Pathways and Roadblocks to a Successful Training Career
Who Should Register?
- Considering a new career or career restart? Discover the steps needed to achieve this goal under the guidance of one of the world’s most experienced and successful trainers.
- Already have a career working with animals? Learn about the full range of career opportunities and what it takes to be successful in each.
- Looking for a new and fulfilling activity as you retire? Find out where there are opportunities to share your wisdom and dedication in the field.
Becoming a Certified Dog Trainer
Our Dog Trainer Professional program is based on the most up-to-date behavior science and modern training and teaching practices. It covers both the science and the practice of:
- dog training,
- behavior change,
- client teaching,
- problem-solving,
- and business management.
Meet Ken Ramirez
Ken Ramirez is the Executive Vice-President (EVP) and Chief Training Officer of Karen Pryor Clicker Training (KPCT). There he helps to oversee the vision, development, and implementation of training education programs for the organization.
A 50+-year veteran of animal care and training, Ken is a biologist and animal behaviorist who has overseen or consulted on training projects for many zoological organizations throughout the world. He began his training career working with guide dogs for the visually impaired and continues to work with organizations training dogs for service work, search-and-rescue, bomb detection, and narcotic detection. Ken has also maintained a close affiliation with pet training throughout his career.
Prior to his work with KPCT, Ken served as EVP of Animal Care and Animal Training at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium for more than 25 years. There he developed and supervised animal care and animal health programs, staff training and development, and public presentation programs for more than 32,000 animals. Ken has written for numerous scientific publications and authored countless popular articles. He is the author of the bestselling Animal Training: Successful Animal Management through Positive Reinforcement as well as his newest book, The Eye of the Trainer: Animal Training, Transformation, and Trust.
Ken taught a graduate course on animal training at Western Illinois University for 20 years and has been active in several professional organizations, including as a past president of the International Marine Animal Trainer’s Association (IMATA). He is actively involved in the creation of a certification process for animal trainers in zoological settings. Currently, Ken is developing courses and programming at The Ranch, the Karen Pryor National Training Center in the state of Washington.