cats can learn many of the behaviors that dogs learn. Due to their smaller size and...

What Is a Natural Reinforcer?

Have you ever wanted to reward your dog for a job well done, but didn't have food treats with you? Or perhaps you’ve discovered that your dog isn’t motivated by food. By understanding and using natural reinforcers (toys, play, and...

Teaching “Leave It” On Walks

Are your daily walks more like scavenger hunts for your dog? Food and garbage on the ground are often irresistible distractions for many dogs, but these distractions can result in an emergency vet visit. Teaching your dog to control...

Tunnel Training

Teaching your dog to run through a tunnel is a perfect introduction to agility training, as well as backyard fun!...

Teaching Tactile Cues

If you have ever visited a dentist who proceeded to fill a cavity without considering your readiness or comfort level, chances are you dread going to the dentist. The same apprehension is felt by dogs. A dog that is handled at the vet...

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, increase confidence, and promote adoptability....

Station Training with Cats

Does your cat beg or swat at you while you are fixing his/her food? Station training, teaching your cat to relax on a designated spot, keeps your cat (and your appendages!) safely out of the way while you prepare your cat’s meal....

Introducing a Puppy to Bath Time

Dogs, especially puppies, like to play and get dirty and need to be bathed regularly. However, just the sound of bathwater can spark fear and anxiety for many dogs. Bath time does not have to be a struggle, though. When you make bath...

Have Fun with Training

Training is an essential part of being a responsible pet parent. However, training your dog is not just about teaching useful behaviors; it’s also about building a connection and having fun together! In this video, KPA CTP Donna Boidi...

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, since they aren’t greeting visitors at...

Teach Your Dog to Get On and Off the Couch

There are times when you want to share your couch with your dog. After all, there’s nothing better than snuggling up with your furry friend at the end of a long day. However, there are also times when you may not want your dog on the...

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 handling at home, you can reduce or...

Puppy Biting

Walking on a leash is an important skill for puppies to learn, but it can be challenging to train puppies that are eager to explore the world around them. The key to setting up puppies for success is to use a high rate of reinforcement...

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?...

Indoor Enrichment

As winter sets in and temperatures continue to plummet, many dogs will be spending more time indoors. Concept training, including teaching modifier cues, is a great way to keep your dog’s brain busy and help prevent winter blues!...

The Pizza Delivery Game

Many pet parents and their dogs struggle when they try to apply the tools and techniques that they learned in training class to real-life situations. Dogs may offer a down-stay in the classroom, but when they are at home and the...

How to Prepare Your Dog for a Veterinary Exam

Regular veterinary visits are important for your dog’s health and wellness, but for many dogs these visits can be stressful. Who wouldn’t be anxious about being in a strange, uncomfortable place, in unnatural positions, and being...

How to Manage Counter-Surfing

In preparation for the holidays, kitchens are laden with tempting treats and mouthwatering smells. For dogs that are tall or athletic enough to reach a counter, the opportunity to help themselves can be too good to pass up!...

Dogs of Any Age Can Have Fun with Freestyle

Many people think that they need to wait until their dog is an adult before getting started in dog sports, but you can begin training your dog basic behaviors before he/she is old enough to compete. In fact, dog sports teach your puppy...

Cooperative Injections

Does your dog become agitated anticipating a vaccination or blood draw? By incorporating training into your injection routines, you can help alleviate his/her anxiety....

Holiday Feast—in an Enrichment Toy

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. An enrichment toy is a fantastic way to keep your dog relaxed and occupied during the...

Teach Your Puppy to Walk On a Leash

Walking on a leash is an important skill for puppies to learn, but it can be challenging to train puppies that are eager to explore the world around them. The key to setting up puppies for success is to use a high rate of reinforcement...

Helping Dogs Learn to Come Inside

Do you struggle getting your dog to come inside after playtime in the yard? While it’s frustrating when your dog ignores you, who could blame your pup when being outside is so much more exciting than being indoors? The trick is to flip...

Reinforcement Delivery for Cats

Despite popular belief, cats can be trained. Training any animal, the key is finding the right reinforcement and reinforcement delivery! Many cats devour small training treats or kibble from a pouch....

Teach Your Dog to Wear a Coat

As the weather gets colder, your dog may need protective clothing, like a sweater or coat. Many small dogs have difficulty retaining body heat, and senior dogs are prone to underlying medical conditions that may make them more...

Unique Reinforcers

No treats? No problem! There are many other reinforcers besides food that can be leveraged in a training session. In fact, you may find some of these non-food reinforcers right under your nose (or your feet)!...

Teach Behaviors that Lead to Faster Adoptions

If you work at, volunteer for, or have visited a shelter, you’ve probably experienced rows of dogs barking and jumping at the kennel doors. Dogs that bark excessively as people pass by are sometimes overlooked by potential adopters....

Training Time at the Vet

Many dogs tremble at the vet. While you and your dog may have practiced exams at home, the sights, sounds, and scents at the veterinary clinic often evoke anxiety in even the most well-prepared dogs. What do you do when you find your...

The Harness Game

Does your puppy try to run away when you reach for her harness? Hands reaching toward a harness often signifies to puppies that playtime is over. However, it is very important for puppies to feel comfortable when their harnesses are grabbed....

Successful Dog Training Classes: Making Repetition Fun

Repetition is a powerful key to learning. Children learn new skills by repeating a behavior or piece of a behavior again and again until the skill is committed to memory and becomes a habit (like practicing piano). The very same...

Older Dogs CAN Learn New Tricks!

Teaching an old dog a new trick is not only possible, it’s beneficial! Training older dogs helps keep them in good shape both physically and mentally. Think of training as Sudoku for dogs! Learning new behaviors is also enriching and...

Polite Door Greetings

Does the sound of the doorbell send your dog into a frenzy? It is natural for dogs to become overly excited when guests arrive. However, you can control the chaos by teaching your dog to be calm when the doorbell rings. The first step...

Gamify Your Training: Dueling Dogs

Teaching dog training classes is not easy. Not only do you need to be a skilled trainer, but you must also keep a group of dogs and people focused and motivated. How do you garner broad smiles and wagging tails? By making learning fun!...

Building Duration Behaviors

When you ask your dog for a sit or down, does he pop up immediately? For many dogs, behaviors that require them to hold a position for a longer length of time can be challenging. So how do you add duration?...

Teach Your Dog to Find Your Keys

Lost your keys? Maybe your dog can help! Teaching your dog to identify and retrieve specific objects, like your keys, is not only helpful but can enhance your dog’s problem-solving abilities. Rather than simply learning to retrieve an...

Learning Opposite Behaviors

Can you teach your dog to offer two opposite behaviors? How… and why? Teaching paired, opposite behaviors accelerates the learning process by helping the dog understand a behavior in context. It also teaches the dog a concept that...

Teach Your Dog to Be Comfortable on Novel Surfaces

Introducing your dog to different surfaces is essential for dog-sport training. Dogs that compete in dog sports must have the confidence and stamina to tackle novel, unstable surfaces and surfaces with different textures and of...

Helping a Dog That Jumps

Have you ever been embarrassed by your dog jumping up to greet a stranger? Jumping is one of the most common challenges that pet parents face—it is also one of the most difficult behaviors to break. Dogs repeat behaviors that earn...

Interview with Andre Yeu

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Andre Yeu will lead the KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (application deadline August 23, 2022). In this interview, Andre shares highlights from his own...

Teach Your Cat to Follow a Target

Imagine if you could teach your cat to go into or out of a carrier effortlessly, without physical manipulation. How about getting on or off furniture? What if you could dazzle your friends by teaching your cat to spin, rollover, or...

Cooperative Care for Puppies

Many dogs fear being handled by strangers, which can be particularly problematic visiting the vet or groomer. However, when dogs learn to tolerate handling and husbandry procedures when they are young, they grow up to become active and...

Voluntary Check-In and Recall

Few things are more joyful than unclipping your dog’s leash to begin an outdoor adventure. Off-leash walks and hikes let you spend quality time together in nature and provide exercise, stimulation, and enrichment for your dog. But how...

What Is Shaping?

Looking for a fun way to build new behaviors while building your chops as a trainer? Try shaping! Shaping is the process of building a particular behavior gradually using a series of small steps to achieve the final behavior. It is a...

Teaching a Go-Around Behavior

Interested in a new way to train and have fun with your dog this summer? Try Canine Freestyle! Also known as musical freestyle, canine freestyle is a fun dog sport where dogs and handlers perform dazzling choreographed routines set to...

Building a Relationship with Your Puppy

There are few things more exciting than bringing home a new puppy. The first weeks and months are crucial for setting the foundation for a lifelong partnership between people and their dogs. A frequent question is, “How do I bond with...

Multiple Dogs and Doors

Doorways are exciting places for dogs—who knows what is waiting on the other side! As a result, many dogs get overly excited and rush the door, creating a danger for themselves as well as for whomever is entering. Door rushing can be a...

Petting as Reinforcement

One question that trainers are often asked is if food treats must be used as the reinforcer. Some dogs do not like treats. There may be a time when you don’t have treats with you. Perhaps you just want to add variety to your training...

Teaching a Jump

Teaching your dog a jump is an essential skill for canine sports such as agility. In fact, a standard agility course includes 15 or more jumps! Teaching a jump also helps build your relationship with your dog as well as your dog’s...

Teach Your Dog to Walk with You

Walking with your dog can be a very rewarding experience for both you and your dog. It is also a great way to strengthen your bond. How do you teach your dog to walk with you? Like teaching any new behavior, the path to happy dog walks...

Interview with Kiki Yablon

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty member Kiki Yablon will lead the KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program in Salt Lake City, UT (application deadline April 19, 2022) and Nashville, TN (application deadline August 24, 2022). In this...

Concept Training: Stationing with Shapes

Stationing—training an animal to go to a designated area and stay there until cued otherwise—is a useful training tool for a variety of situations. In homes with multiple dogs, it can be essential for keeping the peace. How do you...

Target Training: Getting Into a Car

Many dogs are afraid of getting into a car. This common fear occurs for many different reasons. Some dogs have had no experience riding in a car or associate car rides with unpleasant events (such as trips to the vet). Other dogs may...

Clicker Training for All Ages

It’s never too early to start clicker training—and that goes for both dogs and humans! One of the benefits of clicker training is that it works for learners of any age. Getting kids involved with clicker training not only helps them...

Husbandry at Home: Prepare for a Blood Draw

Blood draws are routine procedures at veterinary visits, but they are also one of the most stressful procedures—for dogs and the veterinary staff. By teaching your dog to accept the handling veterinary staff members use to draw blood,...

Training Multiple Dogs

Living in a multi-dog household can be enjoyable and fun, but it can also be chaotic—especially when it comes time for training. How do you teach one dog new behaviors in the presence of another dog? The simplest way to solve this...

Yes, You Can Train Kittens!

Kittens are highly intelligent animals that, just like their canine counterparts, are capable of learning a variety of behaviors. Beginning your training as soon as you bring your kitten home will help prevent unwanted behaviors and...

Set Up a Safe Training Session Outdoors

Does your dog listen to you when you are at home but ignore you at the park? That’s because training indoors with minimal distraction is very different from training outdoors where you are competing with a myriad of scents, sounds, and...

How to Manage Puppy Biting

Mouthy puppy problems? While it’s completely normal for puppies to bite, chew, and mouth people’s hands, it’s important to teach puppies what is appropriate to bite and what is not. When a puppy begins nibbling at fingers or toes while...

Handling at Home

A healthy dog is a happy dog, so it’s important to catch health problems before they occur. Teaching your dog to be comfortable with wellness checks at home helps you catch problems early. It also helps to set up your dog for success...

Cooperative Care for Cats

Do you struggle with giving your cat medication? You aren’t alone. Getting cats to take medication can be a challenge, even for veterinarians! Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be so difficult. In this video, Tabitha Kucera, KPA CTP,...

Expanding Your Dog’s Foundation Skills

Building strong foundation behaviors is an investment that will demonstrate value throughout your dog’s training. For example, targeting is an essential foundation behavior that can be used to teach many useful and complex behaviors,...

Sharing Positive Training and the KPA Way

Brian Burton and Sarah Fraser, both 2014 graduates of the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program co-founded Instinct Dog Behavior & Training. Their business has grown tremendously in recent years, from...

How to Test a Cue

Does your dog respond to cues reliably at home but fails to respond when you ask for those same cues in a new environment? Your dog isn’t being stubborn on purpose. He simply doesn’t know the behavior to the extent that you think he does!...

Teach Puppies to Relax Together

Socializing puppies with other dogs is important; it teaches them how to be relaxed and confident when they meet new friends. However, a common mistake that many people make is introducing puppies to too many dogs, too casually, and...

How to Teach a Head Nod

One of the most powerful benefits of clicker training is the ability to teach creative behaviors quickly. The head nod is a fun, easy-to-train trick that will impress your friends. In dog sports like Canine Freestyle where creativity...

Teach Your Dog to Pivot

Pivoting, a behavior that requires a dog to change direction by moving her rear end while keeping her feet in place, is an essential skill for many canine sports including obedience, rally, freestyle, agility, and more. It is also a...

Polite Manners in Public

Being out and about with your dog is one of life’s greatest joys, but only if you have a dog that can behave well in public. Maybe you’ve already experienced the horror and embarrassment of your dog jumping up on a passing stranger as...

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. Fortunately, there are a number of other ways you...

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 is critical to raising well-adjusted,...

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 handy when you have multiple dogs and need...

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 walk turns to chaos with your dog...

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 series of gradual steps to build toward a...

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 of the nearby trigger, you can sing in...

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 that it doesn’t continue into adulthood....

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 dog Keiko demonstrate some of the...

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 anxiety is one of the reasons that,...

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… and then disappears. Game over! Many dogs...

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 worthwhile behavior to train—and it’s easy!...

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 that you can rely on. Secondary, or...

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 series, KPA CTP Imogen Poropat works...

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) devote 100% of the organizations’ energy...

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 setting. Private consults can be...

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 Part 2, Debbie demonstrates how to...

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 rapidly growing constituency of more than...

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 need to set up two cones and teach your...

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 how to teach the bow when starting in...

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 you and your dog. The crate can become a...

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 and hold it in front of your dog’s muzzle....

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, like being underfoot when you are...

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 complaints that pet parents have; it is one...

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 stationary position, pet owners can help to...

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, as well as for increasing confidence in...

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 steps for ensuring that puppies are...

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 place where your dog can escape as needed...

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 retrieve the object on...

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 object on the ground? Teaching your dog...

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 eye-drop bottle, your dog now has positive...

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 arousal and risk of injury. By being...

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 learn about their environment. Sniffing...

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 be a traumatic experience! By getting...

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 busy these days!), household agreement...

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, Juliana shares highlights from her own...

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 communicating to your dog precisely which...

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. This year, 14 scholarships for $2,500...

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 neighborhood in Singapore. Joy offers...

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 the beginning, you will want to confine...

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 CTP Kristen Lee is teaching her dog Jenna...

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 Pup, in New Jersey—and beloved dogs of his...

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 support provided by Korea-based KPA...

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 using raised platforms. The platforms...

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 training, but it exposes puppies to novel...

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 that your dog responds only to the...

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 humans!) Fortunately, you can still provide...

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 music (canine freestyle), and rally. In...

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 Codi learning to follow a target to shape...

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 precaution when they examine dogs without...

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 (application deadline 5/5/21)....

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 President Biden, his family, and the family...

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 behavior list. In this video, KPA...

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 teaching the dog his or her name. The...

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 to teach her dog Rim Shot to flip a...

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 and prevent conflicts that often result...

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 variety to your training routine and helps...

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, 2021 and save $200.)...

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 for the caregiver and frightening for...

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 what to do and can participate. This...

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 (application deadline 5/5/21)....

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 confined spaces, such as a crate, explores...

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 example, your dog may grab food that could be...

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 comforts, they are subjected to a constant...

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 some instances, the recall behavior could...

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 throat, you may lose your dog’s hard-earned...

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 often already stressed, so wearing a...

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 teach your dog to jump off. However, did...

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 early age. By exposing puppies to new and...

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 transport. It is also useful for training...

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 of the car. In this video, Karen Pryor...

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 object with duration. In this video,...

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, Juliana Willems, Kiki Yablon, and Andre...

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 mentally stimulating, but the behavior can be a...

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 video, KPA CTP Tara Oster is teaching...

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 out on critical exposure to other pups,...

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 demonstrate how to add distance to Rugby’s go-outs....

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 throughout the performance. Canine...

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 captured the pawing behavior....

Training in the Shelter: Introduction to Targeting