Progressive Dog Training and Behavior Consultation

02/20/2025

Yes, this.

The dog is never wrong.

If he or she isn’t responding as desired, (or worse, showing signs of stress, fear, intimidation, or defense to what’s being done), then what’s being done is wrong.
Even if compliance is eventually and seemingly obtained.

If someone is having trouble reaching a dog, the problem is coming from within them, not the dog.

Dogs may have “problematic” behaviors we want to change. But they also have the answers to those problems within them. And they’re never wrong.

When a dog can work with someone who knows this, the connection and communication formed creates a cooperative, peaceful path to improvement.

02/16/2025

Yes, this. ❤️

02/16/2025

This really resonates with me.
If it does for you, its for you too.
💔❤️‍🩹❤️

02/13/2025

Yes.
As always, its not about what dogs do or don’t do. It’s about what we know, or don’t know.
Everything comes from that.

02/08/2025

Don’t use force. Even if it works quickly. Even if you think it doesn’t cause any problems.
Because it does.
Just be a better trainer.

02/04/2025

This is everything.
This is why I love this rescue so much.
💔❤️‍🩹❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

02/01/2025

Zero to do with dogs, but it’s just so true.
So here ya go.
😆👋✌️

01/30/2025

Thanks, Zak.
This is exactly what it is.
🙂👏👏👏👏

01/25/2025

Me, to anyone who *still* thinks being pro-aversive/punishment, and continuing to be *willfully ignorant* of science-backed, compassionate, effective and consistently proven training methods here in 2025…

01/17/2025

If you have a kid like this in your life, congratulations. ☺️❤️
And buckle up.
😄✌️❤️

01/13/2025

So sad. 😔💔
So true. 😔💔
A short lesson on how to be there for the ones who need and deserve the kind and lovely things you can do for them. 😔💔

01/12/2025

☺️❤️

01/07/2025

Trust, connection, kindness.
The 3 pillars of positive reinforcement training that are etched into my soul.
Thank you, Karen Pryor.
❤️

Today, we honor the incredible life and legacy of Karen Pryor, a pioneer who transformed the world of animal training and left an indelible mark on our industry.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Karen Pryor’s groundbreaking work paved the way for trainers like myself, and countless others, to advocate for humane, effective training methods. While the fight for positive change would still continue, her visionary efforts undoubtedly accelerated the progress, bringing us to this better place much sooner than we might have otherwise achieved.

Karen Pryor was one of the first to show the world that animals don’t need to be trained with violence or fear. Her work with marine mammals in the 1960s, grounded in science and compassion, paved the way for positive reinforcement techniques that continue to shape the industry.

She didn’t just teach us how to train better; she taught us to see animals as sentient beings, deserving of respect, patience, and understanding.

Her book Don’t Shoot the Dog! remains a cornerstone in the field of behavioral psychology and animal training, introducing the world to the principles of operant conditioning and the power of positive reinforcement. The Karen Pryor Academy, founded in 2007, has trained thousands of professionals, ensuring her legacy endures in the hands of those committed to ethical training practices.

She laid the foundation for a movement that prioritizes trust, connection, and kindness. The positive changes we see in the industry today, our collective rejection of outdated, punitive methods, are a direct result of her fearless advocacy and unwavering belief in a better way.

Her work changed our field, but more importantly, it changed the way we connect with the animals who share our lives.

Thank you, Karen, for showing us what’s possible when science and compassion come together.

Your legacy will continue to inspire us, and we’ll strive to honor your memory by carrying your vision of compassion for animals forward. Rest in peace, and thank you for everything.

Zak George

01/07/2025

This.
This, this, THIS! ☺️👏👏👏

The first paragraph is EXACTLY what positive reinforcement and the mind shift it creates is all about.

The rest is every bit of proof of it’s truth she generously laid at our feet.

Thank you, Karen Pryor. We are forever grateful for the intelligence and compassion you shared with the world.

"When you stop relying on aversive controls such as threats, intimidation and punishment, and when you know how to use reinforcement to get not just the same but better results, your perception of the world undergoes a shift. You don't have to become a wimp. You don't have to give up being in charge. You lose nothing of yourself. You just see things you didn't see before."
Karen Pryor. 1932-2025
Nice words, but can you back them up? Oh, you can.
Books:
On My Mind: Reflections on Animal Behavior and Learning – 2014
Reaching The Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What It Teaches Us About All Animals – 2009
Click to Win: Clicker Training for the Show Ring – 2002
Dolphin Societies: Discoveries and Puzzles –ed. with Kenneth Norris; University of California Press, 1998
Don’t Shoot The Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training – 1984, 1999, 2002, 2006
A Dog & a Dolphin 2.0: An Introduction To Clicker Training – 1996
Getting Started: Clicker Training for Cats – 1999, 2002, 2004
Getting Started: Clicker Training for Dogs – 1999, 2002, 2005
Lads Before the Wind – 1975, 1994, 2000 (Harper & Row 1975)
Nursing Your Baby – 1963, 1973, 1991, 2005 (HarperCollins Publishers 1963)
On Behavior: Essays and Research – 1994
Crunch and Des: Classic Stories of Saltwater Fishing – 2002
How To Teach Your Dog To Play Frisbee – 1985
Pryor, K. (2014). A dolphin journey. Aquatic Mammals 40th Anniversary: Special Issue, 104–115.
Pryor, K. & Chase, S. (2014). Training for variable and innovative behavior. International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 27, 218–225
Pryor, K. & Ken Ramirez, K. (2014) Modern Animal Training. In The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Operant and Classical Conditioning. McSweeney, F.K and Murphy, E. S. (Eds.).
Pryor, K.W (2001). Cultural transmission of behavior in animals: How a modern training technology uses spontaneous social imitation in cetaceans and Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 24, 352–352
Pryor, K. & Shallenberger, I. (1991). School structure in spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata) in the tuna purse seine fishery in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. In Dolphin Societies: Discoveries and Puzzles. Pryor, K. & Norris, K.S. (Eds.). Berkeley: University of California Press
Pryor, K. (1981). Why Porpoise Trainers Are Not Dolphin Lovers: Real and False Communication in the Operant Setting. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 364, 1, 137
Norris, K.S., Pryor, K. (1970). A Tagging Method for Small Cetaceans. Journal of Mammalogy, 51, 3, 609–610
Pryor, K.W., Haang, R., & O’Reilly, J. (1969). The creative porpoise: Training for novel behavior. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 12, 653–661
Lang, T.G., Pryor, K. (1966). Hydrodynamic Performance of Porpoises (Stenella attenuata). Science, 152, 3721, 531–533.
Pryor, T., Pryor, K.,& Norris, S.K. (1965). Observations on a Pygmy Killer Whale (Feresa attenuata Gray) from Hawaii. Journal of Mammalogy, 46, 3, 450–461.

01/04/2025

See how he hears her, turns to her, and calms with her. Because he knows she’s there for him.
Kindness, compassion, connection.
Its always there, if we’re there for them.
❤️❤️❤️

01/01/2025

Another great from Shay Kelly. 👍

This is the best summary and comparison of any relationship.
☺️✌️
May it support those who get it. And guide those who don’t.. yet.

Happy 2025, everyone! 🥳✌️❤️