november 2021 KPA CTP of the Month
Marsha Penner, KPA CTP, was pretty much a dog training novice when she first attended ClickerExpo “to see what it was all about.” She had just started as a group training class assistant , but “knew very little about anything.” From “not knowing a soul” back then, Marsha now reports that some of her dearest friends are people she met at that Expo conference. “We are in close contact and try to see each other at Expo and outside of EXPO when we can.”
According to Marsha, ClickerExpo changed her world with its welcoming atmosphere and a learning environment that encouraged her to be a brave learner. The Expo experience convinced Marsha that she should apply for the KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program. “Those were my people.” Marsha completed the KPA DTP program in 2015 in Durham, North Carolina, “with the amazing Hannah Branigan.”
While she was new to dog training and found the KPA DTP program rigorous, Marsha also found it extremely useful and impactful. “My perspective on the world shifted. I was more mindful about incorporating positive reinforcement into my dog training and into all aspects of my life.” The support from her instructor and her KPA classmates helped Marsha complete the program with the 5-month-old puppy she had adopted from the shelter. “What was I thinking?” Marsha laughs. Marsha points to the specific feedback she received as particularly helpful. “Because feedback was structured in a specific way, it improved my training significantly.” Marsha believes that a strength of the DTP program is how it guides students through the process of giving valuable feedback—and receiving feedback, too. Lessons like those “not only make us better dog trainers, but also help us be better at offering feedback to clients,” says Marsha.
Marsha believes that a strength of the DTP program is how it guides students through the process of giving valuable feedback—and receiving feedback, too.
Marsha points out that Karen Pryor Academy “strives for excellence and does a wonderful job leading by example.” Multiple faculty members have emphasized the lesson that “good training speaks for itself.” As an example, Marsha notes situations with differences in opinion about how to train or the equipment to use. KPA has encouraged Marsha to show someone rather than tell someone. “Instead of using words or arguments to convince someone to change a behavior, strategy, or training tool, I show them. I ask them to make small changes and let them see the results for themselves.”
Her background in neuroscience has been helpful to Marsha. “An understanding of how neurons communicate, how they change with experience, how the nervous system deals with sensory information, and how memory systems are organized gives me a different framework for thinking about behavior as I observe it.” She enjoys talking with others about their own frameworks for training and behavior. “Some of the most interesting discussions I’ve had have been with clients who are therapists or teachers. Their perspectives on behavior from the human side are fascinating. It’s fun to fit pieces of information together to create a picture that includes both behavior and the brain!”
Outside of her work with animals, Marsha finds positive reinforcement training seeping into everyday life. “I think about arranging the environment to set myself up for success. I also try to reinforce all the nice things people do around me.” Marsha says these efforts are “a work in progress,” but she is getting better at noticing the good stuff and focusing less on what she does not like.
Marsha is dedicated to continuing education. She has fulfilled the requirements for Fear Free certification, certification through CCPDT and completed the Living and Learning with Animals course taught by Susan Friedman. “I also spent an incredible week at The Ranch where I learned so much and met some incredible people.” Marsha hopes to do more teaching; she is preparing a class called Neuroscience for Dog Trainers. “I’m sure I’ll learn as much as my students when all is said and done!” Marsha anticipates that most of her future goals will be impacted by the philosophy and science behind clicker training.