Alex Lee, KPA CTP, is the new Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Country Manager in (South) Korea. Translating to Korean the course materials for the KPA Dog Trainer Foundations and Dog Trainer Foundations- Immersion courses, Alex is expanding the reach and breadth of KPA’s positive-reinforcement-based training community.
Now is the best time to consider switching careers and pursuing pet-dog training, as a side-hustle, a passion project, all-in fulltime employment, or starting your own business.
Brittany Thomas, KPA CTP, met a Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Certified Training Partner (CTP) when she was pursuing her certification as a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS, Behavior). Brittany remembers being impressed by the trainer’s manner with pets. “It seemed like she could get them to do anything; it seemed like magic! I was inspired by her ability to communicate with these animals, and I wanted that experience and skill for myself.” Brittany completed the KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program in October 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana, with Laura VanArendonk Baugh.
Kristina Dieta Setiabudi, KPA CTP, offers dog training services through her business, Puppy Colours in Singapore, focusing on puppies and fearful dogs in particular. Her own dog, Josh, inspired Kristina to learn more about reward-based training when she was able to help him with his fearful behavior using positive training methods. “There were not many qualified dog trainers or behavior consultants in Singapore,” Kristina explains. “I started to read books and watch online videos, helping Josh with my limited knowledge. I wanted to address the problem’s root cause, not just the symptoms.”
Georgette Lombardo, KPA CTP, Albuquerque The Magazine’s Top Trainer in 2020 and 2017 and among the Top 5 in 2016, 2018, and 2019, quit her corporate job and launched her own business after obtaining certification from the KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program in 2015. Pawsitive Training ABQ offers personalized in-home private training.
Cari Tetzlaff, KPA CTP, was searching for new ways to help at-risk dogs when she enrolled in the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program. A long-time staff member at the Oshkosh Area Humane Society (OAHS), in her then-role as Volunteer Coordinator Cari encountered many dogs that were not considered adoptable or had behavior issues in their adoptive homes. She remembers, “I knew there had to be a way to reach some of these animals, but I didn’t have the knowledge or skills to put the pieces of the puzzle together to help them get the outcomes they deserved.”
