Karen Pryor, Pioneering Dog and Animal Trainer Dies Aged 92

A marine mammal trainer who became one of the world’s foremost experts in the field, Karen Pryor, who pioneered numerous strategies that survive till today, has tragically died.

Pryor’s death occurred Saturday, January 4. She was 92.

Terry Golson shared news of Pryor’s passing. “Karen Pryor passed away today. She was 92 and it was not unexpected, but there is now a void that wasn’t there before,”

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers, one of the organizations she most worked with, highlighted the most crucial achievements of Pryor’s career – the Karen Pryor Academy, her book ‘Don’t Shoot the Dog’, and the principles she introduced inside including the revolutionary clicker training.

“Karen’s work extended far beyond the Karen Pryor Academy, which has educated and inspired trainers worldwide. Her book, Don’t Shoot the Dog, introduced an entire generation of trainers to the principles of clicker training and remains a cornerstone of dog training literature,” said APDT.

Karen studied for her Bachelor’s degree at Cornell University, before going on to earn graduate degrees from the University of Hawaii, New York University and Rutgers University. As a trainer, author, and teacher she was unparalleled.

Pryor started her career as a marine mammal trainer at Sea Life Park in the 1960s. As a curator and head trainer, Pryor learned much of the lessons in behavior theory which would accompany the rest of her career.