february 2022 KPA CTP of the Month
A veterinary nurse, Leah Bria, KPA CTP, transitioned to animal training after teaching puppy preschool classes at the vet clinic where she was employed. After hearing about the course from a coworker, Leah enrolled in the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Foundations course; ultimately, she completed the KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program and received certification. Leah completed the DTP program in Adelaide, South Australia, in 2019 with Alexis Davison.
Leah calls the DTP program “very informative.” She found behavior chains to be the most illuminating and helpful part of the course. “I learned how owners can teach undesirable behaviors accidentally and turn them into behavior chains.” While Leah admits that there were challenging parts to the program, she explains that the challenges were due to the considerable amount of material there was to cover in a short time period of time.
The KPA program has helped Leah adapt her business and made her better equipped to teach clients. With skills and knowledge from the program, Leah offers positive training instruction to pet parents through her business, Paws Adventure (she has also found herself making positive suggestions to dog/human pairs when she is out and about!). At Paws Adventures, services include private training (including for puppies), solo or group outside adventures, hydrotherapy, photography, and other offerings. Leah often works with groups of dogs and credits the KPA courses for enhancing her ability to teach dog behavior and training skills. When Leah was pregnant, she called on her knowledge from the KPA DTP program to train a new puppy. Since then, she has been successful introducing dogs to babies and children.
The KPA program has helped Leah adapt her business and made her better equipped to teach clients.
Leah recalls working with “an anxious and fearful Kelpie cross.” The dog’s owners were worried that he might bite someone. With her KPA-acquired skills, Leah was soon able to calm the usually panicked dog enough that he would sleep as she chatted with the owners. This dog also pulled on the leash when he was on a walk, reacting anxiously to triggers in the environment. Leah changed his leash and harness set-up and “within our first session I was able to walk him successfully.” The dog now exhibits beautiful loose-leash walking skills; the owners and the dog are living their best life together.
Having also completed the KPA Puppy Start Right for Instructors course, Leah hopes to enroll in other KPA courses. She plans to continue to use TAGteach with her child. “I now understand this great method of teaching children—and adults.” When and if she has more time, Leah would like to use what she has learned to train birds and help parrot owners. “These pets need just as much attention as dogs.”