Laura Bussing

Laura is an award-winning agility coach, competitor, and Judge. Laura has been a dog trainer and behavior consultant for 35 years and an agility coach for 15 years. Laura’s commitment to consistency & excellence in training, handling and competition have been instrumental in her success. Laura has been awarded the Best Dog Trainer in Salida, Colorado for many years. She is skilled at effectively breaking down complex concepts to her students in an easy-to-understand terms. She feels it is important to convey the “why” behind concepts and learning theory for the handler to have a good understanding. Regardless of your handling system, Laura tailors her instruction to each team based on their specific needs. She is experienced with working with many different breeds and handlers of all levels.

She encourages her students to believe in themselves and their dogs. Laura says, "You must believe in yourself and your dog more than anyone else. Show your dog they are a champion."  Laura loves to see the bond and connection strengthen in each agility team she coaches. She is passionate about solving behavior and competition problems in agility dogs to bring out the hidden talent in every dog. She specializes in ring stress, arousal management, handling for motivation, start lines, weave problems, and building resilient agility teams.

Laura has been an athlete her entire life. Before agility, she was the 1998 AMA Women's National Mototrials Champion and a 5-time member of Team USA competing in Europe from 1998-2002. As a top-level athlete, she has deep experience with the mental game of competition. She has developed specific classes to help agility handlers reach their goals by becoming the best "course navigator" for their dogs. 

Laura has competed with 5 different dogs over the years. Currently, she competes on a National Level with three Border Collies in UKI, USDAA and AKC. Recent accomplishments: 2023 Jersey Devil Classic Pentathlon SILVER, 2023 Speedstakes Challenge SILVER, 2023, Biathlon BRONZE, 2022 Regional Biathlon GOLD, 2022 Regional Grand Prix GOLD, 2021 Rocky Mt. Classic Pentathlon GOLD, 2021 US Open Speedstakes Finalist, 2021 Colorado Classic Biathlon BRONZE, 2021 Regional Grand Prix SILVER, 2021 Regional Steeplechase SILVER, 2019 Cynosports Grand Prix Finalist, 2019 US Open Speedstakes Finalist, 2019 US Open Games Finalist.

Laura competes at World Team Tryout Events: AWC and European Open

Laura is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), a Certified OneMind Dogs Agility Instructor (COMD-I), a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer (CCFT), Certified Advanced Sports Psychology Coach (CASPC), and a UKI Judge. She is the owner of Canine Culture LLC, and travels full-time presenting live seminars, competing, and judging. She also teaches online classes.