FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

This course is designed for anyone with a passion for learning positive reinforcement training. In the past, about 25% of the class each year has been made up of students with no training experience, with 75% of the class made up of students who already possess significant training experience.

Novice trainers will receive a thorough introduction to what it takes to be a professional trainer and maintain a professional training program. Experienced trainers will find the course valuable by looking at new ways to teach others about training, building their confidence level with new species, and receiving feedback on their skills.

The course is structured in such a way that hands-on animal training sessions will move as fast as your training skills develop.

Students will be expected to have breakfast prior to arriving at the ranch; breakfast is included in the hotel rate at the recommended hotels. Lunches will be provided for all five days of the experience. Dinners will be provided on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Coffee, tea, water and selected soft drinks will be available all day. Please inform us of any special dietary needs during registration.

We strongly recommend that you do not bring your dog (with the exception of a personal service dog). You will not have much free time to tend to your dog, and there is no course time dedicated to training your dog. If you must bring your dog, your dog must be well-socialized and comfortable around people and other dogs.

You must bring a kennel to house your dog while in class. Your dog will not be in the classroom with you; the kennel will not fit in the classroom.You will have to find the time to tend to your dog during the brief breaks in class. Classroom and training sessions will start promptly and we will not be able to wait for those who need to tend to their dogs. If you bring a dog, you will also need to provide your own transportation to and from The Ranch.

Travel related questions? Click here!

Refunds/Cancellation Policy

If you book a spot, please make every effort to attend. If you do need to cancel, the following is our cancellation policy:

More than 60 days from the course start date

10% of the course fee will be retained by us and 90% refunded to you.

Between 60 days and 31 days from the course start date

50% of the course fee will be retained by us and 50% refunded to you.

30 days or fewer from the course start date

No refunds will be issued; 100% of the course fee will be retained by us.

We strongly recommend travel insurance, especially for overseas trips. Insurance protects your overall investment if you are forced to cancel your registration. It protects you in many situations, including lost luggage or illness. Many independent agencies offer travel insurance, as do travel providers.

Requests to Transfer Registration

Transfers of registration to another student are permitted when requested at least 30 days prior to the start of the course. A fee of 10% of the registration total will be charged and must be completed prior to the registration transfer.

Transfers to a future course will not be permitted unless the eligibility requirements above are met.

Transfer requests must be sent via e-mail to theranch@clickertraining.com E-mails must be received by midnight US Pacific Time (PT) (GMT-7) to be processed on that day.

Related Courses

How does this course relate to the course Ken used to teach at the Shedd Aquarium and at Western Illinois University?

This is the same base curriculum Ken taught at both places, with a great new component.
This course includes a hands-on component, allowing students to apply skills learned in the classroom by working with one of the resident animals (students will be assigned animals randomly and will be coached by members of the ranch team). This is an opportunity to see the skills discussed in class applied with different species, and a chance for students to work with a species they have never worked with previously.

How does this course relate to the Dog Trainer Professional certification program?

The two courses complement each other nicely. The “Across Species” course has served both as a great follow-up for graduates of the KPA program and as comprehensive preparation for the Dog Trainer Professional program. (If you complete the “Across Species” course, you will meet the educational criteria required for the Dog Trainer Professional program).

There is consistency in the science, principles, and best practices covered in the two courses. There are also distinct differences between the programs in pace, assessment, certification, and curriculum focus.

Dog Trainer Professional

The focus of the applied side of the course is on canines. While all of the theory and most of the skills are applicable across species, most of your work is with dogs.

This course is great for people who are becoming a professional dog trainer, teaching others to train dogs, and developing fluent training skills.

Courses are available in major metropolitan areas in the US and select international locations.

$5,300

Train

Your dog, other dogs, second species and people

Taught by

The Faculty of Karen Pryor Academy

Length

6 Months

Experience

Some experience required

Hands On

64 hrs + (supervised), plus practice hours

Modality

Online learning and live workshops; Scheduled deadlines, but self paced

Certification

Yes

Student to Teacher Ratio

10:1

Training for Professionals: Across Species

The focus of the applied side of the course is on hoofstock. While all of the theory and most of the skills are applicable to canines, all of your work will be with the hoofstock on the ranch.

This course is great for people who are working a in multi-species environment, increasing training confidence with non-canine species, preparing for, or following-up on, KPA Dog Trainer Professional program.

Courses are available in Seattle, Washington only.

$1,250

Train

An animal on The Ranch

Taught by

Ken Ramirez, EVP and Chief Training Officer of KPCT

Length

5 Days

Experience

No experience required

Hands On

Approximately 3 - 4 hours total

Modality

Live lecture in THE classroom, hands on at ranch; Instructor-paced

Certification

No

Student to Teacher Ratio

30:1

Discount for Dog Trainer Professional Program

Enroll in Karen Pryor Academy's Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program within 18 months of completing the Training for Professionals course and receive a $300 tuition discount on the DTP.

Eligible as Prerequisite for Dog Trainer Professional

Students who have completed the Training for Professionals: Across Species course successfully are considered to have met the training requirements to begin the KPA Dog Trainer Professional program.