A Challenging and Rewarding Journey with Karen Pryor Academy Over the years, I've had the opportunity to attend several ClickerExpo and APDT events, each one deepening my understanding of positive reinforcement training. But completing the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) was an entirely different level of commitment -- and growth. Make no mistake, this program is not for the faint of heart. Beyond the significant financial investment, it requires serious mental and physical dedication. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to challenge you. Expectations are high, and success demands strong time management, self-direction, and the ability to reach out when you need guidance. Fortunately, my instructor was incredibly accessible and responsive throughout the program, which made a big difference when I hit roadblocks. One of the most impactful parts of the course was the section involving a non-canine species. This opened my eyes to my own training style and forced me to examine my habits and assumptions in a whole new light. It was humbling, enlightening, and deeply valuable. So, is it worth it? Absolutely. Completing KPA has made me a more thoughtful, skilled, and empathetic trainer. Not only have I seen improvement in my work with my own dogs, but my ability to support and communicate with clients has grown tremendously. If you're serious about professional development in the world of force-free training, and ready to put in the work -- KPA is an experience that will push you and change you for the better. read more

Fraudulently reported over $4,000 to a collection agency for a program I briefly had access to and did not complete, in spite of me offering to pay for the very small portion I did review, and letting them know I wasn't able to complete the program due to a family emergency derailing my future plans. Snake oil business practices. read more

Instructor had zero desire to actually instruct or help. Would pretend not to understand basic questions. Allowed students to flounder. None of the information given was new and I received minimal to no feedback. The pace they want you to go at honestly made the exercises not fun for me or my dog. Waste of time and money. read more

Karen Pryor Academy is at the forefront of modern dog training, and is one of the most prestigious professional dog trainer schools in the world. Not only did I receive excellent hands-on instruction and accessible online learning, I also got access and ongoing learning from the larger KPA community of teachers, trainers, and other grads. When I was looking at which training school to go to, I decided on KPA (Karen Pryor Academy) because of the excellent blend of online and hands-on learning, and the priority and practice they placed on using positive reinforcement with humans as well as dogs. There are a lot of dog training schools out there that claim to have all the answers, and may often be led by one "guru." I think it's more impressive that KPA has MANY master dog trainers who have the experience, education, and practice within their community, and they are all able to work together to continue to support and teach the next generation of dog trainers. Wherever you decide to study dog training, please do your research in multiple places and get to know and talk to more graduates of the program via direct messaging/commenting on their social media posts and asking their opinions. There are MANY KPA graduates and teachers who are running or have run very profitable dog training businesses who can attest to the effectiveness of KPA too. You could also look at the KPA website or their social media pages to learn more about them, and compare what they post or present vs other schools. If you are really passionate about using dog training methods that don't require physical force or initimidation, and that DO prioritize the dog's well-being, then KPA is absolutely a great fit and worth every penny. I also recommend anyone looking into KPA go to ClickerExpo (it happens on the West Coast, East Coast, and Europe), where you can meet a lot of the teachers and graduates in-person! read more

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I am a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy. The Dog Trainer Professional course taught me more than I ever imagined. I went into this program knowing not much more than how to train some basic obedience skills to dogs, and came out with a thorough understanding of science-based learning which applies to all animals. I learned how to observe and assess animal behavior, how to create an appropriate training or behavior modification plan, and how to communicate with clients so they can effectively train their own pets. The coursework is challenging--lots of reading, writing, exam-taking, practical homework observing animal behavior, training specific behaviors, learning how to use different types of cues when training a dog and a second species (who knew I could train a cat?!). And then there are the four all-weekend workshops. My first thought on them is just "wow". They are absolutely invaluable. The instructor was exceptionally knowledgeable and engaging. She kept the workshops interesting and fun, but no less challenging than the online coursework. I cannot stress enough how much the hands-on work in these group sessions helped seal in all the knowledge obtained in the online coursework. Fellow students expressed to me the positive changes they saw in the dog I brought to these workshops and especially noticed how this dog and I bonded throughout this program. Karen Pryor is a highly-respected and world renowned trainer. She has set the bar on teaching animals in a way is not only kind and humane, but is scientifically backed. This academy expects no less of its students and thus requires 90% or better scores on exams and practical assessments. During the workshops, we had former KPA graduates as mentors to advise and guide us. These folks graciously donated their time to helping us be successful. Did it teach everything there possibly is to know about animal behavior and training? Of course not. I don't believe it is possible for any single program to do that. But it did lay a very solid foundation for me to become a professional dog trainer. As with any educational institution, I believe you get out of it what you put into it. The cost of the program is expensive, but the return on this investment is nothing short of amazing. I cannot speak to the complaints about the cost of retaking exams, etc. as I did not have to do that, but I can say that after graduation, there are many resources are available to us. From discounted insurance, training tools, employment opportunities to alumni support. Alumni (some of whom are very well known trainers, speakers and published authors) willingly offer support and guidance via an email group. The website also has a trainer directory for pet owners to look for trainers in their area. I am continually told by clients and referring veterinarians that they sought me out BECAUSE I am a Karen Pryor Academy graduate. read more

I use and apply the knowledge I have learned at the Karen Pryor Academy daily in my work with service dogs. It has given me a thorough understanding of animal behaviour. Rather then giving you specific instructions on how to deal with certain problems, the focus is on giving you the understanding needed to problem solve issues yourself. Not only did I learn a lot, the certification also has opened doors for me since the KPA is very well respected within the industry. read more

The price is not even close to what it is worth. You can get all of this information in books and studying yourself. The workshops were the best thing yet still slow and not worth the drive or money. The ideas are great, but you DO NOT NEED THIS COURSE to become a dog trainer. Nor do I think those that simply take this course should be. I spent soooo much money $7000+) for the course and travel, missing work, etc... only to get sick and not be able to finish the last workshop. SO they said I have to pay A THOUSAND MORE DOLLARS to finish. Its a racket. They truly only care about the money. This course is not overseen by ANY standardizing authority. It self-proclaims it's worth and caliber, without any corroboration from any association or education organization to agree or support those claims. The education materials are archaic - a PowerPoint?!! -- clumsy, tedious and they have no book or materials worth keeping. IE - there is no way to make notes, bookmark, or find a particular section again without clocking through THOUSANDS of pages. There's no way to practice ACTUALLY learning how to train a dog with real time help. It's inane. I've been through an equivalent of 9 years of school post high school and literally no other course compares to its low level of quality of materials, copy, education design. The value is piss poor. And in the next cohort ZERO people out of nine passed the final test. This shows that there's something wrong with the course and it's teachers. read more

2.77 stars overall, rounding up to 3. By Yelp's standards, 3 stars=A-OK, 4 stars=Yay, I'm a fan, 5 stars=as good as it gets. Based on that if I average out my KPA CTP experiences it's a 2.77. The point is that as an enterprise, the material is excellent. The instructors, however, like all humans in all professions, vary widely. It is a business, like any other (Kaplan, PIMA, etc). Breaking w/ the KPA style of "focus on the positive", I'll just quickly address pitfalls... mostly because MOST of the KPA faculty are pretty good to stellar, so it's more efficient to discuss the landmines, I wished I knew the spoken with & learned about the experiences of number (more than 4) of other professional dog trainers prior to committing (wasting!) the time & finances to Helix Fairweather's section in Oregon. Quite of few solid professional trainers did not finish with her & many finished in spite of her. In my personal experience & having talked to others who didn't finish through her or who finished with other KPA instructors, the experience with HF prepares those who go through her w/ somewhat FEWER skills than other KPA instructors. I have heard similar accounts from intelligent, reasonable KPA students who have gone through a few other instructors scattered through the nation. The fundamentals in the curriculum is a solid foundation the what ALL science-based dog trainers need to know but there is little that KPA currently offers as of 2018 that will adequately prepare people to be agility, IPO/protection sports people. If my goals were along those lines, KPA-CTP is good, but be sure to further one's learning in those specific fields. These types of evaluations are tricky because the student could also be less-than-ideal. BUT in the cases of much less-than-stellar instructors, some of them have rather poor graduation rates based on significant numbers. There is no evidence available to even graduates of KPA, that the administration has addressed this issue adequately (or even remotely). Overall, IMO, KPA-CTP is worth going through, IMO, *PROVIDED* one has a reasonably good instructor ("reasonably good" = I didn't even set that high of a criteria) & seeks trainers training beyond the KPA enterprise. For those interested in KPA-CTP, research the outcomes of prior students of the INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTOR one is considering & go from there. read more

I am so happy that I went through the Karen Pryor Dog Trainer Professional course. I learned so much - and it literally has changed the path of my life. The course is demanding and challenging...graduating is truly an accomplishment! My instructor was knowledgeable and accessible, and she and the other students in my group were extremely supportive and positive. The course itself was clear, well-organized and full of the most up-to-date animal learning and training science and videos. The workshops tied everything together and allowed us to hone our teaching and training skills in a supportive setting. read more

Fantastic investment, and a great program that has earned it's reputation as an industry leader. The combination of theoretical (online knowledge tests) and in-depthpractical assessments (training an actual dog to a high standard!) make for a enlightening program, even for experienced trainers. Yes, it is expensive and not everyone passes the rigorous assessments, and yes, if you do not pass you will not be certified without retaking the assessments, which are not free. At least in my case, my KPA instructor had to fly to our location and rent a facility for us to use during workshops and assessments. So, it makes sense to me that additional attempts to pass the assessment are not cheap. I love that KPA opens its doors to both new and experienced trainers, but that does mean that some individuals are not yet ready at the end of 6 months to pass the certification exam. That's ok! You still have the benefit of the course including all the information and workshops, just not the certification. When you are ready, go for it! And I support KPA's decisions to keep its certification standards high enough that the designation KPA-CTP means something! I graduated last year and KPA has really ramped up it's business advice, pairing with Dog-tec. I'm so happy to have gone through KPA, for the systematic and clear presentation of excellent training advice, for the attitude of the program, its instructors and alumni, and for the continuing access to an invaluable community of fellow KPA-CTPs who are available with advice and experience whenever I'm stumped on a training issue. In six months, I'd earned dollar back that I put into the program by implementing new strategies with new/existing clients, business practices, and training techniques. read more

The Karen Pryor Academy offers the most modern, science-based courses and educational resources for animal trainers. I've completed several courses including the Dog Trainer Professional course. If you are looking to further your dog training education or looking for the best trainers in the business this is the place. The support I've received from this organization is outstanding. read more

I was bullied out of the program because according to my instructor I was not embracing their philosophy. I completed all assignments and when their techniques weren't working on my dog I was blamed and discouraged. My instructor tried to make me switch to auditing after the first workshop and made my life hell from then on. After the 3rd workshop, my instructor decided to bar me from the 4th workshop. I thought this was ridiculous since I paid for the course and should have complete access to it that any other customer has. I reached out to a person above my instructor explaining what I had been told and how I felt I had a right to attend the 4th workshop even if I would not be certified. Over a week later, she responded that she had arranged for me to watch over zoom. I would not be allowed to participate at all. Save your money and go somewhere else. This place sucks. read more

I did not have a pleasant experience. The program lacks in a lot of necessary skills for being a professional.

The initial expense was a huge hurdle but I have found the knowledge obtained and ongoing support to be priceless.

We have sent 3 staff members to KPA and plan on sending another one this fall. I have been training dogs for 35 years. 30 years ago I picked up a book by Karen Pryor called "A Dog and a Dolphin!" It changed the way I work with dogs. We now have an extremely successful pet resort and dog training school. I myself have traveled the world training and competing with my dogs. I really feel you get what you pay for. This is not an easy course. Yet it is one of the best. You will only graduate if you understand and learn the material. I for one highly recommend this academy. I have witnessed trainers grow to a level of understanding and knowledge that I have not seen in other programs. read more

I owe my entire start in the science of dog training to my experience with KPA courses and Instructors. I've been training dogs for decades but it wasn't until I took the initial professional dog training course from the Karen Pryor Academy that I learned the science behind this training. Many of my trainer colleagues and I used the "pull and release " leash technique to get dogs to do what we wanted. What a joy it was to learn how to get our dogs to do what we wanted them to do through positive reinforcement only. My Instructor, Emma Parsons, is a gem and would stand on her head to support me. And with the Alumni listserv, it's continued leaning and support. I encourage people to take the KPA courses! read more

I went through, and graduated from, the Karen Pryor Academy's Professional Dog Trainer course in 2013. I'd been teaching people and their dogs since 2004. $ - Well worth the investment. My instructor was super knowledgeable, and extremely supportive. She wanted everyone in the class to succeed. Yes, most of the training is on line, but what training it is! We had to pass online assessments with a fairly high score for each module, do multiple training tasks with our dog for each module. We had to write training plans for certain modules. Additionally, there were 3 weekend workshops well spaced through the course, with the final 2 days being the instructor exam (how well one communicates with and instructs people with their dogs), and another exam that included our dog - 10 behaviors, chained together - the dog had to perform the behavior chain with a variety of cues and no treats till the end! I learned more than I thought I would! The Karen Pryor Academy Professional Dog Trainer's course is highly recommended! read more

I received my certification about 18 months ago. The program was thorough and challenging. I felt I had really achieved something when I graduated. I am now a personal dog trainer. I love the fact that they use only positive methods. I was able to do the bulk of the material online and then had four weekends with the teacher where she could observe my skills with my own dog. I now have the added benefit of the alum group online to ask questions or learn from what others are doing. Very helpful! I earned back the money I spent on the program in one year. I really enjoyed the experience and feel like I still have support if needed. read more

Excellent courses for professional trainers and pet owners. The course content is very well organized, and the feedback from instructors is superb. I would not be a successful professional trainer today without having completed the professional dog trainer course. The online platform is concise and user-friendly, which is not the case with many online education platforms. The number and variety of course offerings continues to grow, and I continue to recommend KPA to trainers of every level. read more

Exceptional Program ! The Karen Pryor Academy Professional dog training program taught me many invaluable skills to which i have applied everyday since graduating. It is a knowledge that opens your eyes to a whole new prespective and gives you the tools to succeed " positively" Highly Recommended ! read more

Karen Pryor Academy is a canine clicker training academy with numerous locations around the United States. I had been a dog training instructor and had studied dogs and dog training for years, so I thought that enrolling in this academy would be a great way to improve my prospects and start a real career as a dog training and behavior instructor and consultant. The school was almost entirely online with four weekend workshops every few months. The online portion included graduate level academic studies, essays, term papers and tests which covered detailed aspects of clicker training as well as a chapter on canine behavior. We were required to practice what we were learning with our own dogs at home. While working online, my classmates and I had absolutely zero input from the instructor, who was busy traveling and teaching around the world in between workshops. In addition to the hefty $5000 tuition, students had to take care of the cost of travel and lodging to four weekend workshops where students practiced various forms of clicker training with their own dogs and eventually worked a day or two at the end of the program as mock instructors with the other students and their dogs. The final exams included a test which covered the entire program, a chained set of behaviors with our own dogs, and a short mock dog training session with the other students. I found that I did not get enough dog training foundation nor input from the program instructor both online and during the workshops. Since many of the other students were more experienced and highly competitive, neither they nor the instructor had the time nor the patience to support those of us who were not as proficient. Along with this lack of support, the Karen Pryor Academy had advertised that students would have assistance in building their businesses, but this part of the program was almost completely nonexistent. After graduating, I had a great deal of trouble not only starting my own dog training business, but even landing a job as an instructor with an established training facility. Overall, I would never have enrolled in Karen Pryor Academy if I had known that I was not going get any help with my career. I also would not have enrolled if I had known about the backlash I would get from the non-clicker training community, and how utterly difficult it is to maintain a lucrative career as a dog trainer. read more

Karen Pryor Academy is where everyone should start their dog training career. The science-based training methods and well-thought out curriculum accelerates a student's learning process. After graduation, the community support is second to none. The continuing education opportunities range from Clicker Expo to webinars to hands-on training at the Ranch. This is the ultimate all-in-one training program. Pamela Leland KPA CTP read more

I graduated from Karen Pryor Academy in 2015, don't remember anyone named "April in San Diego" at the course, and I had a very different experience from her. KPA Instructor Nan Arthur was a top-notch teacher, extremely helpful in fine-tuning during 4 San Diego workshops what we students practiced on our own at home. Wish there had been more emphasis on behavior (why I gave KPA 4 stars instead of 5) and the business component was lacking. However, KPA just offered KPA Certified Dog Trainers a free 1 year online business component created by Dog-Tec. And I joined IAABC to take advantage of their free & paid webinars to become more knowledgeable about behavior mod. Yes it was expensive. But worth it IMO. read more

Amazing program! I learned so much and loved my instructor. KPA is one of the best dog trainer programs around!

Here is the problem with the Karen Pryor Academy in a nutshell: None of the staff, not the instructors, not the rest of the staff, get as much reward when students pass the final assessments the first time as they do when students fail and have to take them again. And our instructor told us only 60% pass the first time. If you do not pass the final assessments, you have to pay $270 (I believe it is more now) and wait until the next class has gotten to the last workshop (about a year) to take them again. If you missed one of the four workshops for any reason, you have to pay $1000 and take all four again. That means if you missed the fourth workshop, you have to attend workshops 1, 2, and 3 all over again. This is straight out of the student handbook. I have been in contact with another student who, like me, was not able to complete the final assessments at the scheduled time. I had an accident, she became extremely ill. There are no exceptions to this rule. In fact another student tried to pay the $1000 to take the workshops again so she could take the assessments. She was told the class was full so she would not be allowed to participate unless she paid the whole tuition of $5300 AGAIN so she would be assured of a space. So instead of $5300, she would have been paying $10,600. When a student does not pass the first time, the instructor gets paid more money. When a student does not pass, the entire staff gets paid more. There is no incentive on the part of any of the Karen Pryor staff to work to make sure students learn what they need in order to do well. In fact our instructor was away and off email contact for most of the period when we were working hard to prepare for the final assessments. She was not even aware many of us had lost access to the online course and could not finish it and take the final exam in a timely manner. None of the 9 students in my class passed the final assessments. There is much incentive to not care or even hope people do not pass the first go round. Operant conditioning at its finest.... Guess I learned something from this course! read more

Wow. Where to start. This program (Dog Trainer Professional) was a game changer for me. Through a treasure trove of intense online lectures, training homework assignments and four workshop visits (totaling 8 days) I developed my ability to capture and/or shape a plethora of behaviors ranging in scope from intermediate to complex. I came to understand how to perceive a finalized, end goal behavior as a series of small steps that could be broken down into achievable parts that build upon one another. I learned to look at the dogs environment and perceive what aspects were helpful for the dog and what aspects needed changing in order to improve the dogs chances of success at a various task. This is an important cornerstone of behavior modification. Among many other valuable skill sets, KPA teaches a trainer how to think about the intersection of canine behavior and positive reinforcement and apply that to whatever training task they are undertaking. This is a crucial thinking skill since training tasks vary according to circumstance and the dog/people involved. I had already taken some workshops on clicker training so I wasn't a newbie but my mechanics and observational skills improved exponentially during this program and that's what I was counting on since KPA is an industry leader (as one other reviewer put it). My instructor was attentive, supportive, super skilled and always available - and I utilized that freely as there were some very challenging parts of the curriculum. These challenges when worked through expand a trainer's capacity to assess the efficiency of their strategy, troubleshoot what isn't working and make necessary adjustments. Had I been working these exercises solely on my own I would have stalled at certain points. Having the structure and expertise of the curriculum plus the support of the staff set me up for success. I currently have my own successful business but lots of job opportunities come through the KPA network from all over the country. The KPA name is like gold and canine centric establishments from doggie spas that offer training to SPCA's seek KPA grads for employment. As a related side note: R+ is the gold standard for training - there are many scientific studies which support this position. In addition to the ClickerTraining (KPA) website you can check out Behavior Works, IAABC and the AVSAB websites (American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior) if you'd like to read literature that references specific studies and their findings (or discover the studies and read them firsthand). Lastly - expect that KPA will take up a lot of your time as you are going through it! and will actually be just the beginning of your animal training experience. You should have room in your life to accommodate the training hours you'll need to put in. This is not a casual program. Also - it is mandatory to engage in continuing education in order to keep up your CTP (Certified Training Partner) status. Personally I think this is a great thing! There are plenty of workshops, seminars, courses etc. that you should supplement your KPA foundation with. To me, this course was worth the money and the sacrifice of time it took to do it successfully. If you are serious about dog training and are committed to putting in the hours - do this program. read more

I found KPA incredibly helpful for starting my business. It was definitely hard, but I had a teacher that was absolutely incredible and made it feel easy! I felt as if I could ask her any question and she would always get back to me soon. The workshops were very helpful. So many useful things were discussed and I definitely learned a lot! For those that did not pass the final test, there is now only a 3 month wait until you have to do it again. I noticed that KPA is changing their policy to better their students often! read more

I had a similar experience as the other reviewers. The KP method is great, but the Academy is horrible and not at all worth the $5,000. Look into Starmark or local apprentice programs. read more

I had a great experience taking The Clicker Training Foundations course and I'm currently taking the Better Vet Visits course. The Foundations course was well organized and provided great examples of clicker training/canine skills via video. The online course was perfect for me as I work full time. They provided a mentor who answered my questions when I needed help. Currently, they are offering a free webinar for students, 'Do What You love: Building a Successful Animal Training Career,' presented by Ken Ramirez; a trainer and consultant with over 40 years of experience. It's disheartening reading negative reviews, however, my mentor who holds a KPA CRT from Karen Pryor Academy, among many other certifications, has nothing but good things to say and she has a thriving business. read more

After spending a ridiculous amount of money on the course it wasnt worth a penny. It was all online, I finished way early then it said, I learned nothing that I didn't already know and nobody accepts a Karen Pryor certificate as a proper dog training certification. I wish I hadn't made that mistake but I will make sure that other people know not to make the same mistake. Not worth it. read more