Improving Myself as a Dog Breeder Through the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional Program

​Hello, amazing clients, followers, and email subscribers. I have an exciting announcement to share with you. As you know, I have been breeding top-quality Maremma Sheepdogs for several years. Maremmas I produced are successfully living and working all over the United States and Canada in every setting imaginable, guarding all types of livestock from predators of all kinds.

Three things are needed to excel in any field. Hands-on experience, hard work, and the dedicated pursuit of knowledge in that field. I have learned much from living and working with hundreds of Maremma Sheepdogs. I have also worked on my education through dedicated study, excellent books, and online courses. After much thought and planning, I have decided to take my business and education to the next level by enrolling in the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional course.

Why am I doing this? Simply put, I want to provide better training for my Maremma Sheepdogs and better support my clients and anyone else who needs help training their Maremma Sheepdogs.

Why I Chose the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional Course

In my efforts to improve myself as a breeder and trainer, I have taken many dog training courses, including the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Foundations course, Karen Pryor Academy's Puppy Start Right for Instructors, Karen Pryor Academy's Better Veterinary Visits, Karen Pryor Academy's Hesitant Hounds, Karen Pryor Academy's weeklong Across Species at the Ranch Workshop, Puppy Culture, Suzanne Clothier's Introduction to CARAT, and more. 


Investing time and money in professional education and training sets professionals apart from amateurs, no matter what field you are in. Anyone who says they don't need to educate themselves to be great at what they do is lying to you and themselves. Those who believe they can learn everything they need through free YouTube videos and social media miss many stellar improvement opportunities and expose themselves to misinformation and questionable advice from self-appointed but uneducated "experts." Those venues can be a great addition to your professional education if used with a heavy dose of discernment, but they should not be the extent of it. 


Everyone can benefit from reading great books written by experts in their field, taking comprehensive step-by-step courses, and through dedicated hands-on practice. You must spend the money and time to educate and improve yourself to be the best. Since I aim to be the best Maremma Sheepdog breeder in North America, I always look for ways to improve myself, better serve my animals and clients, and reach that goal.


Therefore, after much thought and planning, I have decided to take my business and education to the next level by enrolling in the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional course.

Here is a Description of the Professional Program From the KPA Website:

"This comprehensive program offers an in-depth curriculum that teaches both the science and the practice of dog training in particular and animal training generally, client teaching, canine behavior problem-solving, and dog training business management. The DTP program is based on the most up-to-date behavior science and modern training and teaching practices. Earn the confidence to help others and learn from our top-notch faculty the best practices that distinguish our graduates as leading dog trainer professionals."

​This is a 6-month intensive course that includes online home study through reading, watching videos, and hands-on practice with a canine training partner and an animal of another species. It requires approximately 4 to 5 hours of daily study, daily training practice with a dog and one other type of animal, written homework, tests, and video submissions to be graded. There are also in-person workshops to attend with your canine training partner. 

​
The program is run by various KPA faculty members, with clinics held in multiple locations worldwide. The program I chose runs from October through April, with the final workshop in Los Angeles. The program costs $5600, plus hotel and travel fees to the in-person workshop. And lots and lots of training treats will be required for my training partners! Thank goodness for Amazon Subscribe and Save and Costco! (I use a combination of dog treats and people food for training dogs.)

​After completing the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional course, I will be the only current Maremma Sheepdog breeder in North America who is also a certified dog trainer. The Maremma Sheepdogs I breed will benefit from a whelping box to new home training and socialization experience by a breeder who is also a certified professional dog trainer. This will set my puppies and their new owners up for maximum success. This will also allow the puppies the continuity of care of having the same person rearing and training them, as opposed to breeders or owners who send their pups off for training elsewhere. 

​
Going from one home to another is confusing and stressful for dogs, especially puppies. And this includes a puppy going from a breeder to a "board and train" trainer and then to their new home, or from the breeder to the new home to the trainer and back to the new home. Every move is stressful for the dog. No matter how talented the trainer or how dedicated the owner is to having a well-trained pup, it's kinder and more effective for a puppy to go directly from the breeder/trainer to its new home rather than making multiple transitions. It's also more effective for the new owner to train their own dog, under the supervision of a good trainer, than to send the dog off and have someone else do all the training. Your new puppy needs to learn how to interact and bond with you, not a stranger. Now, with the skills and concepts I will learn in the Professionals program, I will be able to give my puppies a thorough training experience and better coach and support my puppy owners as they take over the training of their new pups.

​
Read below if you would like to learn more about the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional course and why I chose it.

Understanding Canine Behavior

The Karen Pryor Academy's curriculum is built on modern scientific concepts that have been proven effective for positive dog training. This approach is rooted in understanding canine behavior, motivation, and the proper usage of positive reinforcement. By understanding their behavior, I can effectively communicate with my Maremma Sheepdogs, encourage their willingness to learn, and set them up for success as Livestock Guardian Dogs or companions.

Practical Training

One of the things I look forward to is practical training. I will be going through the program with a canine training partner (and another species), allowing me to get hands-on experience. This approach is critical; it will help me develop practical skills in real-life scenarios.


The dog I have chosen to work with is our family's 6-year-old Boxer, Luna. I will practice the skills I am learning at home with Luna, and then she will accompany me to the Training Center in April for the final workshop. 


I chose Luna as a training partner because starting with a more biddable dog is more manageable when learning new training skills. I want to make this as easy as possible so I can focus on learning. But I also plan to practice everything I'm learning with my Maremmas and to make many helpful videos to share with my clients, followers, and email list subscribers. Hopefully, by the end, I'll have an excellent compilation of "How to Train Your Maremma Sheepdog" videos for you all!

Luna

Clicker Training Goats in a Dog Training Course?!

Another course requirement is that you also work with a non-canine training partner. (Because working with different species improves your skills with your chosen species.) So, you guessed it, I will be working on clicker training a goat! This has been something I've been planning to do ever since I attended Karen Pryor Academy's weeklong Across Species at the Ranch Workshop in August 2022. So, having this as a course requirement will force me to stop procrastinating and finally do it! 


I have many goats to choose from and will probably work with several of them, but my leading goat training partner will be Pearl. She is the last daughter of my beloved doe, Jessie, whom I lost in 2022. Clicker training Pearl will be a special way to honor Jessie.


In future posts, I will write more about Luna, Pearl, and my experiences with the Professionals program and post videos of what I'm learning and teaching the Maremmas and goats, so stay tuned! ​

Prancing Pony Jessie's Pearl

Benefits to My Clients

As one of my current or future Maremma clients, you will benefit highly from my training with Karen Pryor Academy. The skills and knowledge gained from this course will allow me to train my Maremma Sheepdog puppies to the highest level in the industry. This will benefit anyone who buys a Maremma Sheepdog from me. As my puppy client, you will have free access to lifetime support from a certified trainer for your dog's entire life, no matter where you live. You can receive my training support via phone, text, email, FaceTime, or Zoom. No need to hire a trainer. Professional training services come included with your Maremma Sheepdog puppy!


The failure rate for Livestock Guardian Dogs is about 30%, primarily due to training problems. Many claim to be Livestock Guardian Dog "trainers" and "experts." Unfortunately, most of them have no actual education or experience. Much of their advice is sketchy at best and downright dangerous at worst. I know only one person in the United States who is a certified dog trainer with credentials, training, and experience with Maremma Sheepdogs. One person cannot serve an entire breed. And no one can serve my Maremmas and my clients like I can. I'm doing this for my Maremmas and for you, my clients!

Benefits to Other Maremma Owners

I will continue to work hard to serve all owners of all Maremma Sheepdogs everywhere. I have been working on making my blog and email list more helpful to all Livestock Guardian Dog owners through the training articles and information I share. By becoming a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, I'll better understand dog behavior, training, and effective communication with owners. This will help me better serve all Livestock Guardian Dog owners. 


And this is regardless of whether your dog is a working Livestock Guardian Dog or a companion dog. I welcome them all! Livestock Guardian Dog is a "classification" of dog breeds, not just a job description. Just as "herding dogs" or "terriers" or "hounds" can be working dogs or pets, so, too, can Livestock Guardian Dogs fit either role in the right circumstance with the proper training and socialization, owner education and breeder/trainer support. 


As a breeder and trainer of working Maremma Sheepdogs and a breeder and owner of companion Maremmas, I will be qualified to assist owners of both working and companion Maremmas and owners of other Livestock Guardian Dog breeds.

The Future of My Business

After completing the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional certification, I intend to grow my business further by providing an even more in-depth, high-quality training program for my puppies than I currently offer. I will provide lifetime training support to my Maremma clients and training services to anyone needing assistance training their Maremma Sheepdog or other Livestock Guardian Dog. I plan to take other follow-up courses to further my education and expand my skills. I already have several planned courses on my list! Learning never ends, and I intend to learn all I can to best serve my clients and those who love the breed.


Because my business is going in a new direction, I will also be transitioning my goat breeding program. I could never give up my beloved goats; I love them dearly! And they are valuable partners in training my Maremma puppies, so a portion of the herd will be retained for that purpose. I want to expand into working more with the goats using Clicker Training and serving the community through that project. I also love producing high-quality kids for milking, showing, or pets, so I will continue to breed. 


However, I will need to reduce the size of my dairy goat herd, and the number of kids produced to focus more on the Maremmas and my education as a dog trainer. 


I will be writing more about this pivot in future blog posts, but you can expect fewer available kids but higher quality ones in the future. In 2024, the available goats will be extremely limited because of my commitment to the Professional program and some other exciting events I plan to write about soon. So, if you've been thinking about buying a goat from us, now is the time to get them before they all go! (We still have a few 2023 kids and adult goats available.) ​

Inspiring Others

When I applied to the Karen Pryor Academy Professional program, one of my first thoughts was whether I should publicly announce my plans. On the one hand, it's something to be proud of, but on the other hand, getting accepted is not the same as finishing the program. I still have a long way to go! What if my attempts result in failure? What if I don't complete the course for one reason or another? That would be hard to explain to people. But on the other hand, I tend to be positive and don't expect to fail, so why not share?


I asked several friends and family members what they thought I should do. Interestingly, most of them said they thought I should keep it a secret until I was completely done, and then I should make a "big reveal" to the world. 


Only two people told me they thought I should share what I was doing while doing it. One is a Maremma client whom I frequently talk to. Another is a friend and colleague who knows a lot about me, my dogs, and my reasons for being so motivated to do the program and share the journey with others. Both understood my reasons for wanting to share and agreed that those reasons far outweighed any possible drawbacks. 


I thought long and hard about all the advice I got from everyone, and in the end, I knew that sharing this journey with my clients and followers was the right path. And why did I choose to do that? Here's why:

1. I don't plan to fail! Yes, I know it could always happen. I am a cancer survivor, so I know firsthand that anything could happen to derail me: life, illness, overwhelm, and many unforeseen circumstances. But I'm not spending $5600 with the plan of not completing the program. I'm not rearranging my entire life and business (delaying and significantly reducing kidding season, for starters) to goof off. I am working hard to ensure I have the time to devote to this program and see it through. 
2. Making my plans public also makes me more accountable. It's harder to give up on something if you've told several hundred or even a few thousand people about it! Between my clients, my email list, and my social media followers, I will be telling many people. That's a bit scary, but I can use all of you to motivate me to keep going. In fact, I'm counting on it!
3. Even if I do "fail, I firmly believe "it's better to have tried and failed than to have never tried." And people should know you've attempted to achieve something than not. At least you took action.
4. Again, I don't plan to fail!
5. I can help so many people by sharing what I am learning and experiencing while I'm doing it. Yes, I could hoard everything I'm learning, save up any videos I make, write any articles inspired by my learning, and stash them for later. I could go through the entire 6-month course and then later share what I learned from it all. But what if someone needs to learn something while I'm learning it. What if they need that information now, not 6 months from now? Six months can make or break a Livestock Guardian Dog. What if I selfishly or fearfully held back or delayed sharing, and a dog and their owner needlessly struggled because of that choice? I am not going to be responsible for that. I will share as much as possible while I am in the moment. I want to help as many dogs and owners as possible while learning to be a trainer, not just after I am one.
6. I have a responsibility and privilege to lead by example. I always tell my Maremma clients and other dog owners that they should educate themselves through programs like the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Foundations course. Therefore, I should lead by example! And what better model than for them to see me tackling this massive program?! My story could encourage more people to take the leap and educate themselves to benefit their dogs and themselves. My example could inspire someone to tackle a project or goal they've wanted to take on. It doesn't even have to be dog-related. We all have goals and dreams, and they are all valuable. I have been inspired by many people who went before me to achieve their goals and accomplish great things. And if my sharing of my journey will encourage and inspire others to go after theirs, it's worth putting myself out there!
7. This will give me a lot of great content to write about and share with my clients and followers. And that is something I'm always looking for!

​In conclusion, this is a significant move forward in my business, and I'm thrilled about the opportunity to embark on this new adventure. I cannot wait to share my newfound knowledge with all my clients, followers, and email subscribers. I am excited to learn new techniques and details about canine behavior. I will use this knowledge to enhance my dog breeding and training and help clients train their dogs most effectively. This new knowledge and skill set will enable me to better understand what makes each dog unique and how to develop tailored training programs to meet their specific needs. Thank you for your continued support. I'm excited to see how this journey enhances my business in providing outstanding Maremma Sheepdogs and exceptional service to all Maremma owners.

Reserve My Maremma!