It’s All Connected: Modern Loose-Leash Walking

live with Kiki Yablon

A KPA LIVE!™ Class featuring real-time training and coaching WITH kiki

Available to Watch On Demand

A game-changing approach to loose-leash walking for you, your dog, and your clients.

Join Kiki and learn a connected, dog-centric way of walking on a loose leash.
Sold out! Sign up to get notified about future LIVE classes and enjoy our monthly Education newsletter featuring training tips, videos, and more.

Enrollment opens on August 6, 2024. Spots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis! 

Hurry! Registration for Engage experience closes June 22 and Dog/Handler (Excel) Spots are sold out.

Enrollment is open! Spots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis! 

LEARN, PRACTICE, SHARE


LIVE learning brings concepts to life

LEARN

Six weeks of training, a week-by-week curriculum integrated with four LIVE virtual classes with real-time coaching, interactive learning, and Q&A. Super educational, super fun.

PRACTICE

The LIVE week-by-week curriculum integrates with, and prepares you for, the weekly LIVE class. New levels of advancement each week!

SHARE

Ask questions and share insights, pics, and your training videos. Celebrate progress together!

A week-by-week curriculum guides your learning every step of the way. Each week, join your classmates for one of four LIVE classes for real-time training and personalized interactive coaching, plus Q&A with your instructor. You will see other students practice the behaviors, hear your instructor’s feedback, make adjustments, and improve their training. Each of these Zoom-based classes is two hours long. All students get access to the full week-by-week curriculum and class forum. In each Zoom class:

  • Engage students watch training and your instructor’s coaching and can ask questions through Zoom chat.
  • Excel students get personalized real-time coaching and feedback on their training during the Zoom class PLUS on-screen Q&A.

Miss a class? No problem. LIVE classes are also recorded.

Let's Begin This Fabulous Journey, Together

KPA-Live-Classes-Learning-Journey-DesktopKPA-Live-Classes-Learning-Journey-Mobile
See What's Covered in Each unit

COMPARE STUDENT LEVELS

CHOOSE YOUR STUDENT EXPERIENCE

  • In the Engage experience, you receive the four LIVE classes over Zoom; the integrated weekly course curriculum with both video and written exercises to train your dog; the class discussion forum for comments, questions, and video sharing; access to the class recordings and curriculum for one year.
  • In the Excel experience, you get everything above, plus you are one of 8 students that the instructor will personally coach week-by-week through the class material. Instructor support includes feedback on your video submissions, coaching, prioritized Q&A during each LIVE class, and a detailed written assessment of your progress.

Compare the differences below and choose the experience that works best for you!

Excel

SOLD OUT

$399

Only 8 spots

Engage

$199

limited enrollments

SOLD OUT

4 LIVE Classes over 6 weeks, 2-2.5 hours each, 8.5 hours total

LIVE Class

Real-time coaching during LIVE classes

full participation

observe only

Q&A during LIVE classes
Recordings available post-class

4-unit curriculum coordinated with LIVE class. Includes:

  • Weekly skill videos, webinar-style (pre-recorded)

Coordinated
Curriculum

  • Fun, weekly training exercises and training challenges (downloadable)
  • Written weekly feedback on practice training videos
Weekly training time recommended for exercises

1.5-2 hours weekly

1.5-2 hours weekly

Access to class discussion forum for sharing comments, questions, and videos
Share comments

Discussion
Forum

Ask the instructor written training questions

Share practice videos and receive Instructor feedback

Up to 5 minutes per unit and 20 minutes total

Observe instructor feedback on
student videos

Share practice training videos with
the class
Unlimited submissions
Unlimited submissions
Eligible for SkillCheck assessment

SkillCheck

Evaluation
from Ken Ramirez

Submit assessment video for up to 30 days
after the class ends

Eligible to earn SkillCheck designation in Snake Avoidance (must meet set criteria)
LIVE class recordings - 1 year

Post Course
Access

Unit video lectures - 1 year

Unit exercises and training challenges - 1 year

More

Course-completion certificate
CEU-eligible

Side by side comparison

CHOOSE YOUR STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Enroll for the Engage or Excel student experience.

  • In the Engage experience, you receive the four LIVE classes over Zoom; the integrated weekly course curriculum with both video and written exercises to train your dog; the class discussion forum for comments, questions, and video sharing; access to the class recordings and curriculum for one year.
  • In the Excel experience, you get everything above plus you are one of eight students that the instructor will personally coach week-by-week through the class material. Instructor support includes feedback on your video submissions, coaching, prioritized Q&A during each LIVE class, and a detailed written assessment of your progress.

Compare the differences below and choose the experience that works best for you!

LIVE Class

4 LIVE Classes over 5 weeks, 2-2.5 hours each, 8.5 hours total

Real-time coaching during LIVE classes (observe only)

Q&A during LIVE classes
Recordings available post-class

Coordinated Curriculum

4-unit curriculum coordinated with LIVE class. Includes:
  • Weekly skill videos, webinar-style, pre-recorded
  • Weekly fun training exercises and training challenges, downloadable
Weekly training time suggested for exercises (1.5-2 hours weekly)

Discussion Forum

Class discussion forum for sharing comments, questions, and videos
Share comments

See instructor feedback on
student videos

Share practice training videos with the class (Unlimited submissions)

Post Course Access

Unit video lectures - 1 year
Unit exercises and training challenges - 1 year

More

Course-completion certificate
CEU-eligible

LIVE Class

4 LIVE Classes over 5 weeks, 2-2.5 hours each, 8.5 hours total

Real-time coaching during LIVE classes (full participation)
Q&A during LIVE classes
Recordings available post-class

Coordinated Curriculum

4-unit curriculum coordinated with LIVE class. Includes:
  • Weekly skill videos, webinar-style, pre-recorded
  • Weekly fun training exercises and training challenges, downloadable
  • Written weekly feedback on practice training videos
Weekly training time suggested for exercises (1.5-2 hours weekly)

Discussion Forum

Class discussion forum for sharing comments, questions, and videos
Share comments

Ask the instructor written training questions

Share practice videos and receive instructor feedback Up to 5 minutes per unit and 20 minutes total

See instructor feedback on
student videos

Share practice training videos with the class (Unlimited submissions)

SkillCheck

Eligible for SkillCheck assessment
Evaluation from Ken Ramirez
Submit assessment video for up to 30 days after the class ends
Eligible to earn SkillCheck designation in Snake Avoidance (must meet set criteria)

Post Course Access

Unit video lectures - 1 year
Unit exercises and training challenges - 1 year

More

Course-completion certificate
CEU-eligible
KPA-Live-Class Its All Connected Modern Loose Leash Walking LIVE with Kiki Yablon

LEARN WITH Kiki Yablon

Kiki Yablon, MA, KPA CTP, CPDT-KA, is a dog trainer with a master’s degree in applied behavior analysis. In addition to helping pet guardians and their animals, Kiki teaches fellow professionals as a Karen Pryor Academy faculty member and a co-instructor for Susan Friedman’s Behavior Works. She also combines her knowledge of behavior analysis with her skills as a former magazine editor to write about the application of science to animal training in an accessible way on her blog at kikiyablondogtraining.com. Kiki lives in Chicago with her husband and their dog, Finn.

Here's What You'll Be Learning UNIT by UNIT

1

Overview and Handler Skills

Unit 1 starts by focusing on the human end of the leash. You will learn how to approach loose-leash walking as a sequence of behaviors that can include any skills important to your setting and goals and what to consider when selecting equipment, as well as several leash-handling and reinforcement delivery skills that Kiki recommends as the foundation for most loose-leash walking applications. 

Topics include:

  • Envisioning your walk as a behavior chain or sequence 
  • Setting yourself up for success, including equipment selection
  • Leash handling techniques
  • Reinforcement procedures

    2

    Dog Skills

    In Unit 2, you will begin teaching your dog skills for loose-leash cooperation. Starting in low-distraction environments at home and off-leash, you will work with your dog on a selection of exercises that Kiki most commonly teaches to start or refine loose-leash walking. Some exercises are foundational, while others are “missing links” that can enhance existing loose-leash walking systems needing refinement. 

    Topics include:

    • Attention 
    • Moving forward
    • Directional signals and waiting

    3

    Fluency, Generalization, and Transitioning to Naturally Occurring Reinforcement

    In this unit, you’ll learn how to practice individual dog and handler skills in increasingly more challenging environments, as well as what to do if the leash goes tight.

    Topics include:

    • Handling distractions
    • Building duration
    • Generalization
    • Leash tension

      4

      Putting it All Together

      In this unit, you’ll learn how to chain the skills you’ve developed on the fly, in response to your environment, and how to identify and troubleshoot “missing links.” Excel students will have the opportunity to share and discuss their video of working in outdoor settings. 

      Topics include: 

      • Building chains and sequences
      • Incorporating naturally occurring reinforcers
      • Odds and ends