01/05/2025
Many years ago, as I embarked on my career in animal training, a wise mentor suggested that I read "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor. I am profoundly grateful for the insightful journey it initiated, one filled with numerous opportunities for growth and understanding.
Karen Pryor eloquently stated, “Training is a loop, a two-way communication in which an event at one end of the loop changes events at the other, exactly like a cybernetic feedback system; yet many psychologists treat their work as something they do to a subject, not with the subject.”
I still consistently remind myself to evaluate whether I would willingly engage in my training if I were the animal in question. Is this an activity I would genuinely wish to participate in? This reflective practice always proves to be profoundly grounding.
Karen Pryor passed away on January 4, 2025 at the age of 92.
Regardless of your training methodologies or preference for application, there is no debate about the instrumental role she played in our industry. Her absence will be profoundly felt.
- Karen Pryor (1932-2025) was an American author known for her work in behavioral psychology and marine mammal biology. She was a pioneer of clicker training and served as a Marine Mammal Commissioner for the U.S. government.
