Completion of the 6 Month Long Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional Program - the In-Person Workshop

Six months of hard work finally paid off the week of April 9-13, 2024, when I attended the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program. I have officially completed this very rigorous professional dog training program! I learned so much throughout the six-month program and even more during the five-day workshop. 

Heading to Corona!

My training partner for the KPA Professional program was Luna, our 6-year-old Boxer. On April 8th, Luna and I headed to Corona, California, for an incredible week of dog training and fun with the other students and their training partners. My husband, Steve, accompanied us since I am not a fan of driving in SoCal traffic! Steve hung out at the hotel each day while Luna and I trained and learned. Our youngest son, Noah, took great care of the animals while we were gone.

The Workshop Begins!

The workshop was held at BadDogs Training Center in Corona, CA. Every day, Steve dropped Luna and me off before 9 AM and picked us up between 4 & 5 PM. The days were long but very productive and a lot of fun!

This Doesn't Look Like My Farm!

Luna has lived her entire life on our small farm and rarely leaves here, so she was overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds of Southern California. The whole experience was much more stressful for Luna than I expected. If I had known how much of a struggle it was going to be, I probably would not have enrolled at all or perhaps had chosen a different dog. But hindsight is 20/20, as they say, so there's no use worrying about "what ifs."

Ironically, KPA came out with a virtual program a few months after Luna and I started our program. That would have been ideal for Luna and me, and we wouldn't have had to leave our farm. Although, after attending the in-person workshop, I learned so much that I would have missed in a virtual program, so I'm glad I went, even if it wasn't perfect.

Dogs Need Their Space

Safety, comfort, and respect for the dogs are paramount, so each dog has its own space far from the other dogs, trainers, and anything that might be scary to them. 

Luna Getting Acclimated

I brought Luna's crate, but she preferred hanging out on her mat with a tether—and with plenty of toys! Tethers are an excellent dog training and management tool, and I will explore using them in my Maremma breeding and training program.

Luna Showing off Some of Her Skills

Each day, we had "show and tell," where each training team showed off some skills they had worked on at home. Luna was very stressed and shy during the workshop, so she didn't always want to cooperate, but when she did, she was adorable, as usual. Here, she is targeting a plastic box with her paw. Targeting is a handy skill that can be used in a variety of ways, and dogs usually really enjoy it! 

Sleepy Dog

The workshop days were very long, and Luna was very tired at the end of every day! So was I, so we usually just got take-out on the way home and relaxed for the night.

Luna Making Friends!

Luna was timid and nervous, but she still said hello to some other students. 

Luna Relaxing at the Hotel

We spent time relaxing at the hotel each night. We stayed at a very comfortable and pleasant Corona hotel (Staybridge Suites).

Some of the Other Training Dogs

There were three other students in the workshop. Two brought their dogs, Teddy and AU, two Malinois mixes. Unfortunately, the dog belonging to the other student became seriously ill right before the workshop, and he couldn't attend. She was able to borrow two different dogs (both Labs) from someone who lived in the area.

Seeing the difference in how all these dogs act was eye-opening. I expected them to be different than my Maremmas, but I didn't realize how different they would be from Luna and my other companion dogs. It gives you quite an appreciation for how unique and incredible all dogs are.

It was also exciting to watch other trainers at work. We all have our own unique training styles. I have only ever watched one professional trainer in person, and those were rare occurrences. So, observing other trainers for a week was a real treat.

Meeting a Clicker Trained Pig!

On one of the class days, we met and worked with Fidget, a clicker-trained pig! Fidget is owned by a KPA DTP graduate and CTP. He is a very smart and entertaining pig who knows a lot of great behaviors. If a pig can be clicker-trained, then certainly a dog can—or a goat!

Practicing Training With Other Dogs

During some of the exercises, we switched dogs with the other students and got experience working with dogs other than our own. This is AU, a herding dog who is very different from not only my Maremmas but also my other three dogs. She is such a pretty and sweet girl!

Just Hanging Out

Luna just chillin' during class time.

A Practice Puppy Training Class with a Rescue Group

One day, we had a pretend "Puppy Training Class" with a local rescue group. Four puppies were brought in by volunteers, and we had mock lessons. I was very nervous at first, but it turned out to be a lot of fun.

The Students Teaching Each Other A New Skill

One of the exercises was teaching our fellow students a new skill. This was to practice our teaching skills, but it also required work from the learners. It was also a lot of fun. I learned to knit (sort of), tie a bow tie, and make an emergency dog harness. And what skill did it teach my fellow students? How to milk a goat, of course! Using rubber gloves as the "udder." 😆🐐🐐

Training All Day is Hard Work!

Some days, Luna couldn't even make it back to the hotel for her nap. In her defense, she was on Trazadone most days for her anxiety, and it made her very sleepy.

Luna Finally Decided to Say Hello to Terrie on Day 4

Our instructor, Terrie Hayward, wanted to say hi to Luna, but Luna was so shy and nervous, and Terrie, of course, respected Luna's boundaries. Finally, on day 4, Luna got a little friendly with Terrie, even posing for a selfie. 💜🦮

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Teaching and Training Assessments

On day 5, we had our final teaching and training assessments. We must pass these assessments to become Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partners.

For the teaching assessment, each student had to run a pretend lesson (chosen the night before) and teach two other students. The students traded dogs for the lessons to make everything more challenging and more like a real lesson. The "teachers" had to meet a long list of requirements to pass. I was so nervous I didn't think I would pass. But I got 100%!! 😅 

I was really happy with the comments my instructor made on page two of my assessment form. (I have included those comments here.) I know that I am good at interacting with my Maremma and goat clients, because I love my dogs and goats and love sharing them with people who love them like I do. But a pretend classroom is a much different setting than my farm and I really was quite nervous. I'm glad that the real me shone through even my nerves!

For the training assessment, our dogs had to perform the 10-part chain that we had taught them at home, as well as a 4-part segment and a reordered segment. All of this had to be done within 15 minutes, and there was a very long list of criteria we had to meet to pass.

Unfortunately, Luna had a rough day on Friday and ultimately refused to perform her chain. She only got about halfway through the chain one time, and then she walked away, refusing to participate again. 

​Luna was highly stressed and nervous during the entire workshop. She is just not used to being out in strange places or away from our other dogs. I had her on Trazadone for the first four days of the workshop. It helped a little bit with her anxiety, but it made her so sleepy that she could hardly participate in the training.


I decided not to give her any Trazadone on Friday, hoping she would be more alert and willing to train. Unfortunately, that was a bad call, as she was too alert and very nervous, getting distracted by every noise and sight. 


The training center was in an industrial area with "trains, planes, and automobiles" (and big trucks) constantly going by. Luna was too stressed and distracted to perform her chain, so I failed this portion of my final assessment.

Not completing the chain was a disappointing experience. For six months, I put in hours of study and training. I put so much of my life and business on hold, even skipping kidding season to devote time to the program. I completed the rigorous course but still need to finish the chain. 

But I did this program to help dogs by learning to train in the most positive and kind way possible. Therefore, Luna's needs were unquestionably more important than my own. "Empathy Over Ego" should be the motto of everyone who trains any animal. 

I had taken Luna out to public places to prepare for the workshop, and she was always very stressed, so I knew she might not be able to finish her chain. I had hoped that she would relax as she got used to things at the training center. And she did relax a tiny bit, but not enough to complete her chain. 

So, during our 15 minutes, I did my best to engage her, remaining calm and patient until the timer went off. And then I excused myself to have a good cry.

The bad news is that Luna and I still need to retake our 10-part chain assessment. We must wait three months and pay an additional $270 fee to retake the examination. The good news is that we will do the make-up exam at home via Zoom. So, there will be no reason for Luna to be nervous. (I'll be anxious, but I have time to prepare.😆) ​

Going Home

​Luna and I headed home the day after the workshop ended, knowing our journey wasn't quite over, but it was close. It was good to be going home after a busy week away.

So, while I am disappointed that my journey with the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program isn't finished, I am glad that I made it this far. Enrolling in this program was a huge deal for me. 

Committing to the program in the first place was a huge decision. The tuition was $5600, and then there were the travel expenses to the workshop, as well as all the treats and supplies for training Luna. This was not a small investment, especially considering I wouldn't bring in any income from kid sales for at least a year.

To be honest, I wasn't even confident that I would finish the program when I signed up. I have taken many dog training courses, but I have never committed to something so intense. With a family, a farm full of animals, and a business to run, I didn't know if I could put in the time it would take to complete the program. (Funny side note: I discovered I have ADHD while enrolled in this program because it was such a struggle to stay focused. I might never have found that out if it weren't for DTP!)

But I am committed to being the best Maremma Sheepdog breeder and trainer I can possibly be, and to giving my puppy clients the higest level of training support possible. I know how challenging it can be to raise and train a Livestock Guardian Dog to maturity. The average new LGD owner is not equippped to train their new dog by themselves, and trustworthy, reliable training support is almost nonexistent. I knew that investing in myself through investing in the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program would pay off big time for me, my dogs, and my clients. I knew that I would still learn a lot even if I didn't finish the program. I had to give it at least a shot. 

So here I am, not quite at the end of my journey, but almost there. Luna and I are practicing our chain in preparation for retaking the assessment. Meanwhile, I have been busy. I put off so many things in my business and on my farm while focusing on DTP, so I have been busy catching up, with puppies to train, goats to wrangle and lots of barn chores and office work to do! Steve and I spent two weeks on the East Coast visiting family and meeting two new baby grandsons.  

I have also been busy furthering my professional education. I finished two marketing programs (5X Your Farm Sales and Business Made Simple) and the UnChase! Rural Dog training course. I completed Kim Brophy's L.E.G.S. Applied Ethology course and became a certified Family Dog Mediator. (That is a fantastic course so I will write more about that later.) I am currently working on Suzanne Clothier's Enriched Puppy Protocol course and have several other dog training and breeding courses and some marketing courses in the queue. Learning never ends, especially if you have the goal of being the best Maremma Sheepdog breeder and trainer there is. And I do! 

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