Karen Pryor Academy Blog June 2026 KPA CTP of the Month: Toni Woods
Tell us about the first animal you ever trained.Â
As a child, I would bring home animals to nurse back to health, everything from dogs and cats to birds. I didn’t have my first formal training experience until I was in high school, though. My science partner and I spent 9 months training two rats to “play†basketball, and at the time, I had no idea I was using clicker training. It was an amazing experience, and it was all positive reinforcement. I was very proud when the school videotaped a game between the rats and then showed it in the auditorium. I knew then that training was something I would always do.
Who has been your inspiration in the animal training community?
My most important teacher was a dog named Stretch. His actual name was Killer, as my stepfather thought that was a huge deterrent to strangers, but I refused to call him that. He would do very large stretches every day, thus his nickname.
My family adopted this dog when I was 18 and going off to college. He was 2 years old, and they thought that a leashed outside dog was a way to protect them. I tried unsuccessfully to convince them otherwise. Stretch had been living outside for 9 months when I returned the summer of my freshman year. I vowed to show my family what love and patience could do for Stretch. Before I went back to school, Stretch was potty trained, living in the house, sleeping in my parents’ room, and my mom was making him scrambled eggs at breakfast at least 3 times a week.
I realized then that it’s the loop end of the leash that requires the most effort. Stretch went to graduate school with me, and after I moved to DC, he went back home with my family and lived there until he was 15. My mother had always been afraid of dogs, but this experience changed her mind and her life forever. Powerful stuff.
I realized then that it’s the loop end of the leash that requires the most effort.
What do you do to continue your training education?Â
To ensure I continue my education, I attend conferences such as ClickerExpo and Aggression in Dogs (now Canis), as well as online webinars by Malena DeMartini, my CSAT mentor.
How has completing the Dog Trainer Professional program and becoming a KPA CTP changed your life and career?
I was certified in 2005 through Animal Behavior College, and though I was very proud of it, I knew then that there was more work to be done.Â
In 2009, I started to volunteer with an organization called Pets For Vets. This organization helps place companion dogs with veterans in need, and when I was asked to help, I immediately said yes. The founder, Clarissa Black, was welcoming, and we discussed our similar experiences as women leading organizations. Clarissa was a wealth of knowledge, and I learned more about avenues for positive reinforcement training. I volunteered with Pets For Vets for 14 years. I found veterans in my area who needed help, did house visits, and found a dog (and one cat) to train that would be suitable for the veteran. From 2023 to 2025, I was the West Coast Satellite Trainer Coordinator for Pets For Vets, where I trained other dog training volunteers. I also took in several dogs to train for Pets For Vets.
In 2024, Clarissa Black awarded me a scholarship to Karen Pryor Academy for being the longest-serving volunteer with Pets For Vets. I graduated as a KPA CTP in July 2025, and it has fine-tuned my training in ways that I cannot fully express. By taking all the extraneous movement out of my body and making sure my antecedents are set up properly, I’ve become an even better dog trainer.
I officially closed my business in March of this year to begin my early retirement, but I am still using my KPA certificate to help a local dog training company. I am helping the Daack Pack with their apprentice program and helping novice trainers gain experience. I am also serving as a CSAT (Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer) expert for their organization, so clients who need more than just basic training have more resources.
What is your proudest training moment?
One of my proudest training moments was the first time my dog did a 10-part behavior chain without any treats. A close second was when Davis Hospital reached out to me about joining their CARE program. I do temperament evaluations with dogs so they can visit patients and staff in the hospital.
I’m not sure I can narrow down my proudest training moment, but I can definitely put the moments into two categories. I am always so proud when a dog that has had debilitating isolation distress is able to break through, rest, and feel comfortable when their guardian is gone. It’s an amazing feeling. I must also say that, in addition to these experiences, placing an animal with a veteran while volunteering with Pets For Vets was always so rewarding. To have a veteran tell me that the way I trained their animal helped them recover from PTSD was soul-nurturing.
Outside of dog training/ dog sports, do you have any hobbies?Â
I sing! Singing is one of my biggest hobbies. I used to do it professionally about 30 years ago, but soon realized the music business was not based on positive reinforcement. I stopped singing professionally, but still use my voice regularly to help with causes I believe in. I’ve raised over $20,000 for animal rescues and shelters by using my voice. I’ve also raised money for marginalized communities and causes that I deeply believe in. Last summer, I raised $1,150 in two hours for the LGBTQ community center here in Sacramento, California.
How can people connect with you?Â
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