THE DOG TRAINERS
ACADEMY
Become a certified dog trainer with the Kynagon Dog Trainers Academy
“Turn your passion for dogs into a meaningful and impressive career”
- You love dogs and you want nothing more than to improve their wellbeing, but you get stuck on the traditional training methods. You notice your dog is no longer listening properly and is starting to go his own way.
- You would like to become a professional dog trainer to build a new career for yourself and you are looking for a solid and sustainable dog trainers training.
- You are already working with dogs, perhaps as a trainer, but you are looking for something new and/or for a deeper connection, with training sessions that give a truly long-lasting result.
We at Kynagon understand how confusing and frustrating it can be to find your way around the world of dog training. Whether you are just starting out or you have years of experience under your belt, it is hard to stay motivated when you don't get the result you're after because you don't know how successfully to turn certain behaviour around, even though you have the very best interest at heart of the dogs you are working with.
My name is Patricia Walker-Koopman, and I am the founder of the Kynagon Dog Trainers Academy. I hold a certification from the renowned Karen Pryor Academy, and I specialise in Force Free Dog Training. With my scientific knowledge of operant conditioning and positive reinforcement, I belong to the European top in my field. Scientists have proved that this method works, and I practise it every day. My unique methods, which are force free and non-violent, are designed to train dogs in a respectful and effective way. Not only have I helped numerous dogs with these methods, but I have also transformed their owners into confident and proud dog owners who understand their dogs, and can successfully read and train them.
The Kynagon Dog Trainers Academy offers a six-month training course, teaching you all about modern, science-based dog training. Our personal coaching, practice-oriented exercises, and training sessions with a variety of breeds will equip you with all the knowledge and skills you need to become a professional Force Free dog trainer. Our training is ideal for both beginners and experienced professionals.
This is what you will learn and discover in those six months:
Introduction to animal training, scientific basis, understanding and learning about animal behaviour, to enable you to assess and tackle any training situation with confidence.
Overview of different methods and the methods that work for effective animal training.
Learn the basic principles of behavioural conditioning, and discover how you can teach desired behaviour and turn problematic behaviour around, to enable you to manage any situation with confidence.
How animals learn new behaviour and how you can change existing behaviour.
Introduction to clicker training and how it works with positive reinforcement.
Practical application of clicker training to different situations. Experience how quickly and easily you can teach animals new behaviour in different situations.
Techniques to recognise, identify and reinforce behaviour.
Learn how to shape behaviour by encouraging small and gradual changes in the right direction. By shaping (training technique), you reward every step that comes closer to the desired behaviour, so that the dog will actively learn to understand what you expect of it.
Introduction to giving various forms of cues (verbal/visual) to manage behaviour. You will learn to link a due to a certain behaviour.
You will learn to teach the dog to follow targets and to use this technique to teach specific behaviour quickly and easily.
How to get fluent behaviour without interruptions, so that the dog will consistently perform, even in distracting environments.
Build complex behaviours by creating behaviour chains, so that you can combine several acts to one fluent routine.
Teach the dog to show a certain behaviour, even if another dog passes, despite all the distractions around it. Your dog must listen only to you, until you release it.
Manage cues and behaviour chains for consistent results, as used in guide, detection, assistance, rescue, therapy and police dogs.
Take it one step further by training complex behaviours and advanced cues, so that the dog can perform at a high level.
Approach to and solutions for frequent behavioural problems in animals. Barking, biting, jumping, jogger-chasing, non-listening and aggressive dogs.
In this comprehensive training, you will submerge yourself into dog behaviour and learn exactly how to shape, manage and teach its behaviour. But this is not just about the dogs – you will also learn clearly to transfer your knowledge to dog owners, to enable them to work with their dogs with confidence and enthusiasm. After this training, you will be a certified trainer with techniques that you can use for any animal.
What makes our training so unique?
- We use methods that are based on proven learning theories, without using any violence or punishment.
- You will work with different breeds of dogs, including our Border Collies, to make you familiar with a wide range of behaviours and temperaments.
- You will have a foundation to build on.
- During the training course, you will receive personal feedback and coaching from Patricia.
- You will learn how to train dogs with respect and positivity, which will make both the dog and its owner happy.
Others say:
This is what you will get out of our training:
After completion of the training, you will be able to train dogs in a natural and respectful way, and you will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to stand out as a professional Force Free dog trainer. You will be confident when it comes to solving behavioural problems and teaching and training behaviour in dogs of any breed or kind, and building strong connections with the dogs that you train.
Do you want to be the best dog trainer, who understands dogs and trains them using science-based, non-violent methods? Enrol today for the Kynagon Dog Trainers Academy information days and take the first step towards a successful career in dog training!
Enrol here for the information days
Frequently Asked Questions
The Kynagon Dog Trainers Academy in Amstelveen is set up for people who want to become dog trainers and for professionals who frequently come into contact with dogs and their owners, such as dog groomers, owners of boarding kennels, vets, shelter staff, and dog walkers. If you have a passion for dogs and want to learn to train them professionally, you are most welcome too.
The Kynagon Dog Trainers Academy Amstelveen, run by Patricia Walker-Koopman, can be found in an attractive building at Amsteldijk Zuid 79C, 1184 VE Amstelveen. Free parking is available on the premises.
The entire training programme is organised on weekends. All classes start at 10:00 a.m. and end at 04:00 p.m.
During the programme, you will train with Patricia’s own Border Collies and possibly with other breeds of dogs as well.
The costs of participation in the Dog Trainers Academy are EUR 4,995 per person, exclusive of VAT.
The course is completed in 12 weekends, spread over a 6-month period.
Graduates receive a ‘Diploma Kynological Behavior and Training’.
Yes, you can! Feel free to come and have a look around. Please contact us for this.