FACULTY
You are a lucky dog!
We are known for our exceptionally qualified teachers and their commitment to students.
Nan Arthur, KPA CTP, is a member of the Karen Pryor Academy Faculty. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program. She has been training with positive reinforcement and operant conditioning since 1994, and is committed to using only positive methods with both humans and animals. Through her teaching, Nan opens the lines of communication between species. Nan is also a graduate of KPA's Puppy Start Right for Instructors course.
Nan is the author of the popular book Chill Out Fido! How to Calm Your Dog, and regularly contributes to publications. She is the owner of Beacon of Hope Dog Behavior and Training in the San Diego are and is also involved with Freedom Dogs, a local service dog group that specializes in providing dogs to soldiers wounded with PTSD.
Nan teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program in California, often at her training facility in beautiful Alpine, CA. See upcoming classes
Steve Benjamin, KPA CTP, is a member of the Karen Pryor Academy Faculty. He teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program as well as Dog Trainer Foundations course. Steve retired from the federal government in January 2004 to pursue his passion for working with dogs and their owners. Steve hails from upstate NY where he owns the training center Clicking with Canines in Endicott, NY. Steve specializes in teaching clicker training to his clients, helping them teach their dogs to be socially acceptable, happy, and intelligent family pets. He teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program in upstate New York (spring/summer) and Florida (fall/winter).
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Sara Benton, KPA CTP, is a member of the Karen Pryor Academy Faculty. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program. A fully qualified zoologist, veterinary nurse, animal trainer, and behaviorist, Sara Benton has more than 10 years of experience working with animals of many different species, from cats and dogs to bears and wolves.
Sara earned a BSc Honours degree in Zoology before studying to become a veterinary nurse. Between university and veterinary work, she gained experience in many different places, including zoos, wildlife parks, general practices, charity clinics, and referral practices. Sara ran Premier Paws Training Education, providing training and behaviour services to clients, as well as organising educational events for professionals and the public alike, for several years. Sara has recently returned to veterinary practice where she is a strong advocate for low stress handling and helping owners better understand their animals. Sara teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program in the UK and Western Europe.
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Hannah Branigan, KPA CTP, is a member of the Karen Pryor Academy Faculty. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program. Hannah believes that people and animals learn best in an environment free of criticism. It is her mission to make training fun and enjoyable for dogs and their handlers. Hannah owns Wonderpups training and is particularly well known for her competition obedience teaching and achievements. She is also a member of the ClickerExpo conference faculty where she teaches popular seminars related to canine sports. Increasingly, she is known for her award-winning podcast, Drinking from The Toilet. Hannah teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program, most often in the southeast, usually in North Carolina. See upcoming classes
Shelly Brouwer, KPA CTP, is a member of the Karen Pryor Academy Faculty. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program (2010). In addition to teaching, Shelly is a Course Developer for Karen Pryor Academy where she helps to develop new courses, and update curricula.
Shelly has been training animals since 1999 when she began as a marine mammal trainer at the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon, FL. She has also served as a marine mammal trainer at the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT, and at the Minnesota Zoo in Minneapolis and as the Training and Behavior Manager at the Humane Society of Boulder, CO. There, she oversaw the development and implementation of the Society's Behavior Modification Program for shelter animals and the public dog training classes.
Shelly teaches the Dog Trainer Professional Program around the Midwest of the United States and often in her home state of Minnesota. See upcoming classes
Carolyn Clark, KPA CTP, is a member of the Karen Pryor Academy Faculty where she teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program as well as the Dog Trainer Foundations course.. Carolyn has a background in education. She has taught elementary school in Ottawa and, at the college level, classes in the continuing education department at Algonquin College and the Carleton Board of Education. A guest lecturer at the Veterinary Technician program at Algonquin College, Carolyn has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in pastoral group work, as well as an Ontario teacher certificate. She Teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program in her native Canada. See upcoming classes
Alexis Davidson, KPA CTP, is a member of the Karen Pryor Academy Faculty. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program.
Alexis established her business, Scholars in Collars, in 2002. Her primary focus is helping people understand dog behaviour, and showing owners how to teach their dogs to become well-mannered companions.
Alexis is committed to positive reinforcement for both dogs and owners. She continues to learn about dogs, training, and behaviour, and regularly attends workshops, seminars, and conferences both in Australia and overseas. Alexis teaches the Dog Trainer Professional Program in her home country, Australia and lives in the Adelaide Hills. See upcoming classes
Helix Fairweather, KPA CTP, is Member of the Clicker Expo faculty. She teaches both the Dog Trainer Professional program and the Dog Trainer Foundations course. She has been clicker training since 1996 and is committed to this way of communicating with dogs.
Helix’s wish is for force-free training to become the social norm. She offers group classes and private consultations, all with the goal of helping people and their dogs learn to live together and have fun. Helix’s wish is for force-free training to become the social norm. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional course in the Pacific Northwest. See upcoming classes
Leanne Falkingham, KPA CTP, teaches and co-authored with Steve Benjamin the Shelter Training & Enrichment course. She is a graduate of the KPA Dog Trainer Professional Program (2008).
Leanne Falkingham has worked with many shelters in four states, hands-on with thousands of dogs and cats and hundreds of adoptive families. She has served as Behavior and Training Manager for two New York area shelters and one Chicago-area shelter, expanding enrichment, training, behavior modification, and volunteer programs. While serving as a Shelter Manager for a dog and cat shelter in New York, Leanne discovered that clicker training was the best way to reach animals that were shut down, scared, or trapped in patterns of unwanted behaviors like jumping up, mouthing, barking, and more. In addition to being a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partnee, Leanne is a CPDT-KA. Since 2012, she has focused on private dog training, helping individuals and families to live harmoniously with their dogs through her company Chewed Shoes. Help shelters with Leanne
Terrie Hayward, KPA-CTP, is a Karen Pryor Academy Faculty Member. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program. She is the owner of PAW-Positive Animal Wellness, LLC in Rincon, Puerto Rico. Terrie specializes in canine Separation Anxiety cases. She works in person and remotely with families and their animal companions, presents workshops, travels, and consults focusing on positive reinforcement interactions and modifying behavior through applications in behavior analysis. She is also the author of the pocket guide to working with deaf dogs titled, "A Deaf Dog Joins the Family, Training, Education, and Communication for a Smooth Transition". Terrie teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program on both her adopted home island of Puerto Rico and on the mainland USA. See upcoming classes
Laurie Luck, KPA-CTP, is a Karen Pryor Academy Faculty Member. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program. She served as President of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), and is a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). Laurie is the owner of Smart Dog University and has been working with dogs and their owners since 1994. Lauries specializes in teaching dogs and their people how to work together. She loves what she does and has developed many happy friendships, both canine and human, along the way.
When she is not teaching, Laurie raises and train service dogs for a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing service dogs to assist people with disabilities and has raised and trained service dogs for Hero Dogs, a charitable organization based in Maryland. Laurie and her dog are Delta Society-certified Pet Partners. Tango is a therapy dog and we are involved in the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program, helping children to improve their reading skills. A social media junkie she can be found at all the usual hangouts and her Smart Dog Blog, Laurie is a also a regular speaker at the ClickerExpo conference.
Laurie teaches the Dog Trainer Professional Program in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area as well as other areas of the country. See upcoming classes
Debbie Martin, KPA CTP, co-teaches and is the co-author of the course Puppy Start Right for Instructors. Debbie is among only 14 veterinary technicians to have achieved the status of a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behavior. She is also an avid trainer and teacher. Debbie graduated from, and went on to work as faculty for, the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program from 2010-2016, Not only are Debbie Martin and her partner Dr. Ken Martin highly qualified veterinary professionals, they are also extremely experienced trainers and handlers. They have trained and handled their dogs in AKC Conformation, Obedience, Rally, Agility, Search and Rescue, Dog Therapy, and Ringsports. Debbie is also a frequent lecturer at veterinary conferences and speaks internationally in the dog training world, including ClickerExpo where she is a member of the Faculty. Debbie is the co-author of Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for the Companion Dog and her writing has been featured in the Veterinary Technician, Today's Veterinary Technician, and American Veterinarian journals. Learn to Teach Puppy Classes with Debbie
Dr. Ken Martin, co-teaches and is the co-author of Puppy Start Right for Instructors. Dr. Martin is one of only 72 veterinarians in the world to obtain the status of a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. He completed a clinical behavioral medicine residency at Purdue University's Animal Behavior Clinic under the mentorship of Dr. Andrew Luescher PhD, DVM, DACVB in 2004 and graduated from Louisiana State University - School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. He was invited to join Phi Zeta, the honor society of veterinary medicine, while at Purdue University. Ken is not just a veterinary behaviorist, he is also an avid dog trainer. He began training dogs for AKC obedience and conformation when he was just eight years old. Dr. Martin also assisted with the training of search and rescue dogs in the New Orleans area. Ken is the co-author of Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for the Companion Dog and her writing has been featured in the Veterinary Technician, Today's Veterinary Technician, and American Veterinarian journals. Learn to Teach Puppy Classes with Ken
Laura Monaco Torelli, KPA-CTP, is a Karen Pryor Academy Faculty Member. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program. In addition to her KPA CTP certification she is CPDT-KA, a TAGteach Level 2 Instructor, and Operation Socialization Certified Trainer (OSCT).
Laura is the founder of Animal Behavior Training Concepts. She and the company's training team work in collaboration with clients and animal health professionals to provide high-quality care for the animals in their lives. Force-free training principles and guidance are provided through seminars, interactive groups, and individual sessions. Laura is a a frequent speaker at the ClickerExpo conference on creating stress free veterinary procedures through positive reinforcement training.
Laura teaches the Dog Trainer Professional Program near her home in greater Chicago and the Midwest. See upcoming classes
Sarah Owings,, KPA-CTP, is a Karen Pryor Academy Faculty Member. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and a graduate of the program (2012). Sarah is passionate about reaching the difficult dog, and specializes in using clicker training principles to help transform the lives of fearful or shy dogs.
Sarah is the owner of Bridges Dog Training, and a co-creator of CyberDog Online. She is a member the ClickerExpo Faculty and has presented on topics including nosework, fluency and stimulus control. She is known for her innovative approaches to tough behavior problems, and her compassionate and insightful teaching. Sarah’s popular YouTube channel features videos that showcase clicker training, exotic-animal training, life enrichment for puppies and dogs, and her clients’ success stories. She has written articles for Clean Run and Veterinary Technician magazines and blogs regularly about what she calls Brave Learning and the Art of Loving Dogs.
In addition to a lifetime of working and living with a wide variety of animals, Sarah also had many years of experience as a kindergarten teacher where the joys and challenges of the classroom have fueled a passion for teaching, learning, and human connection.
Sarah lives in California with her wonderfully supportive husband, Fred, her mom, Morgan, two rescue dogs, Zoë and Maya, four house rabbits, three cats, one dove, a tortoise, and an iguana named Spot.
Emma Parsons, KPA CTP, is a Karen Pryor Academy Faculty Member. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program. Emma specializes in managing and rehabilitating the reactive and aggressive dog. She is the author of two highly popular books on this subject: Click to Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog; and Teaching the Reactive Dog Class: Leading the Journey from Reactivity to Reliability.
In addition to being a faculty member of Karen Pryor Academy, Emma is a Faculty Member of the ClickerExpo conferences. Emma delivers Click to Calm seminars around the world, teaching others how to manage and rehabilitate reactive and aggressive dogs. Emma is also a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and holds a BA degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She shares her life with her husband, Greg, and their four clicker-trained competition obedience/agility dogs; three Goldens, Lizzie-Taylor, Kayden-Blue, Austyn-Roque, and a Papillon, Wylie-Rae.
Emma teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program in the Massachusetts area. See upcoming classes
Michele Pouliot teaches KPA's Canine Freestyle course. Michele and her dogs are winners of multiple national and international competitions; they are known for creative behaviors and entertaining routines.
Michele and Listo made history in the World Canine Freestyle Organization as the first team to ever receive perfect “10” scores in both Artistic and Technical categories! They repeated this incredible achievement 23 more times with six different routines.
Michele instructs seminars nationally and internationally each year on clicker training and on the sport of canine musical freestyle. She is a member of the ClickerExpo conference faculty where teaches a variety of training's core elements including strategic reinforcement delivery, competition environments, stimulus control and creativity. Learn Freestyle with Michele
Ken Ramirez is the Executive Vice President and Chief Training Officer of Karen Pryor Academy and Karen Pryor Clicker Training where he both teaches and oversees all educational programming. Ken teaches courses online at Karen Pryor Academy, in-person at the ClickerExpo conferences, and at the KPCT National Training Center ("The Ranch”). His current online courses include his advanced courses on holistic reinforcement and training animals to understand and apply concepts (Smart Reinforcement, Concept Training,Modifier Cues)
A trainer and consultant for nearly 40 years with a global clientele, Ken has trained and cared for tens of thousands of species. Ken is highly active in animal conservation worldwide working with organizations to protect species from butterflies to elephants. Prior to joining KPCT, he served as Executive Vice President, Animal Care and Training, at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. Ken is the author of a seminal book on animal training, many articles, blogs and scientific publications. A selection of his lectures is available on streaming video.
Ken lives in the greater Seattle, WA area. Learn with Ken
Linda Ryan KPA CTP, is a member of the Karen Pryor Academy Faculty. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program. Linda owns Inspiring Pet Teaching and specializes in modern & scientific methods which, as well as being reliably effective, are kind & fair to the animals & humans we teach. Linda is one of a growing, a number of Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partners practicing in the U.K., and is one of the most qualified & experienced veterinary nurses in the UK. She is also a Canine & Feline Behaviour Practitioner, & an assessed member of INTO Dogs, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), U.K., & a member of the Association of Force Free Pet Professionals. Linda is based in the New Forest, UK and teaches the Dog Trainer Professional Program in the UK . See upcoming classes
Terry Ryan, KPA CTP, is a Karen Pryor Academy Faculty Member. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program. Terry founded Legacy Canine Behavior & Training in the early 1970’s with the goal of promoting humane and effective dog training techniques for a variety of pet, working dog and competitive applications.
For many years. Terry was a competitor and is a former AKC Judge. She was the Program Coordinator for the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University,where she focused on human-animal bond and animal assisted activity projects. Terry has served on numerous boards of a variety of pet-related organizations. She maintains a busy national and international workshop schedule and speaks at ClickerExpo. Terry teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program in the Pacific Northwest and overseas. She has a fondness for teaching the DTP World format and working with students from all over the world. See upcoming classes
Laura Van Arendonk Baugh, KPA CTP, is a member of the Karen Pryor Academy Faculty. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program (2008). Laura believes wholeheartedly in the ability of clicker training techniques to improve not only a dog's behavior but human interaction as well. She has a special enthusiasm for working with what others consider "over-the-top" dogs—dogs that are too energetic and too rambunctious to be controlled by conventional means!
Laura is the owner of Canines in Action and the author of the best-selling dog training book, Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out: Training Crazy Dogs from Over-the-Top to Under Control. She is a member of the ClickerExpo Faculty where she teaches on a variety of topics including back chaining, puppy socialization, and teaching. Laura is also a professional member of APDT. Laura hails from the Midwest and teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program across the country. See upcoming classes
Lindsay Wood Brown, KPA CTP, is a member of the Karen Pryor Academy Faculty. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program. Lindsay is also a board-certified Associate Applied Animal Behaviorist (ACAAB) by the Animal Behavior Society and holds a Master's degree in Psychology with a concentration in Animal Behavior. Lindsay is a Course Developer for KPA and has served as a KPA Faculty member since 2012. Lindsay specializes in resolving behavior conditions with a focus on resource guarding, fearful behavior, and dog/dog incompatibilities. Lindsay has consulted for animal shelters on the design and implementation of behavior programs, effective modification methods for a range of behavior conditions, and development of robust operational strategies to achieve behavioral health within the shelter.
Lindsay lives in Colorado and teaches the Dog Trainer Professional Program in the Rockies and other areas of the country. See upcoming classes
Sherrie Yuschak, KPA CTP is a member of the Karen Pryor Academy Faculty. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program (2014). Sherrie is the Veterinary Behavior Technician at North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. Her current duties include supporting the Behavioral Medicine Service, collaborating on behavioral research, educating hospital staff regarding low-stress handling techniques, and teaching veterinary students about behavior.
Sherrie's previous employment included small animal general medicine from 1997-2010. In 2011 she earned her VTS (Behavior). Sherrie graduated from Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior (KPA) as a Certified Training Partner (CTP) in 2014. Active in promoting behavior education, Sherrie previously served on the Board of the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians and is a member of their 2016 CE Committee. She is also a member of the Examination Committee for the Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians and Member at Large for the North Carolina Association of Veterinary Technicians. Other educational efforts by Sherrie include moderation of the message boards for the Veterinary Support Personnel Network and teaching an online program specifically for veterinary professionals as part of Family Paws Parent Education. All of Sherrie's endeavors place emphasis on strengthening the human-animal bond as a foundation to improve well-being.
Sherrie lives in North Carolina and teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program across the country. See upcoming classes