Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Chamberland.
Lori, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began my career as a journalist, actually. I was a daily newspaper editor for 12 years. That background and having to meet a daily deadline under pressure with fewer and fewer resources gave me several skills that turned out to serve me well. I learned to work as part of a close-knit team, be a flexible problem solver (for example, tearing up a nearly completed front page because there was a fire or bad crash at 11pm), a multi-tasker (working on page layouts, coaching a reporter in person, editing several stories and writing headlines), and wore many hats (copy editor, page designer, web editor, reporter, blogger, photographer, etc.)
I began looking for a career change around 2010 after I had graduated from Karen Pryor Academy’s Dog Trainer Professional program. Although my background was in editing, writing and graphic design, my passion was in dog training. I started taking freelance editing jobs for dog-related magazines and books – those were fun, but were not enough to make a career out of. Shortly after I graduated from KPA, unbeknownst to me, the company was in the process of creating an editing and writing-focused position: developing curriculum for its online courses. I happened to almost accidentally stumble upon that position (and subsequent opportunity) one day when I mentioned my background. The opportunity to work for the company came about and provided me with the ability to combine my background with my passion. The rest, as they say, is history.
I was hired as the KPA curriculum development manager in 2010, and was promoted to director in 2014, where I’ve been ever since. I now oversee the operations of KPA, including its worldwide faculty and staff, and all course development.
Karen Pryor Academy – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’m the director of Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior. In short, we train people to train animals. The laws of learning are universal: They work on ANY animal – from a tiny mouse to a fighter pilot. We all learn the exact same way, in that we tend to repeat behaviors that are reinforced (like going to a favorite restaurant and having a delicious meal), and we tend to stop doing behaviors that are punished (like putting a hand on a hot stove and getting burned).
At Karen Pryor Academy and our parent company, Karen Pryor Clicker Training, we focus on positive reinforcement for both animals and people. We do that because it’s faster, more effective, and much more fun for everyone involved!
The founder of the academy, Karen Pryor, was a pioneer in positive reinforcement training, beginning with her days as a dolphin trainer in the 1960s. She’s the author of Don’t Shoot the Dog and Reaching the Animal Mind, among other books and papers. In the 1980s, she helped bring the same type of training as dolphin trainers’ use to the dog world. Instead of using a police whistle to mark good behavior, dog trainers use a clicker. Each click is followed by something the animal really enjoys.
With clicker training (as it has come to be known), we are able to quickly teach behaviors to any animal. The animals really enjoy the learning process, retain the behaviors long-term, and most importantly, form strong relationships with their trainers. For a pet dog or cat in a home, this translates to a well-behaved pet who has a great bond with his or her family. It’s all based on trust and clear communication. To the dog or cat, it feels like a fun game, but from our perspective, we are teaching the animal the behaviors that we want him to learn, like coming when called, walking nicely beside us on a leash, and greeting guests politely.
To help facilitate these relationships, we offer online courses to help people train their animals – whether they are looking to become a professional trainer or simply have a great family dog or cat. And we also have a worldwide network of certified trainers you can rely upon. https://www.karenpryoracademy.com/find-a-trainer
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
For me, success means having made some type of impact in the world – with any luck, a positive impact! You might not win a Nobel Prize or write the “Great American Novel,” but if you can look back on your life with pride about something that you’ve accomplished or some way that you’ve helped others, then you’ve succeeded.
In my case, if I can help change the way people train their pets, and help improve pets’ lives and relationships with their owners, I count that as success. It will have a trickle-down effect: we’ll have fewer animals in shelters due to behavior problems, happier veterinary visits, and more time spent with the family.
Pricing:
- Dog Trainer Foundations course: $359. https://www.karenpryoracademy.com/dog-trainer-foundations
- Other online courses range from $199 to $599. https://www.karenpryoracademy.com/catalog
- Dog Trainer Professional program: $5,300. https://www.karenpryoracademy.com/dog-trainer-professional
Contact Info:
- Address: 49 River Street Suite 3
- Website: www.karenpryoracademy.com
- Phone: 781-398-0754
- Email: lori@karenpryoracademy.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenPryorAcademy/
- Twitter: @karen_pryor
Image Credit:
Lily Strassberg, Lori Chamberland
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