Laura Monaco Torelli, Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Certified Training Partner (CTP) and the newest member of the KPA faculty, has been a professional animal trainer for two decades. Laura was introduced to Karen Pryor's philosophy and training methods in 1991 when Laura began her career training beluga whales, dolphins, sea otters, seals, river otters, and penguins as the Senior Lead Trainer at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. In 2000, Laura moved from marine to terrestrial animals, holding lead trainer positions at the San Diego and Brookfield Zoos. She has trained a wide variety of species, including primates, large cats, birds of prey, reticulated giraffes, Arctic foxes, horses, parrots, macaws, tree kangaroos, red pandas, and, of course, dogs! Laura's career has included one fantastic learning experience after another and is now leading her full circle—back to Karen, as she becomes the newest faculty member at Karen Pryor Academy.
Don't Shoot the Dog Audiobook
Karen Pryor Named "Best and Brightest" by Bark Magazine
By KPCT on 02/12/2010Waltham, MA, January 11, 2010—Karen Pryor Clicker Training (KPCT) today announced that Karen Pryor has been named among the “100 Best and Brightest” by Bark Magazine.
Bark’s “Best and Brightest” award honors those whose contributions have helped to reshape the world of dogs and our understanding of it. As a founder and leading proponent of positive reinforcement training, or clicker training, Karen Pryor has brought forth a worldwide movement involving new ways to communicate positively with dogs and other animals. Through her conferences, training academy and best-selling books, including her latest book Reaching the Animal Mind, Karen has changed the lives of countless animals and their caretakers in zoos, shelters, and pet-owning households.
Podcast: Click vs. Voice—an excerpt from ClickerExpo, a preview of Reaching the Animal Mind
By Karen Pryor on 04/01/2009This month's podcast is an excerpt from Karen Pryor's lecture Neuroscience and Clicker Training presented at this year's ClickerExpo. During the lecture Karen addresses many topics that she writes about in her new book Reaching the Animal Mind. One of the more popular topics, Click vs. Voice, is addressed in this podcast. Listen to the podcast to hear Karen present her research and results on this topic.
During the podcast Karen references the article by Lindsay Wood, Clicker Bridging Stimulus Efficacy. Click on the title of the article to read an abstract, or to link to the full article.
Don't Shoot the Dog! Audio Excerpt
By Karen Pryor on 01/01/2006In this audio excerpt from Don't Shoot the Dog! The New Art of Teaching and Training, Karen Pryor explains the difference between a "command" and a "cue." Do you say "sit" before or after you teach the dog to sit? Is the dog trying to do something, or avoid something? And why do clicker trainers use cues, anyway?
Don't Shoot the Dog! Reviews
By KPCT on 09/01/2005"Karen Pryor has been a pioneer ... anyone who wants to be more effective in rearing children, teaching, or managing his or her own behavior will find her book very useful."
—B.F. Skinner
