I always loved dogs. I always wanted to train a dog and got that opportunity when I signed up for a Home Companion class at DTCCU over 20 years ago with my rescue Toy Fox Terrier.
Since then, I’ve gone on to train and compete with three Papillons, primarily in agility. I’ve achieved many agility titles and championships with my dogs, including winning the AKC Preferred National Agility Championship. More than competing, I love working one-on-one with my dogs and especially enjoy working on foundation skills.
I also try my best to learn about how best to support a dog’s physical condition for work. My mantra for this is, “A dog can only perform what it can physically do.” In 2014, I earned the Maxwell Medallion from the Dog Writers Association of America for an article I wrote for USDAA. It helped introduce the conditioning sport of canicross to the North American agility community. I’ve also written articles for Clean Run, the magazine of dog agility.
My favorite thing is to see the light in a dog’s eyes when they learn something new. I also love to help people understand more about their dogs, have fun while learning and build strong partnerships for a lifetime.