My love and respect for animals was cultivated as a child, as I grew up on a small horse farm with parents who loved animals. As an accomplished Hunter/Jumper competitor, my journey in to animal training began in my teenage years when I started helping others with their horses. This soon paved the way for my enthusiasm for dog training.
I got my first dog, a Pug named Kyara, when I was 19 years old. We were able to accelerate through the AKC Agility levels quickly, earning numerous titles and accolades in a short period, including being one of the Top 5 Pugs in the country for four years. Unfortunately, due to injury, Kyara had to retire early, but during the years we were competing, I started to take on handling clients. I have competed successfully with Border Collies, Shelties, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Dachshunds, Australian Shepherds, and mixed breeds. Now, my focus is on my up and coming Sheltie, named Teak, and teaching all levels of agility classes.
I love to work with both dogs and their handlers and believe in an individual approach over a "one size fits all" method. I pride myself on being patient and focused, with an enthusiasm for both learning and teaching. I particularly enjoy working on motivation and confidence building, and feel I have a special knack for helping teams develop their play skills with food and toy rewards. I am also currently pursuing my dog training certification.
At Pinelands Dog Training Center, I have assisted Diane Harrington, the Obedience/Foundation Director helping her teach some of her larger classes.
I have also trained with Susan Bintliff, Agility Trainer/Director for Pinelands DTC in her Competition classes for 7+ years.
I try to take seminars whenever I can further my education and assist my students with the best training tools available.
Seminars I have taken include:
John Nys, Marcy Mantell, Anne Anderle, and Zsofi Biro.
I believe the opportunity I have had to work with some very talented trainers and several different breeds for different owners has given me the experience needed to help others develop a great relationship with their canine partners.
