MEET OUR ClickerExpo LIVE
FACULTY
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Please note: ClickerExpo LIVE faculty are subject to change.
Dr. Christy Alligood is a sought-after teacher, speaker, and thought leader whose experience spans the science and practice of behavior analysis. Dr. Alligood received an MA (2003) from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a Ph.D. (2007) from West Virginia University. She is also a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D).
For more than 10 years, Dr. Alligood has been a behavior scientist at Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment. In that capacity, she uses her expertise in the application of behavior analysis to enhance the welfare of nonhuman animals through cooperative training, environmental enrichment, behavioral problem-solving, and behavior-change strategies supporting the conservation of wildlife and wild places.
Dr. Alligood is a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She has served in many leadership roles in the Association for Behavior Analysis International, including president of the Applied Animal Behavior Special Interest Group, Coordinator of the Special Interest Groups Board, and At-large Representative to the Executive Council. Dr. Alligood is also a past president and current secretary of the Southeastern Association for Behavior Analysis. She is an instructor for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Environmental Enrichment in Zoo & Aquariums course and general member of the AZA Behavior Advisory Group serving on the Culture Change working group. She currently teaches BehaviorWorks' How Research Works.
Dr. Ballantyne is a special guest co-teaching Team In Transition: How to Bring Husbandry At-Home Behaviors to the Vet Clinic with Laura Monaco Torelli.
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Dr. Kelly C. Ballantyne is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist as well as the practice owner and Medical Director of Insight Animal Behavior Services.
Dr. Ballantyne earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2005. Working at a primary care veterinary practice, she developed a passion for animal behavior. Dr. Ballantyne went on to pursue a residency in veterinary behavior and earned her board certification through the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists in 2015. During that time, she worked at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, providing behavior consulting services and teaching veterinary students about animal behavior. Dr. Ballantyne has co-authored several peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, including “The Feline Dream Home” in ACVB’s Decoding Your Cat. She speaks nationally and internationally on companion animal behavioral issues and human-animal interactions.
In her spare time, Dr. Ballantyne enjoys traveling with her husband Robert, reading, hiking, birding, digital illustration, and wildlife photography. She and Rob share their home with their Rhodesian ridgeback, Bludger (pictured).
Learn more about Dr. Ballantyne on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Laura VanArendonk Baugh operates Canines in Action in Indianapolis. As a crossover trainer, Laura is particularly interested in the science of more efficient behavior change. She became a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner in 2008 and returned to the Academy as an instructor, teaching certification workshops around the country. She is also certified in TAGteach.
Laura blogs on clicker training and behavior, writes articles on various behavior and training topics, and is the author of Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out and Social, Civil, and Savvy.
Learn more about Laura on her website, Facebook page, Instagram, or Twitter.
Eva Bertilsson has a master’s degree in behavior analysis and a passion for animal welfare. She has been hooked on positive reinforcement training since the early 1990s. She and her dogs have participated in a variety of dog sports, including high-level obedience; they were part of the national team in agility. Today Eva teaches about behavior in multiple settings, always enjoying networking and connecting people and ideas.
Together with business partner Emelie Johnson Vegh, Eva runs their collaboration Carpe Momentum. “E&E” teach seminars and online courses on a wide variety of topics. They are known for concepts such as seamless training sessions, start-button behaviors, and flowcharts, along with their passion for foundation training for agility and other sports. TAGteach faculty members, Emelie and Eva are committed to creating the best learning environment for humans and non-humans alike. Eva and Emelie met at the agility field 20 years ago. In their book Agility Right from the Start they share their philosophy and structured approach to training, which makes the book a valuable read for all trainers (not just dog-agility enthusiasts).
Eva is a FearFree speaker and a board member of the Swedish Association for Behavior Analysis. One of her most recent cooperations has the nerdy name ABC247.wtf. It is an international web shop with an online learning hub, where Eva organizes webinars based on the theme of Choice, Control & Communication and where Eva and Emelie offer their own webinars and courses.
Learn more about Eva on her website, Facebook page, or Instagram.
Veronica Boutelle, MA Ed, CTC, is co-founder of dogbiz (formerly dogtec) and the author of several books, including How To Run a Dog Business: Putting Your Career Where Your Heart Is and the co-author of Minding Your Dog Business: A Practical Guide to Business Success for Dog Professionals..Through dogbiz, she and her team help dog trainers start, grow, and run thriving businesses. Veronica writes regular business columns for multiple industry journals, including PPG’s BARKS from the Guild, and is a sought-after speaker at dog-training schools and conferences across the country and internationally. Veronica and dogbiz co-founder Gina Phairas are proud to provide the business curriculum for Karen Pryor Academy.
Learn more about Veronica on her website or on her Facebook page.
Hannah Branigan has been training dogs and teaching people for more than 12 years. In addition to being a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP), she is a faculty member for KPA, a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT). Hannah is also a popular speaker and teaches workshops all over the country. As the owner of Wonderpups, LLC, Hannah is committed to training both dogs and people with positive reinforcement methods.
Hannah has titled her dogs in conformation, obedience, schutzhund, agility, and rally. Her dogs have multiple class wins, both AKC and UKC High in Trial awards, and scores that qualify for several Front & Finish Awards of Excellence (FFX).
Learn more about Hannah on her website, on Facebook, on Instagram, on YouTube, or on Twitter.
Lindsay Wood Brown is a board-certified applied animal behaviorist (ACAAB) with a master's degree in animal behavior. Lindsay is a Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) course developer and has served as a KPA faculty member since 2012. Lindsay’s goal is to help behavior consultants and shelter professionals apply behavior-change science to their everyday professional lives. Her focus is on stripping labels, flipping prevailing ideas on their sides for a better view, and honing in on systematic ways to advance strategies.
Lindsay consults for animal shelters across the country and provides 1:1 mentorship opportunities for behavior consultants. She previously served as the Director of Operations for Lynchburg Humane Society in Virginia and as the Director of Animal Training and Behavior for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in Boulder, Colorado.
Learn more about Lindsay on the Karen Pryor Academy faculty page.
Aaron Clayton is the CEO of Karen Pryor Clicker Training (KPCT). He joined the company in 2001 and with Karen Pryor, and now with Ken Ramirez, has piloted the company’s growth for over a decade and a half. He is a management executive with approximately 25 years of experience growing service-based businesses. Of all his experiences, Aaron’s involvement with teaching and learning as the president of KPCT has been the most fun and reinforcing (pun intended!).
Prior to joining KPCT, Aaron helped found and fund a human resources company and was a partner at a business strategy consultancy focused on improving the market position and performance of Fortune 500 companies. He is a board member of TAGteach, LLC. Aaron holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and an M.B.A from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University. Susan has co-authored chapters on behavior change in four veterinary texts, and her popular articles have been translated into 14 languages. She teaches courses and seminars on animal learning and consults with zoos around the world. Susan was appointed to the F&WS Condor Recovery Team from 2002 - 2010, after which time the team was retired due to the success of the birds in the wild. She is the Chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Committee of American Humane Association (AHA) Film and TV Unit, and a member in good standing of ABAI, ABMA, and IAABC.
Learn more about Susan on her website or Facebook page.
Learn more about Susan on her website or Facebook page.
Terrie Hayward is a certified professional animal trainer and the owner of PAW-Positive Animal Wellness, LLC. She is the author of the pocket guide to working with deaf dogs, A Deaf Dog Joins the Family: Training, Education, and Communication for a Smooth Transition, co-author of Grooming Without Stress: Safer, Quicker, Happier, and the book for every dog family Your 10 Minute a Day Dog.
Terrie’s specialties include working with deaf dogs and canine separation anxiety cases. She works with families and their animal companions, presents workshops, travels, and consults, focusing on positive reinforcement interactions and modifying behavior through applications in behavior analysis.
Terrie holds a master’s degree in Education and is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP) and faculty member. She is also certified by the Council for Professional Dog Trainers, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and a Professional Member of The Pet Professional Guild.
Learn more about Terrie on her website , Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Dr. Michaela Hempen is a special guest co-teaching Managing Energy and Emotions: Getting to Just Right with Alexandra Kurland.
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Dr. Michaela Hempen began clicker training her own horses in 2010 following Alexandra Kurland’s The Click That Teaches program. In 2013, she became one of Alexandra’s online coaches; in 2016, she published a German version of Alexandra’s online course. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Michaela organized clinics with Alexandra in Germany and Italy. She also organized “Science Camp,” a unique conference experience featuring Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, Mary Hunter, and Alexandra Kurland. In 2020, Science Camp became a virtual event. In 2021, Alexandra invited Michaela to co-teach some of her virtual clinics.
Michaela is passionate about balance and classical dressage, a passion she shares with Alexandra. She is particularly inspired by Anja Beran, a well-respected classical dressage trainer based in Germany whom she visits frequently. Michaela has earned a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine and an MSc degree in equine science. Her MSc thesis on the environmental control of crib-biting in a horse was supervised by Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and was a study that earned considerable attention and invitations to several podcasts. That work is ongoing, with support from Dr. Rosales-Ruiz, Alexandra Kurland, and Mary Hunter, and strongly influences Michaela’s current approach to training.
Learn more about Dr. Hempen on her website, Facebook, or Instagram.
Peggy Hogan fell in love with horses at age 3. Alongside passion for horses, she began to train dogs. At age 15, Peggy owned a dog that was trained to respond to hand and verbal cues; she even found an agent for the dog!
Since those early days, Peggy has been devoted to improving communication with all animals, but her passion has remained with horses. She began to study Natural Horsemanship, but the use of pressure and negative reinforcement led her to hunt for something different. She immersed herself in the teachings of Peggy Cummings, a master clinician and founder of Connected Riding, and transformed her ability to stay connected with a horse on the ground and in the saddle. Now, Peggy uses Connected Riding with its emphasis on ease of movement and postural balance with alignment for both horses and humans.
Peggy heard about Alexandra Kurland who was using positive reinforcement in a technique called clicker training and achieving very clear communication with horses. Peggy saw the effects and knew clicker training was right for her. She began to watch and learn from clicker trainers of other species. She learned from renowned trainers, including Ken Ramirez and Dr. Susan Friedman.
Peggy investigated ways to add shaping, capturing, luring, and targeting—pressure-free techniques—to teach equine behavior. Peggy embraced the idea that horses would respond and offer behavior freely, if given the choice. Using positive reinforcement and offering more control to the animal have led her to the development phase of consent signals, start buttons, and requested behaviors.
When you watch Peggy's current videos, you will see horses, at liberty, offering behaviors that range from freestyle to agility to medical procedures. Peggy has trained full-sized horses as well as miniature horses; her techniques have been used to help rescued horses. Peggy's current goal is to share the steps for learning about clicker training, primarily the lesser-known techniques of shaping, capturing, luring, and targeting, all fueled by the horse’s control and power of choice. With clicker training, the horse owners can achieve wonderful results that, until now, were reserved for professional trainers. Peggy has been a guest speaker at ClickerExpo since 2013.
Learn more about Peggy on her website, her Facebook page, Instagram, or on Twitter.
Mary Hunter earned an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Chicago and a master's degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas. She provides animal training services to people and their pets, working primarily with dogs and horses. Mary teaches as an adjunct instructor at the University of North Texas and serves as president of the Art and Science of Animal Training. In 2019, Mary and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz published their first book, PORTL: The Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab. Mary’s research interests include studying the process of shaping and finding better ways to teach people to train animals. She is a full member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and has presented research at the organization’s annual convention. You can find Mary online on her personal blog, Stale Cheerios and on the Behavior Explorer website.
Learn more about Mary on her website or on her Facebook page.
Shawna Karrasch is a pioneer in the use of positive reinforcement training with horses. Her powerful and humane behavioral training techniques are eye-opening experiences for equine professionals, competitors, and amateurs alike.
Shawna began her training career far outside the equestrian world, working with large marine mammals. When she was introduced to the world of top equestrian competition, Shawna saw immediately how reward-based training could be used to engage a horse’s willingness. A number of years ago, top trainer John Madden was so impressed with Shawna’s early results that the world-renowned training facility at the Madden farm became the testing ground for adapting positive reinforcement training for horses.
Using Shawna’s positive reinforcement training methods, Olympian Beezie Madden taught her famous show-jumper Judgment (now Judgment ISF) to overcome his fear of water and go on to win the $1,000,000 CN International at Spruce Meadows, among many other international show-jumping victories. Beezie’s decades-long spectacular success as a top international competitor on a series of great horses is a testament not only to her extraordinary talent and skill as a rider and trainer but also to the reward-based training system that Shawna first developed on the Madden farm.
Shawna has worked with numerous Olympians and international competitors in show-jumping, dressage, eventing, and driving. She has produced a book (working on a second), videos, podcasts, and articles; she has traveled worldwide to teach the concepts of systematic positive reinforcement training for horses, including the use of the clicker/bridge signal.
Learn more about Shawna on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Alexandra Kurland has built her life around horses. She is a graduate of Cornell University where she specialized in animal behavior. Alexandra began teaching in the early 1980s. Her area of particular interest is the development of a horse’s balance: physical and emotional. Helping horses stay sound throughout a long lifetime is the goal. The results are beautiful horses that feel like heaven to ride.
In 1998, Alexandra launched the rapidly growing field of clicker training for horses with the publication of her first book, Clicker Training for Your Horse. Pre-pandemic Alexandra traveled widely, teaching at clinics and conferences. In 2020, she switched to teaching on Zoom and discovered that this medium is a great way to help people with their horses.
Alexandra has written The Click That Teaches: A Step–By–Step Guide in Pictures and has also produced The Click That Teaches: Riding with the Clicker. She has also produced The Click That Teaches DVD lesson series, and an online training course. People outside the horse community may know her best through her weekly Equiosity podcast.
Laurie Luck, KPA CTP, is a Karen Pryor Academy Faculty Member. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program. She served as President of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), and is a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). Laurie is the owner of Smart Dog University and has been working with dogs and their owners since 1994. Lauries specializes in teaching dogs and their people how to work together. She loves what she does and has developed many happy friendships, both canine and human, along the way.
When she is not teaching, Laurie raises and trains service dogs for a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing service dogs to assist people with disabilities and has raised and trained service dogs for Hero Dogs, a charitable organization based in Maryland. Laurie and her dog are Delta Society-certified Pet Partners. Tango is a therapy dog and they are involved in the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program, helping children to improve their reading skills. A social media junkie she can be found at all the usual hangouts and her Smart Dog Blog, Laurie is also a regular speaker at the ClickerExpo conference.
Learn more about Laurie on her website, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube.
Debbie Martin is a licensed Veterinary Technician in Texas, as well as a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behavior (VTS-Behavior). She has been a full-time registered/licensed veterinary technician since 1996, and worked in private practice for 14 years.
Since 2005 Debbie has been the animal behavior technician for Veterinary Behavior Consultations, LLC. She assists Kenneth Martin, DVM, DACVB, during behavior consultations.
Debbie is the co-owner of TEAM Education in Animal Behavior, LLC, a business focused on providing education on humane training and behavior modification and fostering collaboration between various animal behavior professions.
She is a contributing author and co-editor of the textbook Canine and Feline Behavior for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses by Wiley-Blackwell. Debbie and Dr. Martin have also authored a book on normal development and training for dogs: Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for the Companion Dog. The pair also authored the Karen Pryor Academy course, Puppy Start Right for Instructors. The course provides not only the thorough knowledge necessary to provide puppy socialization classes, but also a complete curriculum with supplemental materials. Debbie’s combined experience in general practice and behavior specialty has fueled her passion for preventive behavior medicine and the Fear Free initiative. Debbie is honored to be a subject matter expert for Fear Free Pets and Fear Free Happy Homes. When she is not seeing clients, writing, or speaking, Debbie enjoys spending time at home with her husband and Belgian Malinoises on their 5-acre property, aptly named the Malamo, in Spicewood, Texas or exploring the beautiful hill country of Texas on her motorcycle!
Learn more about Debbie on her website.
Leslie McDevitt, MLA, CDBC, CPDT-KA, is the author of the internationally popular Control Unleashed series of books and DVDs. Her books have been translated into many languages; people all over the world have learned how to use her science-based and empowering methods to help companion, performance, and working dogs learn how to functional optimally without stress in very challenging environments. If you have a dog that worries about stuff—other dogs, people, noises, the unexpected—Leslie has many fun counter-conditioning games just for you. Leslie is a popular conference speaker and is especially proud to be a presenter at ClickerExpo and a consultant for the Penn Vet Working Dog Center.
After more than 30 years as a national-level gymnastics coach, Theresa was determined to find a way to speed up skill acquisition for her athletes while simultaneously decreasing stress and fear in the learning environment. Her search for behaviorally sound techniques, clean instructions, and the proper timing of feedback and reinforcement, led to the development of the TAGteach methodology. Theresa teamed with Joan Orr, Beth Wheeler, and Aaron Clayton and Karen Pryor of Karen Pryor Clicker Training to found TAGteach International, LLC. Since then, TAGteach has evolved into an entire teaching protocol benefiting an endless variety of human applications. The success of the methodology has been accented by the wide range of applications embracing it. Theresa now consults and designs TAGteach programs in business management, industrial safety, medical, and surgical training, sport coaching, family communication, and, of course, training for those who teach people to train their companion animals. She is the author of the newly minted book, Don't Nag... TAG!: Success the First Time with TAGteach. Theresa is a sought-after speaker across the United States and around the world, including in Europe, the U.K., Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. After business hours, Theresa tends to her small farm in North Carolina and family of humans, horses, chickens, a potbellied pig, a cat, and, of course, a dog.
Learn more about Theresa and TAGteach on her website, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
Melissa Millett is the founder and head trainer of In Dogs We Trust and The Ultimutts, and Ontario Animal Actors. As an animal expert, Melissa has been featured internationally as well as on programs on every major Canadian TV network, including Breakfast Television (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary), CP24, Global News, CTV (Toronto, Vancouver), Animal Planet, The Pet Network, and more. Melissa is the host of the Canadian television show Doggy House Calls and the spin-off series Doggy Diaries in cities across Canada.
Melissa is known internationally as an advanced trick trainer and performer with Ultimutts. A few of the Ultimutts have been featured internationally on: Good Morning America, The Rick Mercer Report, The Family Channel, CBC, and Cineplex Theatres. Bella the Boston terrier has traveled across the country with Ripley’s Believe it or Not! to promote her appearance in the 2016 publication. Jellybean the deaf Australian cattle dog made it to the semifinals of the Facebook Watch show World's Most Amazing Dog, receiving 36 million views and coming very close to winning $100,000 USD!
Melissa has partnered with Animal Coordinator Kirk Jarrett to provide an elite service for animals in film and TV. Most notably, the team co-trained the cats for Stephen King’s 2019 Pet Sematary and worked on a 2019 Super Bowl commercial as well as commercials for Duracell, Ford, Yoplait, and Gund. Past clients have included Paramount, Netflix, Warner Brothers, and more!
Learn more about Melissa and Ultimutts on her website, Facebook page, or Instagram.
Sarah Owings is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP). She specializes in learner-centric applications of behavioral principles that help transform the lives of fearful, shut-down, and over-the-top dogs—as well as the lives of the people who care for them. As an international speaker and regular contributor to online training forums, she is known for her innovative approaches to tough behavior problems and her compassionate and insightful teaching.
Sarah has written for Clean Run magazine on topics such as stimulus control, release cues, and toy-related cues. Her current passions include reframing concepts like “impulse control,” and encouraging trainers to embrace a philosophy of brave learning. Sarah is a member of the ClickerExpo faculty, an instructor for Cyber Scent Online, a tutor for Tromplo, and an advisor to the Glendale Humane Society in Los Angeles. She recently began teaching classes for Marin Humane in Novato and consults with their behavior team.
An avid nose work competitor, Sarah currently competing at both the Elite and Iron Dog levels with her Labrador retriever, Tucker. Tucker was the recipient of the Harry Award in 2015 and has the distinction of titling at each level of NACSW without a single miss. In Sniffing Dog Sports, he has won High in Trial in both Advanced and Excellent divisions and has earned a HIT at Iron Dog. Tucker's trained final response for nose work, a hover-freeze at source, was taught with a marker signal, following clicker training principles.
Learn more about Sarah on her Facebook page.
Dr. Christopher Pachel is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist and the owner and lead clinician at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Pachel lectures extensively both domestically and internationally, teaches courses at multiple veterinary schools in the United States, and has authored numerous articles and book chapters geared to veterinarians and pet owners. He is a sought-after expert witness for legal cases and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for dvm360. Dr. Pachel is also a Vice-president of Veterinary Behavior for Instinct Dog Behavior and Training and co-owner of Instinct Portland, which opened in the fall of 2020.
Learn more about Dr. Pachel on the Animal Behavior Clinic website and on his Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages.
E mma Parsons, KPA-CTP, CDBC, is currently the Canine Behavior Training Consultant for Surefire Dogs in Westborough, MA, and owns her own business. She specializes in managing and rehabilitating the reactive and aggressive dog and has authored three books on the subject, including her newest book The New Click to Calm: Solutions for All Dogs in a Challenging World. Emma is a Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior and Karen Pryor Clicker Training ClickerExpo conference faculty member. She taught reactive dog classes for twelve years at Masterpeace Dog Training in Franklin, MA.
Emma holds a BA degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She shares her life with her husband, Greg, and their two clicker-trained competition dogs—a golden, Austyn-Roque, and a border collie, Joshua-Hunt.
Learn more about Emma on her website.
Chirag Patel runs Domesticated Manners in London, UK. He consults on the ethical and science-based practice of behavior management and training for animals housed in domestic, zoo, and laboratory environments. Chirag also conducts workshops for professionals internationally and was a behavior consultant on the BBC 1 television show Nightmare Pets SOS.
Chirag earned his BSc (Hons) in Veterinary Sciences from the Royal Veterinary College in London and a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Animal Behavior from the University of Lincoln, UK. He is also a certified parrot behavior consultant (CPBC) with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). Currently, Chirag is studying for a MSc in Applied Behavior Analysis.
Learn more about Chirag on his website, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on Twitter. Chirag also has a YouTube channel that has accumulated more than half a million hits and provides free resources for pet owners and professionals.
A central force behind dogbiz, the dog pro industry’s leading business support company, and a former instructor at the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, Gina Phairas oversees the dogbiz University program, developing business courses to help R+ trainers succeed in their dream businesses. She is a dynamic speaker, teaching business workshops across the country and for Karen Pryor Academy. Gina previously ran a successful dog training business of her own and consulted nationally for shelters and rescue groups.
Michele Pouliot has worked with dogs and horses professionally since 1970. She studied horsemanship under Linda Tellington-Jones and graduated at the school’s highest riding instructor level. When Michele acquired her first dog, she quickly became hooked on dog training, which altered her career path focus. Horses continue to be Michele’s hobby and life love.
In 1974, Michele joined Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), the largest guide-dog school in North America. She trained more than 350 guide-dog teams over her 42-year career with GDB. She began to shift her training methods to clicker training in 2000. Michele guided the GDB organization away from historical punishment-based techniques to positive reinforcement methods. Michele has led her school, and dozens of guide-dog programs globally, in the adoption of clicker training for all aspects of guide-dog work. In 2016, the International Guide Dog Federation presented a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award to Michele.
Since retiring from her guide-dog career, Michele continues to teach and consult for guide- and service-dog organizations within the USA and internationally; she also coaches clicker training for dog sports. She was invited by Karen Pryor to join the ClickerExpo conference faculty in 2007. Michele considers ClickerExpo the highlight of each year, learning as much from faculty associates as others learn from her.
Michele has been successful in canine dog sports since 1972. She was active in competition obedience for 20+ years, gaining four OTCH (Obedience Trial Championships) titles with her own dogs. Michele also competed in tracking and agility. In 2005, Michele discovered a new sport, Canine Musical Freestyle. She fell in love with this challenging and creative hobby and became a leader in the sport, earning multiple Canine Musical Freestyle championship titles and winning national and international competitions. Michele and her Australian shepherd, Listo, made canine freestyle history with the World Canine Freestyle Organization as the first team to receive perfect scores in both Artistic and Technical categories, repeating this incredible achievement 24 times. Often referred to as a “trainers’ trainer,” Michele is known as a clear, down-to-earth, enthusiastic teacher who demonstrates her love for animals and people every time she speaks. Although she is enjoying spending more time at home since retirement, Michele continues to be passionate about teaching positive reinforcement training.
Ken Ramirez is the Executive Vice-President (EVP) and Chief Training Officer of Karen Pryor Clicker Training (KPCT). There he helps to oversee the vision, development, and implementation of training education programs for the organization.
A 40+-year veteran of animal care and training, Ken is a biologist and animal behaviorist who has overseen or consulted on training projects for many zoological organizations throughout the world. He began his training career working with guide dogs for the visually impaired and continues to work with organizations training dogs for service work, search-and-rescue, bomb detection, and narcotic detection. Ken has also maintained a close affiliation with pet training throughout his career.
Prior to his work with KPCT, Ken served as EVP of Animal Care and Animal Training at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium for more than 25 years. There he developed and supervised animal care and animal health programs, staff training and development, and public presentation programs for more than 32,000 animals. Ken has written for numerous scientific publications and authored countless popular articles. He is the author of the bestselling Animal Training: Successful Animal Management through Positive Reinforcement as well as his newest book, The Eye of the Trainer: Animal Training, Transformation, and Trust.
Ken taught a graduate course on animal training at Western Illinois University for 20 years and has been active in several professional organizations, including as a past president of the International Marine Animal Trainer’s Association (IMATA). He is actively involved in the creation of a certification process for animal trainers in zoological settings. Currently, Ken is developing courses and programming at The Ranch, the Karen Pryor National Training Center in the state of Washington.
Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas. He obtained his Ph.D from the University of Kansas in 1995 under the direction of Dr. Donald M. Baer. Jesús serves on several editorial boards, including the European Journal of Behavior Analysis and the International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy. His areas of interest include antecedent control of behavior, generalization, behavioral cusps, fluency-based teaching, treatment of autism, teaching of academic behavior, animal training, and rule- and contingency-shaped behavior.
T erry Ryan has been training dogs and teaching others to train dogs for more than 50 years. Early on, she founded Legacy Canine Behavior & Training, Inc., an organization promoting humane and effective dog training techniques for a variety of pet, working dog, and competitive applications. For many years Terry operated a large training complex in the Pacific Northwest offering a variety of training specialties, including one of her passions, Chicken Camp.
Terry competed in and coached various performance events and was an AKC obedience trial judge for many years. She has taught in several countries, creating and implementing national dog training and instructor education programs.
Terry has authored numerous books; the most popular is entitled Coaching People to Train Their Dogs. Her most recent book is called Gamify Your Dog Training. Terry has been on the faculty of Karen Pryor Academy since 2008, teaching courses numerous times a year both domestically and abroad.
Learn more about Terry on her website.
Kathy Sdao is an applied animal behaviorist. She has spent more than 30 years as a fulltime animal trainer, first with marine mammals and now with dogs and their people. Kathy received a master’s degree in experimental psychology from the University of Hawaii. The United States Navy then hired her to train dolphins for open-ocean tasks. Kathy next worked as a marine-mammal trainer at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Later, Kathy co-created Tacoma’s first dog daycare facility, where she began teaching clicker training classes.
Since 1998, Kathy has owned Bright Spot Dog Training. Services include consulting with families about their challenging dogs, teaching private lessons, and mentoring professional trainers. Kathy is proud to be an original faculty member at Karen Pryor Clicker Training’s ClickerExpo conferences.
Kathy has traveled extensively across the United States, Canada, and Europe, and to Australia, Israel, Japan, and Mexico, educating students about the science of animal training. Her first book, Plenty in Life Is Free: Reflections on Dogs, Training and Finding Grace was published in 2012.
Learn more about Kathy on her website.
Michael Shikashio, CDBC, is the founder of AggressiveDog.com. His focus is on teaching other professionals from around the world how to work aggression cases successfully. Michael is a five-term president of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and a full member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT).
Michael’s expert opinion is often sought by media outlets, including The New York Times, the New York Post, Fox News, The List TV, the Baltimore Sun, WebMD, Women’s Health magazine, Real Simple magazine, SiriusXM Radio, The Chronicle of the Dog, and Steve Dale’s Pet World. He also hosts the popular podcast show The Bitey End of the Dog, where he chats with the foremost experts on dog aggression.
Michael is a featured keynote speaker at conferences, universities, and seminars around the world. He offers a variety of educational opportunities on the topic of canine aggression, including the Aggression in Dogs Master Course and the annual Aggression in Dogs conference.
Learn more about Michael and Aggressive.com on his website , Facebook page, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Lori Stevens (CPDT-KA, SAMP, CCFT, CPBC) uses humane and scientific methods to improve the health, behavior, and performance of animals. Her experience is holistic and incorporates respect for animals as teachers. She continually studies the interactions among animal behavior, movement, learning, and health, and this effort is reflected in her innovative approach.
Lori is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a certified Small Animal Massage Practitioner, a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer, and a Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant, as well as a Senior Tellington TTouch practitioner for dogs, cats, and other animals. Lori is the creator of the Balance Harness. She teaches workshops and presents at conferences worldwide, including ClickerExpo where she has presented on both aging dogs and fitness.
Learn more about Lori on her website, Facebook, or Instagram.
Tim Sullivan has worked for the Chicago Zoological Society at Brookfield Zoo for the last 41 years. He spent the first half of his career as a keeper/trainer in the marine mammal department and later worked as a supervisor in the pachyderm department. It was in the pachyderm department that he helped develop a protected-contact behavior management program for elephants and began to teach training skills and strategies to zoo staff. This experience led to Tim’s current role as the Zoo's Curator of Behavioral Husbandry. His primary responsibility is to manage the Zoo’s animal training and environmental enrichment programs, developing the knowledge and skill of more than 100 animal keepers. Tim also consults on behavioral husbandry at other zoological institutions and conducts international training workshops. He is currently on the instructor teams of the Association of Zoo and Aquariums (AZA) annual Animal Training Applications and Environmental Enrichment in Zoos and Aquariums courses. Active in international training organizations, Tim has been an officer on the board of directors of both the International Marine Animal Trainers Association and the Animal Behavior Management Alliance, an organization he cofounded.
Laura Monaco Torelli is the founder of Animal Behavior Training Concepts in Chicago, Illinois. She began her career in 1991 at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, where she trained beluga whales, dolphins, sea otters, seals, river otters, and penguins. After nearly a decade at the Shedd, she moved on to the San Diego Zoo and then Brookfield Zoo as a lead supervisory trainer. During her time in the zoo community, Laura worked with a wide variety of terrestrial animals, including primates, large cats, birds of prey, horses, parrots, tree kangaroos, giraffes, red pandas, and dogs. She is currently part of an exotic animal rescue and rehabilitation training team for the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Laura is a faculty member and instructor of Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior (KPA), and serves as a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Susan G. Friedman’s Living & Learning with Animals online course. She offers private training at West Loop Veterinary Care, located in downtown Chicago. Laura has presented at numerous professional conferences and taught seminars across the United States, Italy, Sweden, the UK, Singapore, Japan, and the Caribbean. She was an invited speaker for the American Veterinary Medical Association Convention, Midwest Veterinary Conference, and Penn Vet Working Dog Conference. Laura has appeared on various broadcast media, including WGN and NBC 5 news, WGN Radio, and WCIU’s You & Me This Morning. She also contributed her training videos for the Fear Free Professional Trainer Certification program and the Karen Pryor Academy Better Vet Visits online course.
This is her tenth year speaking at ClickerExpo.
Learn more about Laura on her website, on Facebook, on Twitter, on LinkedIn, or on Instagram.
Emelie Johnson Vegh has been involved in dog training and various dog sports since her teenage years, after spending many years around ponies. While she was studying to become a high school teacher of English and Swedish, Emelie began working with Eva Bertilsson and the collaboration Carpe Momentum was formed.
“E&E” teach seminars and online courses on a wide variety of topics and are known for concepts such as seamless training sessions, start-button behaviors, and flowcharts. They are TAGteach faculty members and are committed to creating the best learning environment for humans and non-humans alike. In their book Agility Right from the Start, Emelie and Eva share their philosophy and structured approach to training, which makes the book a worthy read for all trainer (not just dog-agility enthusiasts).
Emelie lives in the very south of Sweden in the country's third largest city, Malmö. She shares her life with her husband, two sons, a daughter, Kelpie Scout, and Field Golden Tessa. Scout is now 12 years old and retired, and Tessa is about to begin her journey into dog sports, primarily obedience and rally obedience. In addition to dog sports, Emelie enjoys training in general, and is very interested in sports psychology, running, multisport, and yoga. She is also an author of fiction novels for both children and adults.
Learn more about Emelie on her website, Facebook page, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Laurie C. Williams, CPDT-KA, has had a love of and connection with dogs from as far back as she can remember. She is the owner and Director of Training and Behavior Counseling at Pup ‘N Iron Canine Fitness & Learning Center in Fredericksburg, VA, where she has been serving her community as a canine education specialist and dog behavior counselor for the past 16 years. Laurie holds a B.A. from Norwich University in Montpelier, VT, and was a member of the adjunct faculty of the Natural Sciences Department of Northern Virginia Community College for seven years. Laurie is a nationally published writer with works appearing in the APDT Chronicle of the Dog, The Whole Dog Journal, Dog & Handler, 911, Essence, Fitness, and Good Housekeeping magazines. She is currently a member of the Board of Governors of the Dog Writer’s Association of America and is a therapy-dog evaluator for Pet Partners, a Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and a licensed judge for the American Kennel Club.
Learn more about Laurie on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Dr. Christy Alligood is a sought-after teacher, speaker, and thought leader whose experience spans the science and practice of behavior analysis. Dr. Alligood received an MA (2003) from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a Ph.D. (2007) from West Virginia University. She is also a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D).
For more than 10 years, Dr. Alligood has been a behavior scientist at Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment. In that capacity, she uses her expertise in the application of behavior analysis to enhance the welfare of nonhuman animals through cooperative training, environmental enrichment, behavioral problem-solving, and behavior-change strategies supporting the conservation of wildlife and wild places.
Dr. Alligood is a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She has served in many leadership roles in the Association for Behavior Analysis International, including president of the Applied Animal Behavior Special Interest Group, Coordinator of the Special Interest Groups Board, and At-large Representative to the Executive Council. Dr. Alligood is also a past president and current secretary of the Southeastern Association for Behavior Analysis. She is an instructor for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Environmental Enrichment in Zoo & Aquariums course and general member of the AZA Behavior Advisory Group serving on the Culture Change working group. She currently teaches BehaviorWorks' How Research Works.
Dr. Ballantyne is a special guest co-teaching Team In Transition: How to Bring Husbandry At-Home Behaviors to the Vet Clinic with Laura Monaco Torelli.
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Dr. Kelly C. Ballantyne is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist as well as the practice owner and Medical Director of Insight Animal Behavior Services.
Dr. Ballantyne earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2005. Working at a primary care veterinary practice, she developed a passion for animal behavior. Dr. Ballantyne went on to pursue a residency in veterinary behavior and earned her board certification through the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists in 2015. During that time, she worked at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, providing behavior consulting services and teaching veterinary students about animal behavior. Dr. Ballantyne has co-authored several peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, including “The Feline Dream Home” in ACVB’s Decoding Your Cat. She speaks nationally and internationally on companion animal behavioral issues and human-animal interactions.
In her spare time, Dr. Ballantyne enjoys traveling with her husband Robert, reading, hiking, birding, digital illustration, and wildlife photography. She and Rob share their home with their Rhodesian ridgeback, Bludger (pictured).
Learn more about Dr. Ballantyne on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Laura VanArendonk Baugh operates Canines in Action in Indianapolis. As a crossover trainer, Laura is particularly interested in the science of more efficient behavior change. She became a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner in 2008 and returned to the Academy as an instructor, teaching certification workshops around the country. She is also certified in TAGteach.
Laura blogs on clicker training and behavior, writes articles on various behavior and training topics, and is the author of Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out and Social, Civil, and Savvy.
Learn more about Laura on her website, Facebook page, Instagram, or Twitter.
Eva Bertilsson has a master’s degree in behavior analysis and a passion for animal welfare. She has been hooked on positive reinforcement training since the early 1990s. She and her dogs have participated in a variety of dog sports, including high-level obedience; they were part of the national team in agility. Today Eva teaches about behavior in multiple settings, always enjoying networking and connecting people and ideas.
Together with business partner Emelie Johnson Vegh, Eva runs their collaboration Carpe Momentum. “E&E” teach seminars and online courses on a wide variety of topics. They are known for concepts such as seamless training sessions, start-button behaviors, and flowcharts, along with their passion for foundation training for agility and other sports. TAGteach faculty members, Emelie and Eva are committed to creating the best learning environment for humans and non-humans alike. Eva and Emelie met at the agility field 20 years ago. In their book Agility Right from the Start they share their philosophy and structured approach to training, which makes the book a valuable read for all trainers (not just dog-agility enthusiasts).
Eva is a FearFree speaker and a board member of the Swedish Association for Behavior Analysis. One of her most recent cooperations has the nerdy name ABC247.wtf. It is an international web shop with an online learning hub, where Eva organizes webinars based on the theme of Choice, Control & Communication and where Eva and Emelie offer their own webinars and courses.
Learn more about Eva on her website, Facebook page, or Instagram.
Veronica Boutelle, MA Ed, CTC, is co-founder of dogbiz (formerly dogtec) and the author of several books, including How To Run a Dog Business: Putting Your Career Where Your Heart Is and the co-author of Minding Your Dog Business: A Practical Guide to Business Success for Dog Professionals..Through dogbiz, she and her team help dog trainers start, grow, and run thriving businesses. Veronica writes regular business columns for multiple industry journals, including PPG’s BARKS from the Guild, and is a sought-after speaker at dog-training schools and conferences across the country and internationally. Veronica and dogbiz co-founder Gina Phairas are proud to provide the business curriculum for Karen Pryor Academy.
Learn more about Veronica on her website or on her Facebook page.
Hannah Branigan has been training dogs and teaching people for more than 12 years. In addition to being a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP), she is a faculty member for KPA, a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT). Hannah is also a popular speaker and teaches workshops all over the country. As the owner of Wonderpups, LLC, Hannah is committed to training both dogs and people with positive reinforcement methods.
Hannah has titled her dogs in conformation, obedience, schutzhund, agility, and rally. Her dogs have multiple class wins, both AKC and UKC High in Trial awards, and scores that qualify for several Front & Finish Awards of Excellence (FFX).
Learn more about Hannah on her website, on Facebook, on Instagram, on YouTube, or on Twitter.
Lindsay Wood Brown is a board-certified applied animal behaviorist (ACAAB) with a master's degree in animal behavior. Lindsay is a Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) course developer and has served as a KPA faculty member since 2012. Lindsay’s goal is to help behavior consultants and shelter professionals apply behavior-change science to their everyday professional lives. Her focus is on stripping labels, flipping prevailing ideas on their sides for a better view, and honing in on systematic ways to advance strategies.
Lindsay consults for animal shelters across the country and provides 1:1 mentorship opportunities for behavior consultants. She previously served as the Director of Operations for Lynchburg Humane Society in Virginia and as the Director of Animal Training and Behavior for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in Boulder, Colorado.
Learn more about Lindsay on the Karen Pryor Academy faculty page.
Aaron Clayton is the CEO of Karen Pryor Clicker Training (KPCT). He joined the company in 2001 and with Karen Pryor, and now with Ken Ramirez, has piloted the company’s growth for over a decade and a half. He is a management executive with approximately 25 years of experience growing service-based businesses. Of all his experiences, Aaron’s involvement with teaching and learning as the president of KPCT has been the most fun and reinforcing (pun intended!).
Prior to joining KPCT, Aaron helped found and fund a human resources company and was a partner at a business strategy consultancy focused on improving the market position and performance of Fortune 500 companies. He is a board member of TAGteach, LLC. Aaron holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and an M.B.A from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University. Susan has co-authored chapters on behavior change in four veterinary texts, and her popular articles have been translated into 14 languages. She teaches courses and seminars on animal learning and consults with zoos around the world. Susan was appointed to the F&WS Condor Recovery Team from 2002 - 2010, after which time the team was retired due to the success of the birds in the wild. She is the Chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Committee of American Humane Association (AHA) Film and TV Unit, and a member in good standing of ABAI, ABMA, and IAABC.
Learn more about Susan on her website or Facebook page.
Learn more about Susan on her website or Facebook page.
Terrie Hayward is a certified professional animal trainer and the owner of PAW-Positive Animal Wellness, LLC. She is the author of the pocket guide to working with deaf dogs, A Deaf Dog Joins the Family: Training, Education, and Communication for a Smooth Transition, co-author of Grooming Without Stress: Safer, Quicker, Happier, and the book for every dog family Your 10 Minute a Day Dog.
Terrie’s specialties include working with deaf dogs and canine separation anxiety cases. She works with families and their animal companions, presents workshops, travels, and consults, focusing on positive reinforcement interactions and modifying behavior through applications in behavior analysis.
Terrie holds a master’s degree in Education and is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP) and faculty member. She is also certified by the Council for Professional Dog Trainers, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and a Professional Member of The Pet Professional Guild.
Learn more about Terrie on her website , Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Dr. Michaela Hempen is a special guest co-teaching Managing Energy and Emotions: Getting to Just Right with Alexandra Kurland.
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Dr. Michaela Hempen began clicker training her own horses in 2010 following Alexandra Kurland’s The Click That Teaches program. In 2013, she became one of Alexandra’s online coaches; in 2016, she published a German version of Alexandra’s online course. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Michaela organized clinics with Alexandra in Germany and Italy. She also organized “Science Camp,” a unique conference experience featuring Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, Mary Hunter, and Alexandra Kurland. In 2020, Science Camp became a virtual event. In 2021, Alexandra invited Michaela to co-teach some of her virtual clinics.
Michaela is passionate about balance and classical dressage, a passion she shares with Alexandra. She is particularly inspired by Anja Beran, a well-respected classical dressage trainer based in Germany whom she visits frequently. Michaela has earned a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine and an MSc degree in equine science. Her MSc thesis on the environmental control of crib-biting in a horse was supervised by Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and was a study that earned considerable attention and invitations to several podcasts. That work is ongoing, with support from Dr. Rosales-Ruiz, Alexandra Kurland, and Mary Hunter, and strongly influences Michaela’s current approach to training.
Learn more about Dr. Hempen on her website, Facebook, or Instagram.
Peggy Hogan fell in love with horses at age 3. Alongside passion for horses, she began to train dogs. At age 15, Peggy owned a dog that was trained to respond to hand and verbal cues; she even found an agent for the dog!
Since those early days, Peggy has been devoted to improving communication with all animals, but her passion has remained with horses. She began to study Natural Horsemanship, but the use of pressure and negative reinforcement led her to hunt for something different. She immersed herself in the teachings of Peggy Cummings, a master clinician and founder of Connected Riding, and transformed her ability to stay connected with a horse on the ground and in the saddle. Now, Peggy uses Connected Riding with its emphasis on ease of movement and postural balance with alignment for both horses and humans.
Peggy heard about Alexandra Kurland who was using positive reinforcement in a technique called clicker training and achieving very clear communication with horses. Peggy saw the effects and knew clicker training was right for her. She began to watch and learn from clicker trainers of other species. She learned from renowned trainers, including Ken Ramirez and Dr. Susan Friedman.
Peggy investigated ways to add shaping, capturing, luring, and targeting—pressure-free techniques—to teach equine behavior. Peggy embraced the idea that horses would respond and offer behavior freely, if given the choice. Using positive reinforcement and offering more control to the animal have led her to the development phase of consent signals, start buttons, and requested behaviors.
When you watch Peggy's current videos, you will see horses, at liberty, offering behaviors that range from freestyle to agility to medical procedures. Peggy has trained full-sized horses as well as miniature horses; her techniques have been used to help rescued horses. Peggy's current goal is to share the steps for learning about clicker training, primarily the lesser-known techniques of shaping, capturing, luring, and targeting, all fueled by the horse’s control and power of choice. With clicker training, the horse owners can achieve wonderful results that, until now, were reserved for professional trainers. Peggy has been a guest speaker at ClickerExpo since 2013.
Learn more about Peggy on her website, her Facebook page, Instagram, or on Twitter.
Mary Hunter earned an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Chicago and a master's degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas. She provides animal training services to people and their pets, working primarily with dogs and horses. Mary teaches as an adjunct instructor at the University of North Texas and serves as president of the Art and Science of Animal Training. In 2019, Mary and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz published their first book, PORTL: The Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab. Mary’s research interests include studying the process of shaping and finding better ways to teach people to train animals. She is a full member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and has presented research at the organization’s annual convention. You can find Mary online on her personal blog, Stale Cheerios and on the Behavior Explorer website.
Learn more about Mary on her website or on her Facebook page.
Shawna Karrasch is a pioneer in the use of positive reinforcement training with horses. Her powerful and humane behavioral training techniques are eye-opening experiences for equine professionals, competitors, and amateurs alike.
Shawna began her training career far outside the equestrian world, working with large marine mammals. When she was introduced to the world of top equestrian competition, Shawna saw immediately how reward-based training could be used to engage a horse’s willingness. A number of years ago, top trainer John Madden was so impressed with Shawna’s early results that the world-renowned training facility at the Madden farm became the testing ground for adapting positive reinforcement training for horses.
Using Shawna’s positive reinforcement training methods, Olympian Beezie Madden taught her famous show-jumper Judgment (now Judgment ISF) to overcome his fear of water and go on to win the $1,000,000 CN International at Spruce Meadows, among many other international show-jumping victories. Beezie’s decades-long spectacular success as a top international competitor on a series of great horses is a testament not only to her extraordinary talent and skill as a rider and trainer but also to the reward-based training system that Shawna first developed on the Madden farm.
Shawna has worked with numerous Olympians and international competitors in show-jumping, dressage, eventing, and driving. She has produced a book (working on a second), videos, podcasts, and articles; she has traveled worldwide to teach the concepts of systematic positive reinforcement training for horses, including the use of the clicker/bridge signal.
Learn more about Shawna on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Alexandra Kurland has built her life around horses. She is a graduate of Cornell University where she specialized in animal behavior. Alexandra began teaching in the early 1980s. Her area of particular interest is the development of a horse’s balance: physical and emotional. Helping horses stay sound throughout a long lifetime is the goal. The results are beautiful horses that feel like heaven to ride.
In 1998, Alexandra launched the rapidly growing field of clicker training for horses with the publication of her first book, Clicker Training for Your Horse. Pre-pandemic Alexandra traveled widely, teaching at clinics and conferences. In 2020, she switched to teaching on Zoom and discovered that this medium is a great way to help people with their horses.
Alexandra has written The Click That Teaches: A Step–By–Step Guide in Pictures and has also produced The Click That Teaches: Riding with the Clicker. She has also produced The Click That Teaches DVD lesson series, and an online training course. People outside the horse community may know her best through her weekly Equiosity podcast.
Laurie Luck, KPA CTP, is a Karen Pryor Academy Faculty Member. She teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program and is herself a graduate of the program. She served as President of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), and is a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). Laurie is the owner of Smart Dog University and has been working with dogs and their owners since 1994. Lauries specializes in teaching dogs and their people how to work together. She loves what she does and has developed many happy friendships, both canine and human, along the way.
When she is not teaching, Laurie raises and trains service dogs for a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing service dogs to assist people with disabilities and has raised and trained service dogs for Hero Dogs, a charitable organization based in Maryland. Laurie and her dog are Delta Society-certified Pet Partners. Tango is a therapy dog and they are involved in the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program, helping children to improve their reading skills. A social media junkie she can be found at all the usual hangouts and her Smart Dog Blog, Laurie is also a regular speaker at the ClickerExpo conference.
Learn more about Laurie on her website, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube.
Debbie Martin is a licensed Veterinary Technician in Texas, as well as a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behavior (VTS-Behavior). She has been a full-time registered/licensed veterinary technician since 1996, and worked in private practice for 14 years.
Since 2005 Debbie has been the animal behavior technician for Veterinary Behavior Consultations, LLC. She assists Kenneth Martin, DVM, DACVB, during behavior consultations.
Debbie is the co-owner of TEAM Education in Animal Behavior, LLC, a business focused on providing education on humane training and behavior modification and fostering collaboration between various animal behavior professions.
She is a contributing author and co-editor of the textbook Canine and Feline Behavior for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses by Wiley-Blackwell. Debbie and Dr. Martin have also authored a book on normal development and training for dogs: Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for the Companion Dog. The pair also authored the Karen Pryor Academy course, Puppy Start Right for Instructors. The course provides not only the thorough knowledge necessary to provide puppy socialization classes, but also a complete curriculum with supplemental materials. Debbie’s combined experience in general practice and behavior specialty has fueled her passion for preventive behavior medicine and the Fear Free initiative. Debbie is honored to be a subject matter expert for Fear Free Pets and Fear Free Happy Homes. When she is not seeing clients, writing, or speaking, Debbie enjoys spending time at home with her husband and Belgian Malinoises on their 5-acre property, aptly named the Malamo, in Spicewood, Texas or exploring the beautiful hill country of Texas on her motorcycle!
Learn more about Debbie on her website.
Leslie McDevitt, MLA, CDBC, CPDT-KA, is the author of the internationally popular Control Unleashed series of books and DVDs. Her books have been translated into many languages; people all over the world have learned how to use her science-based and empowering methods to help companion, performance, and working dogs learn how to functional optimally without stress in very challenging environments. If you have a dog that worries about stuff—other dogs, people, noises, the unexpected—Leslie has many fun counter-conditioning games just for you. Leslie is a popular conference speaker and is especially proud to be a presenter at ClickerExpo and a consultant for the Penn Vet Working Dog Center.
After more than 30 years as a national-level gymnastics coach, Theresa was determined to find a way to speed up skill acquisition for her athletes while simultaneously decreasing stress and fear in the learning environment. Her search for behaviorally sound techniques, clean instructions, and the proper timing of feedback and reinforcement, led to the development of the TAGteach methodology. Theresa teamed with Joan Orr, Beth Wheeler, and Aaron Clayton and Karen Pryor of Karen Pryor Clicker Training to found TAGteach International, LLC. Since then, TAGteach has evolved into an entire teaching protocol benefiting an endless variety of human applications. The success of the methodology has been accented by the wide range of applications embracing it. Theresa now consults and designs TAGteach programs in business management, industrial safety, medical, and surgical training, sport coaching, family communication, and, of course, training for those who teach people to train their companion animals. She is the author of the newly minted book, Don't Nag... TAG!: Success the First Time with TAGteach. Theresa is a sought-after speaker across the United States and around the world, including in Europe, the U.K., Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. After business hours, Theresa tends to her small farm in North Carolina and family of humans, horses, chickens, a potbellied pig, a cat, and, of course, a dog.
Learn more about Theresa and TAGteach on her website, on Facebook, and on Twitter.
Melissa Millett is the founder and head trainer of In Dogs We Trust and The Ultimutts, and Ontario Animal Actors. As an animal expert, Melissa has been featured internationally as well as on programs on every major Canadian TV network, including Breakfast Television (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary), CP24, Global News, CTV (Toronto, Vancouver), Animal Planet, The Pet Network, and more. Melissa is the host of the Canadian television show Doggy House Calls and the spin-off series Doggy Diaries in cities across Canada.
Melissa is known internationally as an advanced trick trainer and performer with Ultimutts. A few of the Ultimutts have been featured internationally on: Good Morning America, The Rick Mercer Report, The Family Channel, CBC, and Cineplex Theatres. Bella the Boston terrier has traveled across the country with Ripley’s Believe it or Not! to promote her appearance in the 2016 publication. Jellybean the deaf Australian cattle dog made it to the semifinals of the Facebook Watch show World's Most Amazing Dog, receiving 36 million views and coming very close to winning $100,000 USD!
Melissa has partnered with Animal Coordinator Kirk Jarrett to provide an elite service for animals in film and TV. Most notably, the team co-trained the cats for Stephen King’s 2019 Pet Sematary and worked on a 2019 Super Bowl commercial as well as commercials for Duracell, Ford, Yoplait, and Gund. Past clients have included Paramount, Netflix, Warner Brothers, and more!
Learn more about Melissa and Ultimutts on her website, Facebook page, or Instagram.
Sarah Owings is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP). She specializes in learner-centric applications of behavioral principles that help transform the lives of fearful, shut-down, and over-the-top dogs—as well as the lives of the people who care for them. As an international speaker and regular contributor to online training forums, she is known for her innovative approaches to tough behavior problems and her compassionate and insightful teaching.
Sarah has written for Clean Run magazine on topics such as stimulus control, release cues, and toy-related cues. Her current passions include reframing concepts like “impulse control,” and encouraging trainers to embrace a philosophy of brave learning. Sarah is a member of the ClickerExpo faculty, an instructor for Cyber Scent Online, a tutor for Tromplo, and an advisor to the Glendale Humane Society in Los Angeles. She recently began teaching classes for Marin Humane in Novato and consults with their behavior team.
An avid nose work competitor, Sarah currently competing at both the Elite and Iron Dog levels with her Labrador retriever, Tucker. Tucker was the recipient of the Harry Award in 2015 and has the distinction of titling at each level of NACSW without a single miss. In Sniffing Dog Sports, he has won High in Trial in both Advanced and Excellent divisions and has earned a HIT at Iron Dog. Tucker's trained final response for nose work, a hover-freeze at source, was taught with a marker signal, following clicker training principles.
Learn more about Sarah on her Facebook page.
Dr. Christopher Pachel is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist and the owner and lead clinician at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Pachel lectures extensively both domestically and internationally, teaches courses at multiple veterinary schools in the United States, and has authored numerous articles and book chapters geared to veterinarians and pet owners. He is a sought-after expert witness for legal cases and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for dvm360. Dr. Pachel is also a Vice-president of Veterinary Behavior for Instinct Dog Behavior and Training and co-owner of Instinct Portland, which opened in the fall of 2020.
Learn more about Dr. Pachel on the Animal Behavior Clinic website and on his Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages.
E mma Parsons, KPA-CTP, CDBC, is currently the Canine Behavior Training Consultant for Surefire Dogs in Westborough, MA, and owns her own business. She specializes in managing and rehabilitating the reactive and aggressive dog and has authored three books on the subject, including her newest book The New Click to Calm: Solutions for All Dogs in a Challenging World. Emma is a Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior and Karen Pryor Clicker Training ClickerExpo conference faculty member. She taught reactive dog classes for twelve years at Masterpeace Dog Training in Franklin, MA.
Emma holds a BA degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She shares her life with her husband, Greg, and their two clicker-trained competition dogs—a golden, Austyn-Roque, and a border collie, Joshua-Hunt.
Learn more about Emma on her website.
Chirag Patel runs Domesticated Manners in London, UK. He consults on the ethical and science-based practice of behavior management and training for animals housed in domestic, zoo, and laboratory environments. Chirag also conducts workshops for professionals internationally and was a behavior consultant on the BBC 1 television show Nightmare Pets SOS.
Chirag earned his BSc (Hons) in Veterinary Sciences from the Royal Veterinary College in London and a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Animal Behavior from the University of Lincoln, UK. He is also a certified parrot behavior consultant (CPBC) with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). Currently, Chirag is studying for a MSc in Applied Behavior Analysis.
Learn more about Chirag on his website, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on Twitter. Chirag also has a YouTube channel that has accumulated more than half a million hits and provides free resources for pet owners and professionals.
A central force behind dogbiz, the dog pro industry’s leading business support company, and a former instructor at the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, Gina Phairas oversees the dogbiz University program, developing business courses to help R+ trainers succeed in their dream businesses. She is a dynamic speaker, teaching business workshops across the country and for Karen Pryor Academy. Gina previously ran a successful dog training business of her own and consulted nationally for shelters and rescue groups.
Michele Pouliot has worked with dogs and horses professionally since 1970. She studied horsemanship under Linda Tellington-Jones and graduated at the school’s highest riding instructor level. When Michele acquired her first dog, she quickly became hooked on dog training, which altered her career path focus. Horses continue to be Michele’s hobby and life love.
In 1974, Michele joined Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), the largest guide-dog school in North America. She trained more than 350 guide-dog teams over her 42-year career with GDB. She began to shift her training methods to clicker training in 2000. Michele guided the GDB organization away from historical punishment-based techniques to positive reinforcement methods. Michele has led her school, and dozens of guide-dog programs globally, in the adoption of clicker training for all aspects of guide-dog work. In 2016, the International Guide Dog Federation presented a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award to Michele.
Since retiring from her guide-dog career, Michele continues to teach and consult for guide- and service-dog organizations within the USA and internationally; she also coaches clicker training for dog sports. She was invited by Karen Pryor to join the ClickerExpo conference faculty in 2007. Michele considers ClickerExpo the highlight of each year, learning as much from faculty associates as others learn from her.
Michele has been successful in canine dog sports since 1972. She was active in competition obedience for 20+ years, gaining four OTCH (Obedience Trial Championships) titles with her own dogs. Michele also competed in tracking and agility. In 2005, Michele discovered a new sport, Canine Musical Freestyle. She fell in love with this challenging and creative hobby and became a leader in the sport, earning multiple Canine Musical Freestyle championship titles and winning national and international competitions. Michele and her Australian shepherd, Listo, made canine freestyle history with the World Canine Freestyle Organization as the first team to receive perfect scores in both Artistic and Technical categories, repeating this incredible achievement 24 times. Often referred to as a “trainers’ trainer,” Michele is known as a clear, down-to-earth, enthusiastic teacher who demonstrates her love for animals and people every time she speaks. Although she is enjoying spending more time at home since retirement, Michele continues to be passionate about teaching positive reinforcement training.
Ken Ramirez is the Executive Vice-President (EVP) and Chief Training Officer of Karen Pryor Clicker Training (KPCT). There he helps to oversee the vision, development, and implementation of training education programs for the organization.
A 40+-year veteran of animal care and training, Ken is a biologist and animal behaviorist who has overseen or consulted on training projects for many zoological organizations throughout the world. He began his training career working with guide dogs for the visually impaired and continues to work with organizations training dogs for service work, search-and-rescue, bomb detection, and narcotic detection. Ken has also maintained a close affiliation with pet training throughout his career.
Prior to his work with KPCT, Ken served as EVP of Animal Care and Animal Training at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium for more than 25 years. There he developed and supervised animal care and animal health programs, staff training and development, and public presentation programs for more than 32,000 animals. Ken has written for numerous scientific publications and authored countless popular articles. He is the author of the bestselling Animal Training: Successful Animal Management through Positive Reinforcement as well as his newest book, The Eye of the Trainer: Animal Training, Transformation, and Trust.
Ken taught a graduate course on animal training at Western Illinois University for 20 years and has been active in several professional organizations, including as a past president of the International Marine Animal Trainer’s Association (IMATA). He is actively involved in the creation of a certification process for animal trainers in zoological settings. Currently, Ken is developing courses and programming at The Ranch, the Karen Pryor National Training Center in the state of Washington.
Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas. He obtained his Ph.D from the University of Kansas in 1995 under the direction of Dr. Donald M. Baer. Jesús serves on several editorial boards, including the European Journal of Behavior Analysis and the International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy. His areas of interest include antecedent control of behavior, generalization, behavioral cusps, fluency-based teaching, treatment of autism, teaching of academic behavior, animal training, and rule- and contingency-shaped behavior.
T erry Ryan has been training dogs and teaching others to train dogs for more than 50 years. Early on, she founded Legacy Canine Behavior & Training, Inc., an organization promoting humane and effective dog training techniques for a variety of pet, working dog, and competitive applications. For many years Terry operated a large training complex in the Pacific Northwest offering a variety of training specialties, including one of her passions, Chicken Camp.
Terry competed in and coached various performance events and was an AKC obedience trial judge for many years. She has taught in several countries, creating and implementing national dog training and instructor education programs.
Terry has authored numerous books; the most popular is entitled Coaching People to Train Their Dogs. Her most recent book is called Gamify Your Dog Training. Terry has been on the faculty of Karen Pryor Academy since 2008, teaching courses numerous times a year both domestically and abroad.
Learn more about Terry on her website.
Kathy Sdao is an applied animal behaviorist. She has spent more than 30 years as a fulltime animal trainer, first with marine mammals and now with dogs and their people. Kathy received a master’s degree in experimental psychology from the University of Hawaii. The United States Navy then hired her to train dolphins for open-ocean tasks. Kathy next worked as a marine-mammal trainer at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Later, Kathy co-created Tacoma’s first dog daycare facility, where she began teaching clicker training classes.
Since 1998, Kathy has owned Bright Spot Dog Training. Services include consulting with families about their challenging dogs, teaching private lessons, and mentoring professional trainers. Kathy is proud to be an original faculty member at Karen Pryor Clicker Training’s ClickerExpo conferences.
Kathy has traveled extensively across the United States, Canada, and Europe, and to Australia, Israel, Japan, and Mexico, educating students about the science of animal training. Her first book, Plenty in Life Is Free: Reflections on Dogs, Training and Finding Grace was published in 2012.
Learn more about Kathy on her website.
Michael Shikashio, CDBC, is the founder of AggressiveDog.com. His focus is on teaching other professionals from around the world how to work aggression cases successfully. Michael is a five-term president of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and a full member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT).
Michael’s expert opinion is often sought by media outlets, including The New York Times, the New York Post, Fox News, The List TV, the Baltimore Sun, WebMD, Women’s Health magazine, Real Simple magazine, SiriusXM Radio, The Chronicle of the Dog, and Steve Dale’s Pet World. He also hosts the popular podcast show The Bitey End of the Dog, where he chats with the foremost experts on dog aggression.
Michael is a featured keynote speaker at conferences, universities, and seminars around the world. He offers a variety of educational opportunities on the topic of canine aggression, including the Aggression in Dogs Master Course and the annual Aggression in Dogs conference.
Learn more about Michael and Aggressive.com on his website , Facebook page, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Lori Stevens (CPDT-KA, SAMP, CCFT, CPBC) uses humane and scientific methods to improve the health, behavior, and performance of animals. Her experience is holistic and incorporates respect for animals as teachers. She continually studies the interactions among animal behavior, movement, learning, and health, and this effort is reflected in her innovative approach.
Lori is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a certified Small Animal Massage Practitioner, a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer, and a Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant, as well as a Senior Tellington TTouch practitioner for dogs, cats, and other animals. Lori is the creator of the Balance Harness. She teaches workshops and presents at conferences worldwide, including ClickerExpo where she has presented on both aging dogs and fitness.
Learn more about Lori on her website, Facebook, or Instagram.
Tim Sullivan has worked for the Chicago Zoological Society at Brookfield Zoo for the last 41 years. He spent the first half of his career as a keeper/trainer in the marine mammal department and later worked as a supervisor in the pachyderm department. It was in the pachyderm department that he helped develop a protected-contact behavior management program for elephants and began to teach training skills and strategies to zoo staff. This experience led to Tim’s current role as the Zoo's Curator of Behavioral Husbandry. His primary responsibility is to manage the Zoo’s animal training and environmental enrichment programs, developing the knowledge and skill of more than 100 animal keepers. Tim also consults on behavioral husbandry at other zoological institutions and conducts international training workshops. He is currently on the instructor teams of the Association of Zoo and Aquariums (AZA) annual Animal Training Applications and Environmental Enrichment in Zoos and Aquariums courses. Active in international training organizations, Tim has been an officer on the board of directors of both the International Marine Animal Trainers Association and the Animal Behavior Management Alliance, an organization he cofounded.
Laura Monaco Torelli is the founder of Animal Behavior Training Concepts in Chicago, Illinois. She began her career in 1991 at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, where she trained beluga whales, dolphins, sea otters, seals, river otters, and penguins. After nearly a decade at the Shedd, she moved on to the San Diego Zoo and then Brookfield Zoo as a lead supervisory trainer. During her time in the zoo community, Laura worked with a wide variety of terrestrial animals, including primates, large cats, birds of prey, horses, parrots, tree kangaroos, giraffes, red pandas, and dogs. She is currently part of an exotic animal rescue and rehabilitation training team for the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Laura is a faculty member and instructor of Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior (KPA), and serves as a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Susan G. Friedman’s Living & Learning with Animals online course. She offers private training at West Loop Veterinary Care, located in downtown Chicago. Laura has presented at numerous professional conferences and taught seminars across the United States, Italy, Sweden, the UK, Singapore, Japan, and the Caribbean. She was an invited speaker for the American Veterinary Medical Association Convention, Midwest Veterinary Conference, and Penn Vet Working Dog Conference. Laura has appeared on various broadcast media, including WGN and NBC 5 news, WGN Radio, and WCIU’s You & Me This Morning. She also contributed her training videos for the Fear Free Professional Trainer Certification program and the Karen Pryor Academy Better Vet Visits online course.
This is her tenth year speaking at ClickerExpo.
Learn more about Laura on her website, on Facebook, on Twitter, on LinkedIn, or on Instagram.
Emelie Johnson Vegh has been involved in dog training and various dog sports since her teenage years, after spending many years around ponies. While she was studying to become a high school teacher of English and Swedish, Emelie began working with Eva Bertilsson and the collaboration Carpe Momentum was formed.
“E&E” teach seminars and online courses on a wide variety of topics and are known for concepts such as seamless training sessions, start-button behaviors, and flowcharts. They are TAGteach faculty members and are committed to creating the best learning environment for humans and non-humans alike. In their book Agility Right from the Start, Emelie and Eva share their philosophy and structured approach to training, which makes the book a worthy read for all trainer (not just dog-agility enthusiasts).
Emelie lives in the very south of Sweden in the country's third largest city, Malmö. She shares her life with her husband, two sons, a daughter, Kelpie Scout, and Field Golden Tessa. Scout is now 12 years old and retired, and Tessa is about to begin her journey into dog sports, primarily obedience and rally obedience. In addition to dog sports, Emelie enjoys training in general, and is very interested in sports psychology, running, multisport, and yoga. She is also an author of fiction novels for both children and adults.
Learn more about Emelie on her website, Facebook page, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Laurie C. Williams, CPDT-KA, has had a love of and connection with dogs from as far back as she can remember. She is the owner and Director of Training and Behavior Counseling at Pup ‘N Iron Canine Fitness & Learning Center in Fredericksburg, VA, where she has been serving her community as a canine education specialist and dog behavior counselor for the past 16 years. Laurie holds a B.A. from Norwich University in Montpelier, VT, and was a member of the adjunct faculty of the Natural Sciences Department of Northern Virginia Community College for seven years. Laurie is a nationally published writer with works appearing in the APDT Chronicle of the Dog, The Whole Dog Journal, Dog & Handler, 911, Essence, Fitness, and Good Housekeeping magazines. She is currently a member of the Board of Governors of the Dog Writer’s Association of America and is a therapy-dog evaluator for Pet Partners, a Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and a licensed judge for the American Kennel Club.
Learn more about Laurie on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.