Karenpryoracademy.comReviews of karenpryoracademy.com

I came to the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional Program with a strong scientific background in veterinary medicine and postgraduate training in clinical animal behaviour. Even with that foundation, I found the course genuinely valuable and enriching! It helped me build practical skills and brought together three essential parts of professional dog training: training dogs, teaching people, and running a training business. The program is thoughtfully designed, with a clear step by step progression through the assignments and workshops. Each part builds on the last, giving you the chance to practise, reflect, and apply what you’re learning. The practical work and teaching assessment helped me develop skills I can use directly in my work. Overall, the course felt carefully planned and very well put together. My instructor, Alexis Davison, made a real difference to the experience. She was patient, clear, and thoughtful in her teaching, and her feedback was consistently valuable and relevant. She also modelled positive reinforcement throughout the course, not only in how we were taught about working with dogs and clients, but in how she supported us as learners. Experiencing what it feels like to learn in this way was new to me. It gave me a valuable perspective on how I want to support my own clients and canine students, and felt refreshing in an educational world where punishment is often the norm. I finished the program with greater confidence and practical skills I can apply in my work. The course was absolutely worth doing! and I would recommend it to anyone prepared to practise, learn, and reflect on their training.

The programme was very informative, covering animal behaviour, setting up a business, working with people, and, of course, training not just a dog but other species as well. The instructor, Alexis Davison, was great. Very approachable and available for questions and clarification. I highly recommend this course and the KPA.

I just completed the KPA-CTP program and it was such an amazing experience! I have acquired so many skills from this program that will help me be a more observant and understanding trainer. I am so glad that I decided to take the plunge and complete this course. It is a huge accomplishment. I was also able to learn about my classmates' and instructor's various backgrounds in dog / animal training, care, etc. I feel much more confident as a dog trainer! I love the science background involved in this course, as it really lets you think clearly about a lot of different scenarios. I feel a lot more confident with problem solving, observation, and assisting clients with training their animals in a positive way! I highly recommend this course for anyone starting out in their dog training journey!

Wow. This was an incredibly rewarding experience! Did my dog, Rose, and I work hard? You bet we did, but throughout that hard work we were led by our highly skilled instructor, Sherrie Yuschak. Sherrie is an amazing teacher… so compassionate and observant and knowledgeable. She always came with a great attitude & made this elite course feel totally doable each step of the way. I learned a lot from observing her leadership style. And Annie deserves much credit too! I thoroughly enjoyed my entry phone interview with her & all correspondence I had with her. Karen Pryor Academy is absolutely top notch & I feel so fortunate to be a part of this community of animal lovers!

Muy buena experiencia

I recently completed the Dog Trainer Professional Program with the Karen Pryor Academy, I thoroughly enjoyed the course and feel that I have learnt so much over the past 8 months which will assist me in my future career training dogs (and owners). The course focusses on kind, ethical training methods which was important to me and really opened my eyes into the perspective of positive reinforcement training. I enjoyed working with the other students in my cohort and feel that we build a really nice relationship, it was also lovely to see how everyone's dog is different when training and their support was invaluable. The course is not for the faint hearted, it requires organisation and good time management or you will fall behind quickly! I completed the remote assessment with Linda Ryan, she was wonderful and gave me all the support and guidance that I needed to make it through the course, however, you will not have your hand held and you will need to make sure that you are keeping up to date yourself, you will not be reminded. The course is quite costly and you there is a yearly fee to remain registered as a CPT once certified, however, I felt that the course was in depth and worth every penny and feel that the ongoing support from the other practitioners will be highly valuable in the future. Finally, I can not fault the process and the communication was brilliant from start to finish, responses to emails were fast and I knew exactly what was required from registration to completion and the entire process was made really easy to follow. Thank you everyone at KPA.

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.

My experience with the Karen Pryor Academy exceeded all expectations. I learned so much—not only about the science of animal training, but also about my own approach, confidence, and communication as a trainer. A huge part of that was thanks to my incredible instructor, Laurie. She was knowledgeable, compassionate, and truly relatable. Her kind, steady guidance kept me grounded, especially during moments when I felt overwhelmed or uncertain. She created a supportive environment that made it safe to learn, ask questions, and grow. The final in-person workshop week was the perfect culmination of everything we’d worked so hard for. It was fun, fast-paced, and absolutely exhausting (in the best way!) for both us and our dogs. I walked away feeling proud, connected, and genuinely excited for what’s next. KPA gave me tools, confidence, and a deeper understanding of training—and I’m grateful for every step of the journey.