Introduce Yourself!
Cindy Benson – KPA CTP Link to my KPA “Find a Trainer” page:
https://karenpryoracademy.com/find-a-trainer?source=kpctnavbar#!biz/id/5f0ca49d392dd13abe2d620f Personal Story I am a California native now living with my husband of 30 years on our secluded 360-acre ranch. I have lived a ranch life since I was a child, and most of my life has been spent managing large populations of a variety of livestock and less common creatures; ostriches, emus, and parrots, to name a few. I raised Miniature Donkeys for almost 30 years and still have a few. I have shipped donkeys all across the United States and sent 20 overseas. At one time my herd consisted of 120 donkeys but now is down to just 19; our last foals are due in August 2022. Maremmas came into my life initially to protect my donkey herd but have since captivated all my attention. I have been training animals since I was a young child. I’ve been told the story of me putting a horse halter on the body of my companion dog and hitching him to a wagon, poor boy! I remember the dog but not this adventure. I have shown horses and donkeys and have taught many to pull carts. My current riding equine is Mathilda, my Belgium draft mule. Mitch and I enjoy wilderness pack trips when time allows; he goes more often than I do but now that I am no longer breeding dogs, I hope that will change. LGD Training Experience
I have owned, or done training with, more than 250 Maremmas. I will never consider myself an expert at understanding livestock guardian dogs and the complex nature of how they do their job but learning from this many dogs has been very helpful! I learn from my Maremmas every day. As I write this there are twenty-seven Maremmas employed at Benson Ranch/Benson Maremmas. What a privilege that is. I began my formal training education through participation in the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Foundations Course in 2018. This is a science-based course designed for the typical companion dog owner. In 2021, I published an LGD training manual that I wrote to accompany this wonderful course as it can be applied to livestock guardian dogs. You’ll find a link to both the training manual and the KPA course below. Amazon Link to Purchase the Training Manual
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09M527FD5/ Link to sign up for the course:
https://karenpryoracademy.com/courses/dog-trainer-foundations In 2021, I became a certified professional dog trainer through the completion of the rigorous Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professionals course. I have stepped down as a breeder of Maremmas and now devote myself full-time to training livestock guardian dogs of all breeds, teaching through the use of Zoom sessions or in person, and writing blog posts and books. Stay tuned for the second LGD training book! I have been working on it for five years. Now that I have retired from breeding Maremmas I expect to find the time to finish this worthy project. I am an avid student of animal behavioral science. Honing my own education has made me hungry for more so I am usually participating in formal coursework of some sort! Below, I have listed some of the courses I have completed thus far. These resources are available to everyone so please join me! The dogs in your life will thank you – mine sure have. Karen Pryor Academy Online Courses
https://karenpryoracademy.com/?source=kpctnavbar Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Foundations Course
2018 Puppy Start Right Course for Instructors
2018 Better Veterinary Visits
2019 Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional
2019-2020 (Online & in-person course) Canine Freestyle with Michele Pouliot
2021 Karen Pryor Academy In-Person Courses at The National Clicker Training Institute https://theranch.clickertraining.com Training for Professionals: Across Species
2018 Guest at The Ranch Workshop:
Hannah Branigan & Ken Ramirez Present Shaping with Precision
2021 Next Level Training
April 2022 Guest at The Ranch Workshop:
Michele Pouliot & Ken Ramirez present
Trick Training: Take the Fun Road to Better Training
July 2022 Training for Professionals: Across Species
August 2022 Guest at The Ranch Workshop:
Susan G. Friedman, PH.D. & Ken Ramirez present The Magic Is In the Data!
August 2022 Handling Problem Behavior & Mistakes: Human and Animal
September 2022 Deep Dive: An Advanced Training Course
October 2022 Relationship Centered Training – Suzanne Clothier https://suzanneclothier.com See The Dog: Asking the Elemental Question
2019 Mindful Puppy Socialization
2019 Enriched Puppy Protocol
2019 CARAT (Clothier Animal Response Assessment Tool)
2020 International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants https://m.iaabc.org/courses Writing Mentorship with Eileen Anderson
1-2021 Writing Mentorship with Eileen Anderson
7-2021 Canine Social Behavior
9-2021 Forensics of Aggression
5-2022 Writing Mentorship with Eileen Anderson
1-2022 What Is a Dog? – The Ethology of Our Best Friend
6-2022 How Genetics Relate to Behavior: Uncovering the History of Dogs
6-2022 Writing Mentorship with Eileen Anderson
7/2022 Other Resources There are many professional trainers that I have learned from. I thank them all for their investment of time in me! Most noteworthy are: Ken Ramirez - https://www.kenramireztraining.com Terry Ryan - https://karenpryoracademy.com/faculty/terry-ryan Bobbie Lyons - https://www.pawsitive-performance.com Kaye Geyler - http://www.goroguedogtraining.com Michele Pouliot - https://www.michelepouliot.com Hannah Branigan - https://hannahbranigan.dog ClickerExpo 2019 – Portland, OR ClickerExpo 2020 – Seattle, WA Puppy Culture was a game-changer for me! Jane Killion - https://shoppuppyculture.com
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