Karen Pryor


Karen Liane Pryor was an American author who specialized in behavioral psychology and marine mammal biology. She was the founder and proponent of clicker training.
She was formerly a Marine Mammal Commissioner to the U.S. government.
WWW karenwpryor.com

Life and career

Pryor was the daughter of author Philip Wylie and antiques dealer Sally Ondeck Wylie.
Her uncle was Max Wylie, co-creator of The Flying Nun. Her cousin, Janice Wylie, was murdered in 1963 along with her roommate Emily Hoffert in what became known as the Career Girls Murders.
She was first married to Tap Pryor from 1954 until their divorce in 1975. They had three children: Ted, Michael and Gale. Her second marriage was to Jon Lindbergh, son of aviator Charles Lindbergh and writer Anne Morrow Lindbergh; they divorced in 1997.
In 2007 she created the Karen Pryor Academy which offers certification programs for animal trainers.
Pryor died at a care facility in Santa Clarita, California on January 4, 2025, at the age of 92 from complications of dementia.

Publications

Books and Articles:On My Mind: Reflections on Animal Behavior and Learning – 2014Reaching The Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What It Teaches Us About All Animals – 2009Click to Win: Clicker Training for the Show Ring – 2002Dolphin Societies: Discoveries and Puzzles –ed. with Kenneth Norris; University of California Press, 1998Don’t Shoot The Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training – 1984, 1999, 2002, 2006A Dog & a Dolphin 2.0: An Introduction To Clicker Training – 1996Getting Started: Clicker Training for Cats – 1999, 2002, 2004Getting Started: Clicker Training for Dogs – 1999, 2002, 2005Lads Before the Wind – 1975, 1994, 2000 Nursing Your Baby – 1963, 1973, 1991, 2005 On Behavior: Essays and Research – 1994Crunch and Des: Classic Stories of Saltwater Fishing – 2002How To Teach Your Dog To Play Frisbee – 1985