Behavior Chains - Untangling the Confusion

By Ken Ramirez, KPCT Executive Vice-President (EVP) and Chief Training Officer

Behavior chains seem pretty straightforward: it's when an animal does a series of behaviors in a row, like links in a chain, ending in a reinforcer. Yet, behavior chains aren't that simple! There is a tremendous lack of clarity in the training community about the definition of the term "chain." I have researched the origins of the term and hope to clear up the confusion so we can better communicate about chains and their many uses.

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Spring Into Training Challenge: Week 2

Play along as Anna Wong, a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, demonstrates the "1, 2, 3 Pattern Game", created by Leslie McDevitt as part of her Control Unleashed series. Both enjoyable and educational, this game teaches a dog to stay close during walks and assists in overwhelming environments.

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Become a Certified Dog Trainer

Our Dog Trainer Professional program is based on the most up-to-date behavior science and modern training and teaching practices. It covers both the science and the practice of dog training, behavior change, client teaching, problem-solving, and business management. View some of our upcoming application deadlines below:

Virtual (Eastern Time) Apply by 3/28

Virtual (Pacific Time) Apply by 3/31

Virtual (Central Time) Apply by 4/8

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NEW Behavior Consulting Program (BCP)

The BCP is for trainers who want to work with, or are already working with, complex behavior cases. Through 10 courses delivered by leading voices in the field, you'll learn a single coherent approach that will strengthen your ability to assess cases, identify functional variables, and design ethically sound intervention plans under real-world constraints. It's a natural extension of many dog trainer education programs, including our Dog Trainer Professional program.

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New & Barkworthy

🐾 Join Amber Quann in our upcoming real-time virtual class and learn to create smooth, confidence-building greeting routines for every dog–human interaction.

📗 Clicker training is a terrific, science-based way to communicate with your pet. You can clicker train any kind of animal, of any age. Puppies love it. Old dogs learn new tricks. You can clicker-train cats, birds, and other pets as well. Here are some simple tips to get you started.

📘 March CTP of the Month - Pogun In

"He constantly throws new challenges and questions my way. Sometimes it feels like a hurdle, but it always ends up being the catalyst for my next leap as a trainer."