Last Updated on November 6, 2025 by Kim Crawmer, KPA CTP, LFDM
Hello Reader, Can you believe it’s February already?! I can’t. Time is just flying by! So fast, in fact, that I have found myself on the homestretch of the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program! When I started this program in September, I thought I would never finish. And though I am far from finished, the end is coming at an alarming pace, whether I’m ready or not! Yesterday, my fellow students and I had the final (Unit 4) Zoom meeting with our instructor to review everything we need to know for the final assessments. That meeting sure made me nervous. Hearing everything Luna and I must do in April is scary, but I will keep focusing on my goal to help Maremmas and their owners. And I’ll keep reminding myself of what I tell my clients. Clicker training is fun! 🦮 (Doing it in front of others is not so much fun for me, but I’ll learn to embrace it. 😳)
Five minutes ago, I finished the coursework for the program! Crazy! Now, I am far from done. I still have to take the 100-question final assessment, but I will give myself some time to study for that. But at least I know that all the coursework is done, and I can focus on reviewing what I’ve learned and prepping for the workshop and final assessments in April.
Now, the real work begins! Luna and I have to submit a 10-part behavior chain video (plus two more videos) by the end of the month. This means she will do ten behaviors in a row without stopping in between. I can choose whatever behaviors I want, but there are specific guidelines, such as the types of cues that need to be used. I have to submit a video of this chain, and then we will do the same chain at the workshop in April, along with a LOT of other stuff—five full days of dog training, learning, and assessments. I will spend all my time training Luna between now and then, taking her to as many places as possible to get her used to “performing” in public. I will also need to practice teaching people to train their dogs. (I hope to host some pretend dog training classes with some volunteers.😆) All this is so I can pass the practical assessments in April.
I will be graded on my dog training and people-teaching skills at the workshop. After all, half of training dogs successfully is about the other end of the leash – teaching dog owners how to train and communicate with their dogs. Training Livestock Guardian Dogs is more complicated and complex than training companion dogs because the lives of the dogs and the livestock they will guard depend on how well it’s done. This is not something you want to learn about on social media or YouTube. That’s why I enrolled in this program. (And why no baby goats will be born here this year.🐐) I could have improved my own dog training skills by continuing to take courses for dog owners and reading dog training books. But I knew the only way I could genuinely support my Maremma clients (and other LGD owners) was by acquiring the professional skills to help them continue training their dogs after those precious pups leave my farm. I don’t want my puppy owners to be forced to hire another trainer if they encounter a problem with their dogs. I want to provide the absolute best “whelping box to grave” training support for my pups, so I will keep focusing on that goal until I achieve it! Once I graduate from the program, I will start using what I’ve learned to help my own Maremma clients and LGD owners everywhere to train their own dogs through blog posts, video lessons, online training consultations, and maybe even a digital course, so stay tuned to this email list for more details! Remember, I love hearing from my subscribers. I really do! So let me know if you have any questions about Maremma Sheepdogs or dairy goats or if you have anything you’d like to share. Just hit reply to this e-mail and say hello! Kim PS If you want to reserve a Maremma Sheepdog or dairy goat, click the links below.
Or if you need help with a Maremma you already own, click here:
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