BEHAVIOR CONSULTING EXCELLENCE

The Behavior Consulting Program reflects the KPA approach to behavior consulting and provides an integrated educational experience focused on teaching the skills of assessing and managing complex canine behavior cases using the combined disciplines of applied behavior science and positive reinforcement training. The BCP teaches case analysis, ethical decision-making, and intervention design when outcomes are uncertain or when standard training approaches do not reliably resolve the problem.

The BCP offers training and behavior professionals an integrated program of study, an option for our certification in behavior consulting, as well as the opportunity to “dip in” and take individual courses that can help fill in knowledge gaps or sharpen skills.

See the full curriculum map

The BCP is for training and behavior professionals who are already working with, or want to responsibly take on, complex behavior cases. The courses will strengthen your ability to assess cases, identify functional variables, and design ethically sound intervention plans under real-world constraints.

Whether your goal is continuing education or certification in the field, the BCP program is probably an excellent fit.

Continuing Education: The ten courses in the main BCP curriculum are open to all, but we advise that you have a solid level of knowledge and skill in positive reinforcement training before enrolling. The BCP courses are NOT entry-level; they all assume a solid understanding of learning theory, behavior, and positive reinforcement training. If you need that background, have a look instead at the Karen Pryor Academy course catalog for a wealth of education options that fit that need.

Certification:. The BCP pathway leading to the Specialist, Canine Behavior (SCB) certification consists of the ten courses in the main BCP curriculum plus the certification assessment. To qualify for KPA Certification, you must pass all courses in the main BCP curriculum and then pass the Certification Assessment. The final Certification Assessment will assess your ability to evaluate a variety of cases, work with clients, develop effective solutions, evaluate outcomes, and more. Your performance in the courses leading up to the Certification Assessment, particularly the Case Study Workshop, will be the strongest indicator of whether you should take the Assessment.

Should you pursue certification? The Certification Assessment is recommended only for experienced, knowledgeable training and behavioral professionals with strong positive reinforcement skills.

Please visit our guidance page to learn more.

The Behavior Consulting Program is open to professionals from a range of training and behavior backgrounds. Our philosophy and practices, which we use and teach, are grounded in applied behavioral science and effective positive reinforcement (often marker-based). You may enroll in one course, a few at a time, or in all of them at once.

All courses assume familiarity with the language, terminology, and practices of positive reinforcement training. We do not teach those training skills in the BCP courses. We want to set you up for success, so if you need that background, have a look instead at the Karen Pryor Academy course catalog for a wealth of education options that fit that need. You can also view our guidance page for more information

• Continuing education: The ten main courses in the BCP are open to everyone. You may enroll in one course, a few at a time, or in all of the courses at once.
• Certification Assessment: To qualify for KPA Certification, you must first pass all ten courses in the main BCP curriculum and then pass the Certification Assessment. The Certification Assessment is recommended for experienced, knowledgeable training and behavioral professionals with strong positive reinforcement skills.
  • Please visit the certification page to learn more.
  • See FAQ Section for the passing criteria

The two programs serve different but complementary professional roles.

The Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program is a professional-level education program offering a knowledge and skill-based certification across both professional dog training and client-teaching skills. It is rooted in marker-based positive reinforcement, operant conditioning, applied behavioral science, and learning theory, and is designed for students who want to enhance or start their careers as dog training professionals.

The Behavior Consulting Program focuses on complex behavior consulting—case assessment, analysis, and decision-making. It is also rooted in positive reinforcement, environmental management, and the tools and science of applied behavioral science. The BCP program offers a very flexible program; it serves students who want one or more courses on specific topics, as well as those who want a full, integrated program with an endpoint of KPA certification in the behavior consulting field.

No. Most courses in the Behavior Consulting Program do not require access to an animal. Only two courses (Classical Conditioning Part 1 & 2) require regular access to a dog or other animal. For those courses, you'll need access to a dog or other animal that will accept food from you and allow you to approach and touch them; there are no behavioral requirements beyond that. A reactive or nervous animal is fine, as long as you can work safely with them. The animal doesn't need to be yours; a pet belonging to a friend or family member works perfectly well, as does an animal you work or volunteer with. You also won't need frequent or extended access, just enough to complete a few specific exercises.

Course Descriptions

Yes, eligible students can earn the KPA Specialist, Canine Behavior certification. (SCB)
This credential signals demonstrated competence in assessing and managing complex canine behavior cases using applied behavior science.

Whether you are taking courses for your education or certification, the faculty and the courses in the main BCP curriculum are identical.

If you are taking the courses for your continuing education, you can take all or some of the courses in the main BCP curriculum.

Certification requires passing all courses in the main BCP curriculum and the Certification Assessment. Successful completion leads to the credential KPA Specialist, Canine Behavior (SCB).

The Certification Assessment is open to all training professionals who complete the requirement of passing all ten courses in the main BCP curriculum. In order to earn your certification, you will also need to agree to the KPA Professional Standards of Conduct, SCB.

You may add the Certification Assessment, provided you have met the requirements

You may also decide not to pursue certification, even if that was your original intent, and you are eligible.

Please see the student handbook for additional details.

An accelerated path to the Certification Assessment is planned for release in late 2026. This option will be available only to professionals who hold specific behavior consulting certifications.

Check back here later for more details on Accelerated Certification.

Passing scores for courses: The grading system and assessment methods vary by course to align with the content and skills being developed. When courses have numerical grades, they typically range from 80–85%,some courses are pass/fail without specific numerical scores. Some assessments within a course are designed for your educational feedback and don't count toward the course's final passing score.

Certification: Requires successful completion of all required courses, passing scores in each course, and passing the Certification Assessment. To be eligible to take the Certification Assessment, you must meet the passing criteria for all the coursework, including the Case Study Workshop. The Passing standard for the Certification Assessment is 80% per case on five of the eight possible cases. Also, in order to earn your certification, you need to agree to the KPA Professional Standards of Conduct, SCB.

For full details, please refer to the BCP Student Handbook.

Yes! The program is designed to reflect real professional lives while maintaining consistent academic standards.

In the All-Access and Modules packages, where you purchase multiple courses concurrently, you enroll in each course on your schedule and can pause between courses. If you purchase the All-Access package (which includes ten courses) you have five years (60 months) to complete all courses. If you purchase a Module package (which contains 2-3 courses), you have three years (36 months) to complete all the courses in that package. If you are taking the Certification Assessment, you must complete that within two years (24 months) of when you fulfilled the course requirements

Individual courses have specific completion requirements and time windows for accessing teacher support, so pausing in the middle of a course is generally not available or advisable. In the event of an extraordinary event, please reach out to support.

Yes. Here is the list of courses that are eligible for tuition credit, academic credit, or both.

With tuition credit, you save money. With academic credit, you receive credit for that course and will not be able to enroll in it.

Courses from KPCT (including courses at The Ranch and KPA Courses)

• Dog Trainer Professional
  • Tuition credits for DTP graduates are already built into tuition across all options.

• Handling Problem Behavior and Mistakes, Dive Deep, Training for Professionals
  • Tuition credit of $75 credit total for one or more of the courses listed above
  • No academic credit
  • You must produce a valid certificate of completion or have your payment and attendance verified through KPA
  • This credit can be applied only to All-Access and Module tuition plans. In All-Access, the credit will be applied to your original form of payment within 21 days after enrollment or after verification of the credit, whichever is later.
  •  In the case of a withdrawal, the credit will be reversed in the calculation of any refund due.
  • Under the module tuition plan, the credit will be applied within 45 days of completion of the BCP program (10 courses).

Additional Courses.

• How Behavior Works: Living and Learning with Animals with Dr. Susan Friedman through Behavior Works
  • Full academic credit for that course in the BCP and a tuition credit of $500
    • You must produce a valid certificate of completion
    • The $500 credit credit applies only to the purchase of All-Access tuition or the Module that includes that course.
    • The credit cannot be processed at enrollment; the credit will be applied to your original form of payment within 21 days after enrollment or after verification of the credit, whichever is later.
    •  In the case of a withdrawal, the credit will be reversed in calculating any refund due.
• CORE, CARS, or BEAR  through Shelter Playgroup Alliance (SPA)
  • Full academic credit for the Canine & Feline Body Language course in the BCP and a tuition credit of $200
    • You must produce a valid verification of completion
    • The $200 credit applies only to the purchase of All-Access tuition or the tuition for the Module for that includes that course.
    • The credit cannot be processed at enrollment; the credit will be applied to your original form of payment within 21 days after enrollment or after verification of the credit, whichever is later.
    •  In the case of a withdrawal, the credit will be reversed in calculating any refund due.

• Generally, there are no refunds for courses once you have paid for or begun that course.
• If you bought a tuition package with multiple courses included, and want to withdraw from that package,
  • Provided you withdraw from the package before enrolling/starting in any course in the package, you can get a refund of what you paid for the package, less the administrative fee (see below),.
  • If you have begun any of the courses in the package, a specific refund formula is applied to determine your refund. Please see the student handbook for full details
  • Refunds are subject to a 12-month eligibility period from purchase for both All-Access and multi-course modules. Please see the student handbook for full details.
• For any withdrawal that is eligible for a refund, the following fees apply,
  • A $28 administrative fee will be assessed on purchases of a single course (A la carte purchase)
  • A $48 administrative fee is applied to purchases of course packages (Modules and All-Access). This replaces, and is not in addition to, the per-course administrative fee

The above are guidelines; please see the student handbook for full details

Our goal is that professionals will find that the knowledge and skills they learn in the BCP improve their clarity and confidence in the behavior consulting arena. Students should be able to work effectively and confidently with complex cases and, with KPA certification, represent themselves professionally with those skills. In our experience with behavior cases, the cost of the full BCP program’s tuition and earned certification can often be covered with just 5-8 new behavior cases.

These statements do not constitute a guarantee of a return. The time required for any specific financial payback depends on your role, talents, current and future case mix, fees, market conditions, and workload.