Adrian Rowan has been training every animal she could since she was a child. Through her animals, students' dogs, and human preschoolers, Adrian has gained extensive experience with many types of learners. Above all, she believes that learning should be a joyful and creative process for everyone involved.

Adrian has been active in the sport of dog agility since 2009. She currently competes with her Windsprite, Kestrel, and has an up-and-coming Whippet puppy, Pippin. She has taught group classes in Louisville, Kentucky since 2010. She teaches a variety of topics, including classes for shy and fearful dogs, cooperative veterinary care, and basic manners.

Adrian believes in developing clarity and joy in the training process. She always focuses on the dog's emotional state while providing them opportunities for choice and control.

Adrian's teaching style and philosophy use the same principles for training both dogs and humans. She says, "I try to break things down so progress can be made quickly and with as little failure as possible for dogs and humans. The thing I care about the most is how you and your dog feel. I want both members of the team to be excited about the process of running agility together. While it is also important to be the best trainer and handler you can be, and I have high expectations for training and handling skills, if you start from a place of mutual fun and connection, I believe the process will be joyful instead of tedious. I firmly believe that dog training is both an art and a science. I care deeply about being a good dog trainer and handler, but I also recognize that dogs are unique individuals with feelings and preferences who don't always follow the 'rules' of training. I am always up for finding creative solutions and ideas, and I'm never afraid to admit when a suggestion I give turns out not to work for a particular team and that we should try to find a new one."

Regarding her handling style and philosophy, she says, "I think I get as much joy out of running as my dogs do, so I love being able to really run aggressively on a course! Much of my current handling style comes from running sighthounds. They love to chase, so I try as hard as I can to let them chase me around the course. To be able to do so, I try to give as much information to my dogs as possible, as early as possible, so I can take off and try to be ahead of them."

Adrian also says, "When you become proficient at something such as dog training or handling, it can be easy to forget what it feels like to be a beginner again. The confusion, frustration, and sheer sense of 'I just can't do this!' I frequently pick up hobbies that are brand new to me, especially physical ones, so I never lose touch with that experience for my learners. I make note of what great teachers across any subject do to make the experience as smooth as possible for the new learner and make equal note when a learning experience is frustrating to me or feels impossible. My current project is learning to play the banjo!"

Amanda acquired her first Australian Shepherd, Annie, in 1992. That one little red dog started Amanda's fascination with dog training that continues to this day. Amanda started competing in flyball in 1998 with her Aussie, Crash. Crash ran in the first NAFA flyball tournaments ever held in Florida. Two of Amanda’s Aussies, Crash and Keeper, earned their FMCH and Onyx titles, respectively. Amanda and Crash started competing in agility in 1999. Four of her Aussies earned multiple championship titles in AKC, USDAA, CPE, and UKI agility venues.  

Amanda currently competes in USDAA and UKI agility, flyball, Barn Hunt, and UpDog disc with her BC/JRT mix, Punk and her young BC, Shout! Shout! also competes in NADD Dock Diving. 

Amanda started training tricks when Punk was a puppy. As Amanda puts it, “It had been almost 10 years since I had a puppy, and Punk was the busiest and smartest puppy ever! I discovered that training tricks with Punk helped create an engaged and happy puppy who is willing to try just about anything.” Punk now has his Trick Dog Grand Championship (TDGCH) through DoMoreWithYourDog. Shout! earned her first two trick titles (Novice and Novice Masters) as 11.5 weeks old, and now has eight trick titles including her Expert Masters title. Amanda LOVES training tricks and incorporates trick training into her Super Puppy! class. 

Amanda teaches agility coursework, handling, and Super Puppy! foundation classes, plus private dock diving and puppy swimming lessons at Keegan’s Magic in Zephyrhills, Florida. Amanda also teaches Puppy and Basic Obedience classes at The Dog Training Club of Tampa. Amanda finds it especially rewarding to introduce dog training to people with a brand new puppy and absolutely no dog training experience. 

Amanda lives in Tampa, FL with her husband, Jim, along with Punk, Shout!, and the occasional puppy camper. Amanda makes fleece bunny tug and leashes in her spare time and enjoys listening to books while driving the endless miles each week to teach, train, and compete with her pups. 

Amanda Nelson is well known for her distance handling skills, and she has been traveling the country and teaching seminars for 20+ years. She has also traveled around the world to Australia, Japan, Netherlands, England, Switzerland, and the Philippines teaching all levels of agility with nearly all dog breeds. Amanda focuses on teaching teamwork and how to create a strong connection between dog and handler. She works with all styles of handling, from running with the dog to distance handling. 

Amanda tailors each training session, large or small, to the dog and handler to help bring out the best in the team. Her training techniques consist of large amounts of targeting, food rewards, and toy rewards. Creating a fun learning environment for the dog encourages a fast, fun, and motivated dog in the agility ring. Amanda uses a combination of upper and lower body cues and verbal cues. This system was derived from the natural cues that most dogs read and pick up quickly. Amanda teaches handlers how to use all of these cues together to create a customized handling system that can be tailored to their unique dog. These techniques have resulted in Amanda earning numerous titles with her dogs, including Silver, Gold, and Purple MOD SQUAD awards, Purple Achievement Cup, and over 50 NADAC Championship titles. She has won the NADAC Championships multiple times, including winning the Super Stakes and Starter Stakes division. She has also been Top Bonus Dog, Top Purple Dog, and Top Dog of the Year several times in NADAC.

Amanda describes her teaching style as relationship and "emotional" based. She says, "When working with my dogs and my students' dogs, I focus on the dogs' emotional and mental states, not just on learning that particular skill or exercise. My first focus when working with dogs is that they are in the right mental/emotional state to be learning that skill, and then I focus on the skill we are working on. Confidence and connection are key in 100% of my training. When working with my students, I want them to find their own path for training and handling; I am here to help coach them to find what works best for them.

Amanda says her handling style and philosophy are of the "meat and potatoes" type. She says, "I like to keep things as simple as possible for both handler and dog. I struggle with memorization when it comes to courses, so keeping things simple for myself is key. I also like to keep things simple for my dogs and focus on body language as my main cue, and verbals used to confirm or 'back up' what my body is saying." 

Aside from her accomplishments in the agility ring, Amanda wants people to know that her focus is on creating confidence and connection for both the handler and the dog. She says, "I like to focus on helping my students find the handling style that works best for them. I don't have a 'system' to follow; I want to coach handlers on finding the system that works best for their dog and themselves."

Amanda Shyne loves all animals and pursued a graduate degree studying animal behavior at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Her Ph.D. dissertation examined the effects of environmental enrichment on zoo animal welfare.

Amanda has been doing agility for 18 years and teaching the sport for 10. Due to her training as a researcher, her agility school, Data Driven Agility, takes a scientific approach to agility and dog training. Amanda is constantly looking for the most effective ways to communicate course direction to dogs. One of her catchphrases, "Good to know," reminds her students that all data is important, even if it suggests the need for more training.

Amanda is not afraid to try new techniques and enjoys taking seminars as much as she does teaching them. She loves agility and will continue to learn from her dogs for the rest of her life.

Amanda says her teaching philosophy is that "Dogs and people learn best with clear specific instructions and a high, high, high rate of reward!" She describes her handling style and philosophy as focusing on commitment: "I teach my dogs to have fantastic obstacle commitment - which makes handling much easier! My philosophy is to give my dog course direction as soon as possible, rather than waiting until they need the information. For instance, instead of cueing a front cross before my dog takes off for the jump, I cue the front cross as soon as my dog commits to the jump. This requires more training, but it allows the slower (less agile) member of the agility team more time to cue upcoming challenges."

Amanda's favorite thing to do with her dogs is to take them for walks in the woods. 

Angie Madden is a professional dog trainer and Control Unleashed Instructor. Her training philosophy is heavily influenced by her experience as a carnivore keeper, which introduced her to the concepts of husbandry training and enrichment. Her classes focus on relationship building and communication, which is why she loves Control Unleashed. 

Angie currently offers classes and private training both online and in the D.C. area of Maryland through her company DogSpeak, LLC. 

Anne has been involved in the sport of dog agility for over 20 years and more recently has been learning about K9 Nose Work and Herding. Besides training and competing with her own dogs (Shelties and Border Collies) at the highest levels of agility, she enjoys teaching all levels of sport, helping teams achieve their best through good dog training and consistent handling that builds a solid foundation, and is fun for both handler and dog. All training is a game! It’s not a fluke that her business is named Game On! Dog Training, LLC.

Anne is also a UKI Agility Judge and enjoys designing courses that are fast, fun and flowing. Her judging education includes Global Judging Program I and several international course design workshops.

Barb Buchmayer has been captivated by the art of herding for 30 years and has trained over a dozen dogs to herd. She has successfully competed at the Open or highest level of USBCHA (United States Border Collie Handlers Association) trials. She's been teaching herding for over 15 years.

Fourteen years ago, she began learning the science of positive dog training by studying many books and DVDs. She also went to several Clicker Expos and took many courses, including classes by Bob Bailey, Susan Garrett, and Kay Laurence. Her life's work is to develop and share positive herding with new handlers and traditional handlers looking for a science-based approach to training. 

In 2011 Barb was contacted by a woman from South Africa, Sally Adam. Sally is an animal lover and a skilled clicker trainer with an inquiring mind and an adventurous spirit. Sally had taught agility and tricks with positive training but had never trained or handled a herding dog. Working with Barb long-distance, Sally trained her Border Collie, Renn, from a puppy to the South African Sheepdog Association's 2016 Reserve Junior Champion. 

When Barb got her youngest dog, Sir, in 2015, she began keeping a detailed training journal. Over the last five years, she has used that journal as the basis for a set of books, Positive Herding 101 and Positive Herding 102. Together, these two books lay out the successful step-by-step approach that she and Sally pioneered to train herding using positive reinforcement.  

Barb's teaching style and philosophy involve beginning with observation. She says, "I like to watch a team, handler and dog, and determine where they currently are in their training and relationship. I always have the handler tell me what they would like to address, and then I decide how we should work on that aspect of their training together. I have the handler work their dog 99% of the time. The only time I step in and demo with their dog is when they are struggling and just cannot grasp what I want them to do. I may demo with one of my dogs if I think it will clarify the training for the student.

I tend to work mostly on basics since most training depends on a solid foundation, and moving forward is often based on filling a gap in foundation training or handler knowledge of herding. I try to explain herding such that people understand what and why their dog needs to perform a certain behavior at a certain time, taking into account how the dog affects the stock and how the handler affects the dog. I want the dog to use its herding instinct to full advantage and for them, as well as the handler, to be relaxed and having fun."

Barb describes her handling style and philosophy this way: "I try to remain calm and focused at all times while handling, training, and at trials. During my training, I like to have fun and want my dog to have fun too. I am always looking for improvement in myself and my dog. When I compete, I like to win, but I am most satisfied if my dog and I perform to our potential, no matter where we end up when the scores are tallied.

I enjoy training and figuring out how to train new herding behaviors more than I enjoy competing in trials. I will think about a plan to train herding obsessively until I decide on a way forward. I relate almost everything I learn or encounter in life to herding, and I love nothing more than talking herding!"

Besides her accomplishments in dog sports, Barb likes to walk through the countryside with her dogs. She says, "Some of my best insights and ideas come during those walks. I enjoy seeing my dogs be dogs and allowing them to explore and relax. I have been involved in organic livestock farming for my adult life and love living and working with farm animals and farm equipment. Finally, I like to smile, laugh, and enjoy good-natured banter."

Bobbie Lyons, CCFT, KPA CTP owns and operates Pawsitive Performance, which offers dog training, fitness training, and trick training around the globe. She was part of the team that contributed knowledge and experience to help design the University of Tennessee's Certified Canine Fitness Program. Bobbie was a lead instructor for the program from 2015 to 2021.

Bobbie completed the University of Tennessee Certified Canine Fitness Trainer program to earn a CCFT certification and also completed the certification program for Canine Fitness through the Companion Animal Sciences Institute. In addition, Bobbie is a Karen Pryor Academy Faculty member helping to certify professional dog trainers.

Bobbie has five awesome dogs and trains a variety of skills for agility, fitness training, herding, trick training, tugging, and dock diving. She competed in agility for about eight years but now trains without competing. Bobbie enjoys the training process and strives to communicate in the best way to help her dogs and clients' dogs understand the task at hand. She starts every training session with this question, "How can I set the dog up for success and give the dog the best information to complete the behavior or movement."

Bobbie's teaching style and philosophy focus on positive reinforcement. She says, "I like to shape behavior and positively reward what I want from the dog. I have a strong understanding of the sport of agility and have helped competitors improve their performance with strength and balance training. With over 18 years of experience teaching canine fitness, I guide handlers in understanding what exercises would be most beneficial for their dog. My philosophy is to teach the dog the movement or position we are looking for before asking for repetition or adding equipment."

Brain Camp Crew

Kathy Murphy (BVetMed, DPhil, CVA, CLAS, MRCVS) is a veterinary surgeon and neuroscientist. She recently joined the Behavior Vets team as the Chief Scientific Officer.

Dr. Murphy graduated from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons UK in 1999, initially working in mixed clinical practice before studying for two post graduate clinical qualifications. In 2009 she was awarded a highly prestigious Wellcome Research Training Fellowship to study for her PhD, in Behavioral Neuroscience, at The Queens College, University of Oxford, UK. She subsequently worked in the USA as Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Anesthesiology at the Icahn School of Medicine NYC; and is now back in the UK, where she held a clinical-academic position as Director of the Comparative Biology Centre at Newcastle University before becoming Director of Barking Brains Ltd (a neuroscience outreach program for the animal behavior and training community) and joining Behavior Vets LLC. 

Dr. Murphy's clinical interest has always been anesthesia, analgesia, since the age of 13 years and she has recently completed a residency at the European College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. In addition to her primary career roles she was Trustee and Veterinary Advisor to the Rottweiler Welfare Association for 14 years, is a co-founder of Ethics First (a collective which lobbies for ethical decision making in clinical practice), is an Oversight Committee Member for the UK Dog Behavior and Training Charter, sits on numerous National and International boards, working groups and ethical review panels, and most of all loves spending time with her own 5 dogs and supportive husband.

Bobbie Bhambree (CDBC, CPDT-KA) is the Director of Behavior Services and a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant at Behavior Vets. She is also a faculty member of CATCH Canine Trainers Academy and Agility University. Bobbie started her career in 2003 as a pet behavior counselor with the ASPCA Animal Behavior Center. While there, she implemented behavior modification programs for dogs who had been surrendered by the public or seized by Humane Law Enforcement. In 2007, Bobbie joined the Humane Society of Westchester, spending the next nine years as their shelter trainer. She created and implemented training and enrichment programs for the dogs, counseled adopters, trained volunteers, participated in community outreach programs, and performed evaluations.

In 2016, Bobbie joined the North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington, NY as the Director of Pet Behavior. During her tenure there, she managed a team of canine and feline trainers who focused on developing behavior modification and enrichment programs for the animals in the shelter. She also deployed for the ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Behavior Team to work in the field, supporting the team with dog fighting busts, puppy mill cases, and hoarding cases. In addition to this work, she founded and directed her own company, DogCentric Dog Training, helping people whose pet dogs experienced a wide spectrum of canine behavior issues. Bobbie presented at the Lemonade Conference, hosted by IAABC and Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, in February of 2022.

Over the years, Bobbie has very successfully competed in agility in various venues with several of her dogs including, Marvel who came in third for Performance Speed Jumping and Performance Grand Prix at Mid-Atlantic Regionals in 2019. Bobbie periodically contributes to the agility-focused magazine, Clean Run. She is passionate about working with dog sport teams struggling with behavior issues. Bobbie regularly teaches behavior workshops for the dog sports community.

Bobbie recently took up surfing, a life-long dream of hers. She currently shares her life with four terriers, one Pitbull, and a border collie/whippet mix (Tricky, Ziggy, Marvel, Heady Topper, Eleanor Rigby, and Phuncky) and a very supportive husband in southern New Jersey.

Elliot Connor trained in scent specific/mantrailing with Search & Rescue UK for 4 years. Elliot uses a multi-method approach and takes the best parts of tracking, trailing and detection to enable the dog to find their target in the fastest and most direct way.

He gained his instructors certification with Scent Imprint For Dogs in Holland. Scent Imprint have trained and worked dogs all over the world in detection and tracking from explosives and narcotics to wildlife conservation.

Elliot has taught operational style detection for the last 3 years and has had great success trialing his own dogs - a working German Shorthaired Pointer and Weimaraner. It was as he was coming to the end of his Internship with a UK based scentwork organization, that he realized his passion lay in providing a personalized training experience, helping owners to deepen their partnership with their dog through scentwork, and so his scentwork training company ‘EK9’ was founded. He trains at events and 121s predominantly across the UK, where he lives with his wife and their 5 dogs.

Elliot is also a Scent Ops trials ambassador, trainer and judge in the UK. Scent Ops are operational style detection trials with the focus being on teamwork between the handler and dog.

Everything Elliot teaches is suitable for just about any dog including reactive ones, he will tailor working sessions specifically for you and your dog, providing the "why" as well as the "what" and "when". With a focus on synchronizing the body language of the team, you will find that your bond with your dog will become stronger supporting both improved enjoyment and performance.

Tracy Sklenar has been training dogs and competing in dog agility for almost 25 years, and is likely  the only handler in the world who has won medals in international Finals as a coach for 2 different countries AND as a handler with her own dog in both team and individual events. She is on the faculty of Agility University (www.agility-u.com) and Agility MasterClass (www.agilitymasterclass.com), and also travels extensively to teach seminars and compete. Her “Feet Forward” approach to handling, and emphasis on connection and reinforcement have helped handlers excel at every level and with every type of dog!

Tracy’s dogs have had very successful careers Regionally, Nationally and Internationally in agility and now she has added Flyball and disc to her dogs’ list of accomplishments! Tracy and her dogs have achieved many titles & championships, made many Finalist appearances as well as multiple podium appearances in the U.S., in Canada and in Europe. She has competed as a member of 5 European Open teams and the IFCS World Agility Championships Team. Tracy has competed successfully in agility with a variety of dogs of all shapes, sizes and temperaments. Export closed out his career with a National Championship in the Games Championship at the UKI US Open! During the Covid lockdowns, Voodoo and Crusher were the National Speedstakes Champions in their respective divisions at the virtual UKI Canada Open, with Voodoo repeating his Speedstakes victory at the virtual UKI US Open. Baby dogs Hot Sauce, Contraband and Elektra have kicked off their careers in agility and flyball, amassing titles, wins, and great times as well. The future is very exciting!

Currently, Tracy shares her life with 7 dogs: a BC/CS mix (9 year old Voodoo), two Papillons (10 year old Crusher and 8 year old Macho Nacho), a BC/terrier mix (3 year old Hot Sauce), and 3 pointy puppies (Whippet mixes): Border Whippet, Contraband, and Bwhap, Elektra, and Whippet, Ramen! She began agility with 2 mixed breeds and 2 Dalmatians, and also enjoyed fabulous high level careers with Export (Border Jack) and  Rebound (Rat Terrier). This range of experience with a variety of breeds and individuals has helped her become an instructor who can help all types of dogs and handlers!

Tracy also has extensive coaching experience, ranging from local competitors to international teams. She bases her Feet Forward approach on the streamlined international styles of handling found in parts of Europe and emphasizes teamwork, connection, independence, consistency, mental focus, play and fun for both the handler and the dog to build a clear system of communication for each team. She came out of team coaching retirement to coach Team USA at the IFCS World Agility Championships in Valencia, Spain in 2017 and stayed on to coach the 2018 USA team in Italy. In 2012 and 2011, she was the Coach/Manager of Team USA at the World Agility Open in Belgium and the United Kingdom, and in both years was proud to see the US team bring home more medals than any other country  - both times! She served as the Manager/Coach for Team Canada at the IFCS World Agility Championships in 2008, 2010 and in 2012. These teams were also very successful, ranking high in the Individual medal count and bringing home medals in the Team event.

Outside of international competitions, Tracy’s local, national and international students from live classes, seminars, and online classes/seminars have achieved great success with a variety of breeds, including World Teams, championship titles, national finals appearances, top five finishes in their breed, Invitational appearances, and more! Tracy uses positive reinforcement, motivational games and shaping to build brilliant behaviors while teaching the handlers to be consistent and positive in their handling and dog training.

Brenna Fender has worked for Clean Run since the early 2000s, starting as a writer for the magazine and then editing, doing promotional work, and now assisting in the Clean Run Learning Center.

Over the last 28 years, Brenna has titled dogs in AKC, NADAC, UKC, and USDAA agility, tricks, dock diving, UpDog disc, obedience, rally, conformation, junior hunter, junior courser, entry-level freestyle, and CGC. 
 
Brenna's passion for agility has been long-lasting; she worked at some of the first agility trials in Florida before she had a dog entered (in the early 90s)! She taught puppy obedience and agility classes for more than 10 years. Brenna enjoys the challenges that the sport presents, and has found a lot of joy in supporting others along their agility journey as well. She particularly likes teaching and finds it to be a good use of her master’s degree in education, which is otherwise gathering dust.

Brenna developed a serious interest in working at a distance in agility more than five years ago when she spent five months wearing a boot for an injury while she was training and handling her young, fast Border Collie. While her introduction to distance work began out of necessity, it became an enduring passion. However, she's planning to balance both distance and close work with her up-and-coming agility dog.

In addition to two 2-year-old Whippets and 10-year-old Border Collie, Brenna lives with a 8-year-old Chihuahua and almost 15-year-old Papillon, plus two cats (one of whom would like to do some agility training), one bearded dragon (who is not interested in agility), and two tanks of fish (who don't know what goes on in the backyard at all). She also has two human children who are almost too old to call children anymore, and a patient husband.

Brenna can be found on the web at brennafender.com and can be reached via email as well.

Bronagh Daly has loved training animals since she was a child, from her frogs, gerbils, cats, and dogs to brown hyenas in South Africa. Her main goal is to help everyone foster the strongest possible relationship with their dogs. Her dogs have had a huge impact on her dog training journey and current instruction. From working through her oldest dog's ring stress, to helping her first Border Collie overcome his stranger reactivity, and helping her youngest Border Collie gain confidence in both sports and life despite his Generalized Anxiety Disorder, sound sensitivity, big feelings, and epilepsy, Bronagh has been shaped into the creative and caring dog trainer she is today.

Bronagh has been involved in agility since she was 16 years old and currently competes with her Border Collies Razzle and Oz. She teaches group classes for two different facilities, owns her own dog training business, and is a certified Control Unleashed instructor. Bronagh doesn't believe in one-size-fits-all solutions; instead she always strives to find the solution that's best for each individual dog and owner.

For many years, Bud Houston of Williamstown, West Virginia, was one of America's most popular agility teachers, stressing solid handling fundamentals and positive training techniques. When he started in the sport more than 30 years ago, there were no books or videos on agility, so he helped define the sport and became a pioneer of dog agility. Bud went on to become the founding editor and publisher of Clean Run magazine. He is the author of a large body of work, mostly related to training dogs for the sport of dog agility. Bud's expert commentary is featured on the USDAA Nationals videotapes during the early years.

Bud has taught numerous seminars in the U.S. and Australia, as well as specialized training camps and clinics emphasizing his positive training approach. His extensive training center instruction experience includes serving as director at Contact Zonies (Scottsdale, Arizona), Good Dog Agility (Mesa, Arizona) and Dogwood Training Center, LLC (Ostrander, Ohio), and for many years he operated Bud Houston’s Country Dream (Waterford, Ohio).

Bud's first agility dog, a small Shetland sheepdog named Winston, was the first dog in the state of Arizona to earn the Agility Dog® title. He has personally trained and competed in agility with about different 20 dogs, mostly from the herding group. Bud is an experienced agility judge, now retired from the USDAA, AKC, TDAA and NDAL. 

Bud is the founder of the Teacup Dogs Agility Association (TDAA), which provides a competitive venue for dogs of small stature, that encourages course challenges that are comparable to the ones for large dog handlers in other popular venues. Bud can be reached at Houston.Bud@gmail.com.

Dr. Sherman Canapp, originally from Maryland, was the first to complete a combined DVM/MS at Kansas State University. Dr. Canapp then completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Missouri followed by a three-year residency in small animal surgery at the University of Florida. Dr. Canapp is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and Charter Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, where is Past President of the college. Dr. Canapp is currently the National Director of Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine for Pathway Vet Alliance.

Dr. Canapp is the co-founder of the Veterinary Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Group (VOSM) in Annapolis Junction, Maryland. Dr. Canapp routinely receives referrals for sports related injuries, arthroscopic procedures and regenerative medicine treatments from domestic and international sources. Dr. Canapp’s primary caseload is performance, sporting and working dogs.  

Dr. Canapp is also the President and CEO of Orthobiologic Innovations LLC (OBI), a translational medicine company that focuses on product design, development, and testing of orthopedic and arthroscopic devices, instrumentations, medical systems, biologics and regenerative medicine technologies. OBI is also actively involved in designing and performing clinical trials.  

Dr. Canapp created the VOSM Academy, LLC educational training programs for veterinarians interested in bringing high level sports and regenerative medicine, rehabilitation therapy, diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound and arthroscopic procedures to their practice in the US and abroad. The VOSMA Certification Program allows clinicians to be trained and certified by Drs. Canapp, and once trained become an official VOSM affiliate location. Certified practitioners/locations include Seattle, Philadelphia, Nashville, Finland and Australia.

Dr. Canapp established Project GO (Global Orthopedics for Animals) which is a non-profit foundation (501c3) dedicated to helping animals with musculoskeletal injuries. Project GO provides support to animals from various organizations including government working dogs, rescue centers and wildlife sanctuaries. If an organization demonstrates financial limitations, and committee approval is reached, PG then funds the orthopedic procedures necessary for the injured animal.

Canapp Sports Medicine, LLC (CSM) is a virtual sports medicine educational platform, which provides teleconsultations / telemedicine / teletraining to veterinarians and performance dog owners around the world. CSM also offers virtual educational content and webinars in the areas of canine sports related injuries, supplements, sports medicine related products, devices and technologies.  Product reviews and recommendations are also provided.

Dr. Debra Canapp began her journey in sports medicine and rehabilitation with her certification in canine rehabilitation through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in Loxahatchee, Florida in 2005. She has since continued an exclusive career working in small animal sports and rehabilitation medicine. In order to expand the rehabilitative services offered to VOSM's patients, Dr. Canapp became certified in the art of traditional Chinese veterinary medicine and acupuncture by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in 2006. In 2007 she further enhanced VOSM’s rehabilitative portfolio when she received her certification in stem cell therapy, a practice that has shown promise in returning our injured canine companions and athletes to their prior function. In 2010-2011, Dr. Canapp pursued studies and advanced training in diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound and is currently utilizing this tool, as a leader in the small animal field, diagnostically and therapeutically through ultrasound-guided regenerative medicine injections. In 2012, Dr. Canapp obtained the next level of expertise in her field by becoming board certified in the new American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.

For the past 8 years, Dr. Canapp’s exclusive area of interest, clinical work, lecturing and research has revolved around sports medicine and rehabilitation therapy, specifically canine sports-related injury, sport rehabilitation and performance. She has completed advanced courses in canine rehabilitation, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, sports medicine, orthopedics and stem cell therapy.  Currently she is practicing sports medicine, acupuncture, musculoskeletal ultrasound and rehabilitation at VOSM. Dr. Canapp is active in teaching rehabilitation medicine to visiting veterinary students, rehabilitation therapy certification candidates, and veterinarians. She is also engaged in several clinical trials involving sports medicine and rehabilitation and reviews for scientific veterinary journals and grant committees. Dr. Canapp has been published and lectures on the subjects of osteoarthritis, sports medicine, regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal ultrasound and rehabilitation therapy at national and international continuing education meetings. Dr. Debra Canapp, along with her husband, Dr. Sherman Canapp, currently lecture both domestically and abroad on the subjects of orthopedic injuries in the sporting/working dog and the current rehabilitation techniques used to treat them

Canapp Sports Medicine, LLC (CSM) is a virtual sports medicine educational platform, which provides teleconsultations / telemedicine / teletraining to veterinarians and performance dog owners around the world. CSM also offers virtual educational content and webinars in the areas of canine sports related injuries, supplements, sports medicine related products, devices and technologies.  Product reviews and recommendations are also provided.

Dr. Carla Simon BSc MD MBA is a professional canine scent detection handler, retired AAC agility judge, Canine Good Neighbor evaluator (CKC), and Brittany breeder from Calgary, Canada. She is the owner of Hunter's Heart, which trains "bombproof detection dogs, service dogs, and working dogs" since 1999.

Carla has been a nosework judge for CKC, K9 ABC Games, and UKC and has been teaching and judging the sport of nosework since 2015. She is the Senior Regional Representative for the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) Scent Detection Council, Contributing Editor for the American Brittany Magazine (AKC) and former Chair of the performance committee. She is the Working Dog Chair and on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers and she is the founder, past president, and just of Sniff Alberta.

Other notable accomplishments include:

• International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants educator, author, and peer-reviewer
• World Detector Dog Organization – Setting the Standard, 15th Annual Conference Presenter
• A sought-after speaker who drew a sold-out crowd of more than 600 at UBC's Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.

Carla's professional detection dogs have won multi High in Trial nosework wins in USA and Canada. Her Brittanys have consistently achieved five national rankings in agility, conformation, and obedience as well.

Carla's teaching and handling style and philosophy focus on fun. She says, "Many people wonder how I train working dogs to search for hours, even when no scent is present, then go back to work happily the next day. The secret is that work needs to be fun. Yes, I help students to succeed using our proven scent detection training protocols and to understand proper scent handling techniques, but the secret is finding the joy. If you aren't having fun or your dog is feeling pressure, you have a problem you need to fix. Start by finding your dog's favorite rewards, and then develop a conflict-free reward sequence. I want to help you succeed, so questions and troubleshooting are always welcome. Train smarter, not longer. Use errorless learning protocols to prevent confusion, frustration, and common errors. Once your canine partner is trained to fluency, you and your dog can focus on the moment and enjoy doing what you love."

Aside from competing and training in nosework, Carla says, "I can't imagine a life without dogs. I love helping teams succeed, and spending time with the dogs inspires me. Seeing their joy makes me smile each and every day."

Carolyn McIntyre, an animal rehabilitation trained and registered physiotherapist, is the?owner/operator of McIntyre Canine Rehabilitation located in Erin, Ontario, Canada. She holds a Master of Science in Physiotherapy and a Diploma in Canine Rehabilitation through the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. 

Carolyn?primarily works with canine athletes both in person at her clinic and with her extensive international online?community. In addition to helping canine athletes fast-track their fitness and performance, she also works to manage both current and chronic injuries and has a comprehensive online Return to Sport Program.? 

Carolyn offers a variety of?online canine fitness courses geared towards active dogs and canine athletes and utilizes a unique, layered approach to her training methods to yield faster results in less time. Carolyn also offers 1:1 high-level personalized coaching for a more tailored and custom approach to both fitness and physio needs.  She is the author of Warm Up and Cool Down of the?Canine Athlete: An Evidence-Based Approach to Improving Performance and Preventing?Injury. She was the canine physio practitioner for Team Canada in 2019 and 2020 at the IFCS?World Agility Championships.? 

Carolyn is an accomplished agility competitor who owns 5 dogs – Quinn (Aussie) and 4 shelties – Fifty, Shades, Keeper, and Siren.?Carolyn is a member of Team Canada for 2023 and will be competing overseas with Shades (WAO or World Agility Open) and Keeper – (FCI AWC - Agility World Championships). 

Debby Quigley has been dog training for 30+ years. She owned a successful dog training facility in Houston, Texas—Dogwood Dog Training—for 22 years before moving to the Memphis area in the fall of 2022.

Debby and her dogs have achieved many awards during a long career in dog sports. She's earned over 200 AKC Obedience High in Trial awards and over 150 AKC Obedience High Combined awards, she's placed three times placed at the AKC Invitational, and has earned multiple wins and placements at AKC National events. 

In addition, Debby has completed multiple Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH) titles, Master Agility Champion (MACH) and Performance Agility Champion (PACH) titles, and Tracking Dog (TD) titles.  Also, she has competed in herding, hunt work, nose work, tracking, and freestyle. Plus she's the author of Success is in the Proofing, a book about all about proofing.  

Debby has been lucky to have one Siberian Husky (Rasha), two Shetland Sheepdogs (Khan and Nessie), two Golden Retrievers (Du and Solo), and six Border Collies (Easy, Ditto, Rip, Slyder, Riker, Karrde and Poe).

Debby has had many wonderful in-person and online students that have achieved National placements in many venues, High in Trials, 200s, OTCHs, MACHs, PACHs, and countless other titles.

Devorah (Dev) Sperber is the founder of OCEAN4Dogs, an online community and learning space where Simple Actions, such as Mark Training, Lead to Astonishing Outcomes. OCEAN is an acronym: Observe your Dog, Connect with Compassion, Engagement with Joy, Attitude before Anything, and Never Stop Learning...about your dog and yourself. 

OCEAN is based on the premise: When communication flows freely and equally in both directions, dog training becomes a shared language between dogs and humans. 

Whether coaching remotely through Ocean4dogs or in-person at Marin Humane in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dev is passionate about teaching people how to fine-tune their "eye" to improve 2-way communication with their dogs, so they can experience happier, more satisfying training experiences, improved performance, and a deeper connection. While many of her students are involved in agility, Devorah's dog training background includes Freestyle solo and brace work and Search and Rescue. 
Devorah has been doing agility for over 16 years and currently competes at the Masters level with Australian Terrier, Lil, and Border Collie, Takoda. Lil's accomplishments include 12 agility championship titles, two national event wins, and she competed twice in the big distance Stakes Division at NADAC Championships, a rarity for a mini dog. Takoda has earned multiple championship titles in NADAC and USDAA, with more on the way.

Dev's philosophy is to approach dog training from the inside out by prioritizing the dog's mental and emotional state over external goals. She says, "Dogs know they are being seen, heard, felt, and gotten by their people. As trainers, it's our job to respond to what our dogs are communicating through body language so training can become a shared language. When communication flows freely in both directions, learning happens quickly, and the experience is enjoyable for the dog and the human." 

In addition to being insanely passionate about dogs and dog training, Dev has had a successful international art career through which she has explored the art and science of SEEING for over 30 years: www.devorahsperber.com.

Donna Savoie started offering obedience training professionally in 2005 and in 2010, she opened the first Pack of Paws Dog Training Center, in Southbridge, Massachusetts. She opened a second training center, this time in Charlton, Massachusetts, in 2020. She says, "I love teaching people and seeing the enhanced engagement they achieve with their dogs. Behaviors are important but without that engagement, fun, and sense of humor, then what's the point?"

Donna started competitive dog sports in 2014, doing Barn Hunt with her German Shepherd, Vader. In 2017, she began doing Dock Diving with another German Shepherd, Rikkochez. They achieved many dock titles, High in Trials, and first places, earned a Master Dock title, and received invitations to Regionals. In 2018, she started doing agility but Rikkochez had to retire due to health problems. In 2019, she began the sport of French Ring with her Malinois, Lazer. She says, "We got to a point in our training where I needed to work on her obedience at higher levels of distraction. I enrolled in agility classes predominantly to learn something new and to work Lazer at high levels of distraction. It wasn't long before I noticed that when we went to Ring practice, she did it and seemed to like it, but when we went to agility practice, she was stomping and screaming and was the happiest dog. So, it was tough but I made the switch from French Ring to agility."

Donna learned that Lazer's obedience wasn't as good around agility equipment and during agility training. She started training specific obedience skills for agility and then started teaching it as a class to other agility competitors. People who have taken the in-person class love it, so now she offers it online to reach those who are interested in higher levels of engagement and teamwork during sports training and performances. She says, "I have high-drive, powerful, crazy dogs and I don't accept unruly behavior; it presents badly and it's frustrating. Obedience training should be fun, with positive reinforcement including food, games, toys, and play. Obedience training can and should be as fun as the agility activity itself."

"I enjoy my crazy dogs and I love learning with them. They teach me a ton and I get the privilege of teaching that to others."

Dudley Shumate has been loving and training dogs of various breeds for over 25 years. While enjoying competitive success in obedience, tracking, hunt tests, and herding, agility is her forte. Dudley has 12 National Championships between USA and Canada, won with 6 different dogs! These wins encompass 4 different jump heights and three different organizations: AKC, UKI, and USDAA. Additionally, she and her pups have held over 25 world team positions, demonstrating consistency and diversity! 

Dudley's teaching style and philosophy are similar to her ideas on handling: "I provide choices and stress consistencies. I encourage students to think for themselves and create fluent communication for each pup. My goal as a trainer, competitor, and my pups' best friend, is to create a fluency of 'language' while having a great time! I believe in thinking about why things work and practicing with intention so I can let all that go and be totally in the moment when it's time to shine. My pups are my family first and we travel all over the country enjoying hiking, teaching, and going very fast in the agility ring!" Before "going to the dogs," Dudley was a horse trainer and avid three-day competitor. A love for all creatures and a passion for finding ways to connect is the foundation of her training. 

Dudley can be reached by email.

Erica Etchason, BS, CPDT-KA owns and operates 4 Paws Adrift a canine swim and hydro-therapy center in New Jersey. Erica has been training and swimming dogs for over 20 years. One of the core values in her business is to educate owners on all facets of dog ownership. Nail care and grooming comes up in almost every lesson. Erica developed her signature on-line program "Dremel Like a Boss" to help dog owners create a stress free nail care routine. To date, Erica has held four six-month sessions of "Dremel Like a Boss" and has helped many dog and human teams create positive and sustainable nail care and husbandry routines.

Currently Erica and Jibe, her Newfoundland Dog, live on her family farm in Indiana. Much of the feedback from her clients comment how patient and kind Erica is when providing feedback during their nail care journey. Erica’s super power is slowing clients down to learn to break down the behaviors even smaller to help teams do hard things together like nail care. Erica absolutely loves group coaching. Her favorite part of her programs are the live trainings she holds to be able to give people feedback in the moment and see them get results immediately!

Jasey is a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer. She teaches weekly group classes at a local vet clinic in Raleigh, North Carolina. She also owns and runs Day Fit Dogs, which provides canine fitness private lessons and seminar services.

Since 2004, Jasey has taught a variety of workshops, seminars, and classes on the following: Canine Fitness, Canine Swimming, Puppy, Canine Good Citizen/Family Pet, Advanced Family Pet, Rally, and Agility. In addition, Jasey has earned over 60 titles across four dogs in Dock Diving, Agility, Rally, CGC, and Trick Dog. Jasey advanced her canine fitness knowledge by being an active member of the Bobbie Lyons K9FITteam from 2018-to 2020. Jasey's Labrador Retriever and Australian Cattle Dog spend their time hiking, training, teaching classes, dock diving, herding, or doing agility.

Jasey uses "shaping, luring, and targeting (cheek, nose, chin, paws, front and hind limbs) to get the proper canine fitness movements and techniques. Different size dogs need different equipment to obtain and maintain proper form during movements and skills, which will ensure the correct muscles are engaged and strengthened." 

Jasey says, "I'm advocating for you and your dog to ensure that your dog has continued health (from puppyhood to retirement), proper coordination/proprioception, the technique and engagement to prevent injuries or minimize the severity of injuries, and the power/foundation to do the skills required for sports. Canine fitness should be functional, and it should also be a really fun way for you to mentally and physically tire your dog in minimal space and with minimal time (just 10-20 minutes in your living room a few times per week1). Besides competing with my dogs, hiking my dogs and just having them as beloved housemates is what matters to me - and I want my sweet companions to be healthy joyful pups."

Jen has been actively competitive in agility for over 20 years. In addition to Jen's handling and dog training skills, Jen's excellent teaching ability and talent for adapting to different styles of dogs is what makes Jen a highly sought after presenter and instructor across the country. In 2015, Jen was invited to be part of the OneMindDogs Coaches team. She was one of six chosen in the USA. "It  was such an honor," Jen says. 
 
Over the years, Jen has seen tremendous national and international success. She has won the USDAA Grand Prix and Steeplechase twice with her Shetland Sheepdog, Britain. In 2018, she became the first person to win all four championships that USDAA has to offer. She has many placements at national events, including the AKC Nationals, the Cynosport World Games, and the US Open. Internationally, she has been part of several medaling teams (both AKC and World Agility Open) and she won the Silver in Biathalon with Britain at the WAO. A consistent competitor for the USA, Jen has been on WAO team with four different dogs and the European Open team with three. 

Jen has had a lot of success with her four-year-old Sheltie, Wicca, including making the 2023 WAO team and being an alternate on the AKC Agility World Championship Team. Jen is currently competing with Wicca, a young Sheltie named Spec, and her Border/Whippet, Phineas. 

Jen resides in Lapeer, Michigan. She teaches classes and private lessons for FiredUp K9s at Highest Hope Dog Sports in Michigan. She also conducts online classes, seminars, and workshops around the country. Contact her at email. 

Jessica is a veterinary researcher who is fascinated by dog behavior. After 11 years of working as a computer programmer, she decided to go back to school to research the causes of behavior problems in dogs. She received her veterinary degree in 2012 from the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Massachusetts, where she also received a Masters degree for her work on stress behaviors in hospitalized dogs. After graduation, she completed a year-long internship specializing in shelter medicine at the University of Florida Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program. She received her PhD in genetics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studying a group of foxes (often known as the "Siberian silver foxes") which have been bred over many generations to be friendly to humans. She has worked at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard as a computational biologist, studying the genetics of behavior in pet dogs through the Darwin's Ark project and the Working Dogs Project.

Today, she runs the Functional Dog Collaborative, a non-profit group that supports the ethical breeding of healthy and behaviorally solid dogs. She also teaches behavioral biology at the Virginia Tech online Masters program for Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare, offers webinars online, and consults with breeders about genetic testing and breeding choices. Jessica lives in Raymond, New Hampshire, with her husband and two dogs.

Jill Golgosky is the owner of Acu-Wellness, a practice involving massage and acupressure for canines located in Garrettsville, Ohio. This combination of therapies restores balance to the canine, helping them succeed in their sporting event.

Jill believes the best veterinary medicine embraces both Eastern and Western medicine and feels, when used in conjunction, this provides the optimal results.

She is a graduate of Kent State University with a degree in Zoology. In 2008, she pursued a career in the veterinary field and became a Registered Veterinary Technician. Shortly after becoming an RVT, she became a certified small animal acupressure practitioner through Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute. In 2016, she became a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner through the University of Tennessee and is currently employed part-time at a specialty hospital in the rehabilitation department. 

Jill competes in a variety of sporting events with her JRT mix Emmie.

Jordan Biggs hails from the Pacific Northwest and is combining her skills as a trainer and handler to become a force to be reckoned with in the agility ring! She has traveled throughout North America for training and competition. She is also well-known for her trick training classes. She begins 2018 with a bang by representing the USA with her 3 year old BC, Kirbee, at the IFCS World Agility Championships in Italy. Jordan is looking forward to more success with Kirbee as well as with her baby BC, Riskee, in the future!

Jordan says:

"When I started training dogs the training practice was much different. At that time it was choke chains, punishment and unhappy dogs. At that point, I thought to myself, 'there has got to be a better way to do this!' That was when i started researching dog training and positive reinforcement and found some great people who helped teach me how to build behavior in dogs. It was then i realized that i had a talent for working with my dogs. I then continued to teach my dogs all the tricks I could think of and continued learning more about training dogs, which brought me to agility, my true passion.

My commitment to learning and developing better training methods for myself and my students is a key element at Zanee Agility. I continue to attend seminars from top competitors, take online classes from top competitors, have read multiple books and watched DVDs about agility, foundation, body awareness, conditioning dogs for sports, injury prevention, developing focus, jumping skills etc. I am committed to being the best that I can be and bringing out the most I can in each of my students.

My handling and classes are inspired by international competitors Silvia Trkman and Justine Davenport. I focus on trained skills that I can TRUST on course. I have been very fortunate to learn from many different people including Tammy Moody and Desiree Snellman. I can’t thank them enough for their support and encouragement throughout my agility journey.

My most powerful teachers have always been and always will be, my dogs. They have always given me the best feedback that I could ask for and have, in every way, helped me learn how to be a better positive trainer and handler in agility."

Jubie Rueschenberg is a certified dog behavior consultant and dog trainer, AKC CGC/Trick Dog Evaluator, and a certified service dog trainer and evaluator. Jubie owns and operates Club-Doggie in Hiddenite, North Carolina, and has been competing in agility since 2005. She has been teaching agility since 2012. 

Jubie has been a National Finalist and National Champion many times with her two Border Collies. Her Beagle, Fancy, became a National Biathlon Finalist at the 2021 UKI Open with barely any trial experience. She has trained many successful dogs and coached students to the National and World Team level. Jubie feels all dogs have the potential to be the best with the right training. She is currently competing with a Border Collie and two amazing Beagles.

Jubie says: "My teaching style is progressive and tailored to the dog and person's individual needs. That is absolutely in line with my teaching philosophy. No two dogs and handlers are alike, and learning should be an enjoyable experience yet still challenging. An agility coach should be responsible for providing personal development, whether that be in training or handling.

My handling style is balanced with distance skills and the determination to get to where my dog needs me to be. I do not believe that "one style fits all" because we and our dogs are unique. I do believe that training and handling are ever-evolving and we should never be complacent. My goal as a handler is to continue to improve and to learn more with every dog that I have the pleasure of training and handling.

If I could pass on one thing to others, it would be the ability to see in themselves what I can see. That would give people the confidence to achieve what they are truly capable of, and they are capable of more than most can imagine."

For more than a decade, Julie has been successfully competing in agility with her "non-traditional" Berners. She says, "My passion for the mental game and what makes competitors win in the ring began as a kid when I was a nationally-ranked equestrian in the hunter/jumpers. When I got into agility, I was surprised there wasn't a focus on goal-setting or working on the mental game in any real way, and yet we are half of our team." So Julie created programs and personal coaching to give handlers the tools they need to be mentally strong so they can deliver great performances when it counts. Now, Julie assists handlers in breaking through performance blocks, setting goals that build confidence and results, and providing tools to enable handlers to compete successfully under pressure. She says, "I believe mental toughness is a skill that we can learn and hone—just like any handling skill. I hope more handlers look to the same tools elite athletes use in order to improve their results in the agility ring."

Julie has been a contributing writer for Clean Run magazine and provides one-on-one coaching in addition to workshops and online courses through The Q Coach. Julie and her dogs have competed in the AKC Agility Invitational, the Westminster Agility Championship, and the AKC Rally Championship. She is a draft (carting) judge for the Bernese Mountain Dog Club and teaches agility, puppy foundation, obedience, and rally at A Click Above in Leesburg, Virginia.

Julie Daniels won her first award for writing in the fourth grade, and she was training dogs long before that. She learned to walk by holding on to the family's German Shepherd. She currently owns two Border Collies and also gets to live and work with an Australian Koolie, a Staffy mix, and a senior Beagle mix.

Julie lives in Deerfield, NH, where she owns Kool Kids Agility and teaches CU classes. She is also certified in TAGteach methodology. For 28 years, she ran dog training camps at her world-renowned White Mountain Agility camp. Some of the theme camps she developed there were Wild Child, Speed-Em-Up, Novice Genius, Jumping Genius, and the WMA Instructor Certification Course, which honed the skills of hundreds of teachers and thousands of dogs worldwide.

Julie has competed and won with many different dogs, including two Rottweilers, a Springer Spaniel, a Cairn Terrier, two Corgis, and five Border Collies. She is the only person to make USDAA Grand Prix finals with a Rottie or a Springer, and she did it two times each. She is also a two-time national agility champion and a two-time international champion. She was the expert voice of Cynosport agility for many years, doing livestream video commentary at international events seen worldwide.

She is the author of four agility books and three DVDs. She teaches popular online classes, including Baby Genius, Empowerment, Cookie Jar Games, Crazy Good, Shaping Games, Magic Mats, and Control Unleashed games.

Kama Rueschenberg is a dog agility coach and competitor. Her recent accomplishments include: 2019 EO Team USA Member, 2019 WAO Wildcard, and 2019 US Open Games Champion with her Border Collie, Popeye; 2020 IFCS Team USA Member with her Russell Terrier, Jelly Bean; and multiple Regional and National accolades with Popeye, Jelly Bean, and her Chihuahua, Porky Pig.

She has built her life around her passion for dogs, agility, and fitness, and one of her major goals is helping others pursue their goals in agility. Because of that passion, she has had many students achieve their goals of medaling at Regional and National events and even make world team. You can connect with Kama (or learn more about her) on her website KamaLovesAgility.com.

Karen Holik is an agility coach and competitor and the founder of On Course Agility, located in Brandon, Florida. She provides private and group lessons and instructs seminars throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Bermuda, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Year-round, Karen provides lessons in real-time and via video for students at all levels. Karen shares her life with her husband Eric, his Sheltie Jiggy, and her Border Collies Zenn, Kidd, and Starr.
In 1992, while in downtown Chicago, Karen saw an agility demo and could not wait to try it with her chow/sheltie mix, Simon. Together, they set off on a journey that would ultimately see Karen leave her long-time position at a legal firm to focus on agility full time in 2007.

Early on, Karen recognized that fundamental skills and consistency are crucial to success. Believing that all dogs can achieve their full potential with the right mix of education and motivation, her training programs focus on the dog's understanding, which leads to confidence, speed, and independence. In addition to focusing on the dog's progression, Karen has an intuitive eye for the minute adjustments to handling skills that can have a profound impact on a team relationship. This balanced perspective is central to her philosophy that agility is a team sport and should always be fun for dog and handler.
Karen's training philosophy and work ethic have been borne out by her records in multiple venues. She is a 15-time USA World Team Member with three different dogs at three different heights, 5-time National Champion, Gold and Silver Medalist at the World Agility Open (England), Silver Medalist at the FCI World Championships (Austria), and Silver and Bronze Medalist at the IFCS World Championships (Netherlands and Italy).

Since her Sheltie Sizzle took her to the heights of the sport in 2008, Karen has returned to the echelons again and again with her Shelties and Border Collies. Today, Karen continues to test the boundaries of the sport with Zenn, Kidd, and Starr, focusing on independent weave and contact skills that are the hallmark of her handling and training philosophies.

Karen has been teaching agility for over 25 years and describes her teaching style and philosophy as "Very basic. Teaching fundamentals is very important and should not be skipped." She describes her handling style as "Meat and potatoes. Do what works best for your dog. Just because something is the latest trend doesn't mean it is best for your team." 

Karen adds, "I love teaching all dogs/handlers no matter what level or aspiration. Whether they never intend to enter a trial or aspire to be on a world team. I want everyone to enjoy this sport with their dog as much as I do."

Kristine Hammar has been competing in agility since 2007, and she began parkour in 2016 with all three of her Border Collies. She and C-ATCH Tessa and Dean have accomplished several parkour championship titles in both All Dogs Parkour and the International Dog Parkour Association. Bandit, her current agility and parkour partner, has earned his ADP Championship and is working toward other advanced titles. Kristine is also an All Dogs Parkour judge. Kristine has been teaching parkour both online and in-person since 2017.

In addition, Kristine has taught "Confidence and Self-Control" at Dandy Dog Training in Pennsylvania, and she currently teaches parkour there. She has been teaching online classes since 2012.

Kristine sums up her teaching philosophy and style this way: "I am a firm believer in the dog being an active partner, both in the learning and teaching process, and so I emphasize listening to the dog throughout the process of training, as well as providing the dog with clear information. That is part of the reason why I enjoy Canine Parkour so much - it is a sport that allows for a constant exchange of communication between dog and handler. In addition, I follow a positive reinforcement-based philosophy in all of my training. As an instructor, it is always my goal to provide students with the means to have good quality experiences with their dogs, and to help them to use good training in order to do that." 

Regarding her handling style, she says, "I always strive to be a clear and supportive handler. My personal emphasis is always on sharing a good quality experience with my dog, whether we are filming an online entry or working in a live competition setting."

Kristine and her dogs also enjoy musical freestyle. Kristine is the founder and owner of the Poised for Success Freestyle Titling Program.

At the age of 13, Kristy Netzer discovered her love of dogs. She began working as a groomer's assistant and then made a fateful deal with her parents. If she earned enough money, she could purchase her own dog. At $2.50 an hour, it was a daunting task. But Kristy met her goal. She and her Golden Retriever, Calypso, hit the dog obedience circuit. After receiving her CDX, Kristy attended the first-ever USDAA agility seminar in Southern California. The teamwork, competition, and fun attracted her to this wonderful new sport in 1989. In 1993, Kristy was a founding member of the first officially sanctioned USDAA club in Southern California, West Valley Dog Sports. In 1996, WVDS asked Kristy to teach agility classes. She realized the next best thing to running your dog in agility was teaching dog agility. After encouragement from some very good agility friends, Kristy hosted her own agility seminar. The seminar was so successful that she began her own training school, Happy Dog Agility. Kristy has earned the USDAA ADCH title on three dogs, Zippity, Jubilee, and Dabbie, and has achieved numerous other agility accomplishments.

Kristy now teaches and trains in Tennessee. She has coached 6 time Agility World Team member, Jean Lavalley with her dogs Cheer and Sprint. She has exceptional skills at helping her students fine tune their teamwork. She recognizes that one training method does not fit all and makes adjustments based on the needs of the dog and the student. Kristy is also recognized as a leader in the sport for distance handling. She has helped countless handlers who have physical ailments such as bad knees, ankles, back problems, and other issues that limit their mobility to be highly successful in the agility ring with their dogs. She has written numerous articles for Clean Run magazine and created the DVD, "Dial Up The Distance" which is still a top seller amongst instructional videos.

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) 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. 

Dr. Laura Donaldson, PhD, CDBC, KPA-CTP is a Professor Emeritus from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and has also been a dog trainer and canine behavior specialist for over 15 years. She is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through the IAABC, a Karen Pryor Certified Training Partner, a Certified Control Unleashed Instructor, and an award-winning writer on dog training and behavior.

She founded and is the sole proprietor of Four Paws, Four Directions Dog Training & Behavior Consulting LLC, which is located in the beautiful Fingerlakes region of Ithaca, New York, US, as well as the Slow Thinking is Lifesaving for Dogs™ program. In her full-time behavior consulting practice, Laura focuses on dogs struggling with aggression issues. Her Slow Thinking program features a webinar, an online course, and a forthcoming book.
Laura has been a partner to more than a few working Border Collies over the past twenty years and currently lives with two of them, along with her husband, an African Gray parrot named Obi, a Working Bearded Collie, and a flock of Navajo Churro sheep.

Laura can be reached through her website, https://fourpawsfourdirections.com, or through email, fourpaws@twcny.rr.com.  

Leslie McDevitt, MLA, CDBC, CPDT-KA, TAGteach Level 2, is the author of the internationally popular Control Unleashed series of books and DVDs published by Clean Run Productions. Her books have been translated into many languages; people all over the world have learned how to use her science-based and empowering methods to help companion, performance, and working dogs learn how to function optimally without stress in very challenging environments. 

Leslie also certifies qualified trainers to teach her program and is proud of her Certified Control Unleashed Instructors all over the world. If you have a dog that worries about stuff—other dogs, people, noises, dog show judges, the unexpected—Leslie has many fun counter-conditioning games just for you. Leslie is a popular conference speaker and has held two Control Unleashed conferences with Clean Run.

Lisa is the owner of In The Zone, LLC. She gives agility, conditioning, and massage seminars across the continent as well as putting on about 12 agility trials a year. 

Lisa is a Certified Canine Myo-Manipulative Functional Practitioner, Certified Animal Cold Laser Practitioner, Certified Canine & Equine Craniosacral Practitioner, and Certified Canine and Equine Kinesiology Tape Practitioner. 

Lisa is one of the most accomplished handlers in NADAC. Her consistent, clear positive approach to dog training is evidenced by her continued success with multiple dogs, as well as the success of her students. Lisa has come home from the NADAC Championships with 12 trophies with 6 different dogs. She has finished in Overall Top 3 at NADAC Champs 26 times with 10 different dogs including her Brittany and Aussie. She has earned very rare and extremely hard-to-achieve distance awards with multiple dogs, showing consistency with distance and speed. JP7, 2023 NADAC Reserve Superstakes Champion, has a Purple MODSQUAD, 2 Purple Distance Cups, Purple Versatility Cup, 2 Silver Distance Cups and many NATCHES and Speedstars. Tandem has earned Purple MODSQUAD, Silver Distance Cup, Silver Versatility Cup and many NATCHES and SpeedStars. Revolution has earned a Purple MODSQUAD, Silver Distance Cup, and many NATCHES and SpeedStars. Inspire was 3rd place Overall in the 2023 Superstakes, and he's earned 2 Silver Distance Cups and many NATCHES. 

Lisa currently has five Border Collies and a small mix breed rescue dog. She is also training her sister's Beagle, plus she trains with her 10-year-old nephew Luke with his dog Zoomy. She has owned, trained, and competed with 15 dogs which have ranged from soft to hard and slow to fast and novice to multiple championships. She has been teaching agility seminars for over 15 years giving her years of experience with many different breeds, skills, and issues. This allows Lisa to bring real-life experiences into her training that includes good foundation training, skill training, motivation, and consistent, clear handling all in a fun, positive way.

While she primarily competes in NADAC, her training and handling philosophy translates to all venues. Path work is paramount in all venues. Being able to draw efficient lines, speedy independent obstacles, and providing clear and consistent cues help teams compete successfully in all agility organizations.

Lisa grew up in the horse world training and showing Quarter Horses as well as dabbling on the racetrack. She also played volleyball and softball. The skills learned from training and competing in other sports have transferred to dog training. In the past few years, Lisa returned to the horse world, competing in cow sorting with her horses Kismet and Stella. Coming back to the horse world and learning a whole new sport is making her a better dog trainer and teacher. 

To view more about Lisa, visit her website.

Liz works closely with dog sport handlers of all fitness levels to improve their transferrable strength, athleticism, agility and speed. She's been coaching since 2006, and working with handlers since 2016. All with the concepts of R+ training at the heart of it. 

She's studied program development, strength training, athletic development, applied movement mechanics, best practices for menopause, osteoporosis and much more. Using all this experience, and education, her approach is accessible and intelligently progressed which ends up being really effective for all types of people!

Elizabeth, or Liz, Randall grew up in San Diego, California, and has lived and worked with animals since early childhood. Growing up in a dog- and horse-centric family, she was an avid, competitive equestrienne by age nine. In her mid-thirties, she discovered dog agility, and that changed her career trajectory from sports marketing to living wholeheartedly in the animal training world. From riding ponies to Baskin Robbins at age five, to working with a herd of more than 100 horses on a guest ranch in Wyoming in her twenties, to flying across the country to compete in New York City at the Westminster Agility Championship with her rescued pit bull mix Phineas, she truly understands what it means to have complex and fulfilling relationships with animals.

Using the most current, positive reinforcement-based training methods, Liz has held her Certified Pet Dog Trainer credential (CPDT-KA) since 2011, and works regularly with both high level behavior modification and canine sport clientele. Liz competes locally and nationally in agility with her dogs. Her dogs have achieved many wins across a variety of agility venues at local, regional and events across the country. She also competes with and has titled her dogs in AKC obedience, NACSW and AKC scent work, barn hunt, and lure coursing. 

Agility is Liz’s first and foremost passion. She and her dogs have won podium spots in Grand Prix, Biathlon and Steeplechase at multiple USDAA Regional events in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022. In 2019, Liz and Beatrix won the UKI Games Challenge National Championship at the UKI US Open of Agility. In 2021, Liz and Beatrix were overall Cup winners at the UKI West Coast Cup, and also won multiple classes at the UKI US Open. In 2022, she and her young dog Rhoen were overall winners at the UKI Rocky Mountain Classic. 

Liz works with clients in the San Diego, California area, at private facilities across the US, and also online. She loves to teach her students the intricacies of learning theory, how to better read their dogs, and technical training mechanics. Her mission is to help dogs and their humans achieve higher levels of communication, not just with each other, but with those in the greater world around them. 

Mary Ellen has been involved in agility for over 29 years and has had much success on both the national and international level. Mary Ellen has competed at the IFCS and WAO World Championships a total of 6 times with 2 different dogs and has won multiple medals at those events including 6 gold medals. She has placed on the podium several times at both at the USDAA Cynosport World Games and the UKI US Open. Mary Ellen is the current coach of the USA WAO Team.

Mary Ellen's is a popular seminar presenter due to her ability to break things down for students and explain and clarify concepts.  She has an excellent eye and is able to pinpoint simple training exercises for handlers to work on at home to improve coursework.

Mary Ellen was a contributor for over 15 years to Clean Run magazine and is the author of The Long Jump and Foundation Fundamentals which are both training DVDs and are available through Clean Run.

Mary Ellen has been an instructor full time for over 20 years and has taught seminars and camps throughout the U.S and Canada.  She became a UKI Judge in 2018 and enjoys designing courses that are challenging for the handler, but easy for the dog.

Merissa Dubraque-Kreidler CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, CCUI, CCMT is the owner and head trainer of Fuzzy Logic Dog Training in Farmville, Virginia.  Merissa has also completed the Karen Pryor Academy Puppy Start Right for Instructors course.  Merissa specializes in behavior modification and loves a challenge. Her analytical approach and observation skills combined with her skillful handling of difficult or fearful dogs allows her to give the clients and the dogs the tools they need to handle nearly any situation.  

Merissa shares her home with several American Staffordshire Terriers, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and two Border Collies. She competes in Conformation, Rally, Obedience, Barn Hunt, Agility, Scent Work, Tricks, Disc, and FastCAT.  

In addition to dogs, Merissa is also actively involved in the horse world.  She competes in dressage with her Oldenburg, Casper. Merissa has a degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is not shy about her nerdy side.

Merit lives in Germany and has been doing agility since she was a teen in 2000. She's been instructing in dog sports nearly as long, first in dog clubs and, since 2009, as a professional. She has been offering online classes on running contacts and rally obedience since 2015. 

Merit has always aimed for international events and has trained for the top but, due to injuries, she didn't reach her goals with previous performance dogs (a Jack Russell Terrier, a Mudi, a Border Collie, and a Shetland Sheepdog). But her young Working Cocker Spaniel, Eep, has already finished 7th out of 77 in the Pentathlon at the 2022 World Agility Open Championships and qualifyied for the Agility World Championship Finals.

Merit's training philosophy is to focus on fun when training. She believes in not being too strict and to train each dog as an individual, taking care of the dog's needs. She's trained many different breeds, and she's owned a German Shepherd as well as her competitive dogs, so she is comfortable working with dogs with different body types and learning styles. She looks at training like a puzzle and take small steps to reach her goals. She likes to be very positive and "not always too serious," she says. 

Merit says, "Dog training is my passion!"

Nancy Gyes and her husband Jim Basic run Power Paws Agility in San Jose, California. Nancy has been the AKC World Team Coach since 2006 and has been on the AKC World Team herself seven times: four times with Scud and three with Riot. Nancy and Riot earned both a 1st and 2nd place in Individual Agility at the FCI Agility World Championships. Nancy won the USDAA Grand Prix Finals four years in a row with three different dogs: Scud, Riot, and Wicked. Nancy and Wicked were also on the winning team at a Dog Agility Masters championship. Nancy and Riot were the 24" AKC National champions twice, and Ace was second in the Championships in 2012. Nancy and Ace represented the USA at the European Open five times, and they were the first US duo to make it to the podium, earning a bronze medal in 2011. Nancy shares her life with four Border Collies aged 13 to 2 years. Contact Nancy at powerpawsagility.com where you can also view articles and videos.

Over 20 years ago, Rachel left her career in the legal field to train dogs full-time. She has earned over 300 performance titles on her own dogs (Boston Terriers, a Papillon, and Border Collies) plus she's earned titles on a Chinese Crested, a Scottish Terrier, and a Corgi. Not only do her dogs perform with accuracy, their enthusiasm for their work is evident. Rachel consistently finishes in the top of her class with multiple dogs.

Her students also do well in competition. Her positive methods and creative application of choice-based games have enabled dogs representing many breeds not normally seen in the ring to attain performance titles. These breeds include Afghan Hound, Bassett Hound, Dalmatian, Scottish Terrier, Weimaraner, and West Highland White Terrier. Over the years, Rachel’s DOCOF (Florida’s Annual State Obedience Competition) Teams (comprised of students) have won the competition or placed in the top 5 multiple times. They have also won the High Tri-Combined Award many times.

With her own dogs, Rachel is actively training and/or competing in agility, obedience, rally and herding. In past years she has also competed in freestyle and tracking. Here are some highlights from her 3 most recent competition dogs, all Border Collies:

Wisp

Obedience: "High in Trial" at over 50 obedience trials (including DOCOF) and over 30 "High Combined" awards. FOUR Obedience Championships: two OTCHs, one U-OCH and one ASCA OTCH. Second place in Open at the 2013 AKC Obedience Classic, also winning “Highest Scoring Dog” in the Blue Round.  

Rally: RM and RAE2 (with 26 of 40 scores being perfect 100s). 6th place at the 2017 AKC Rally National Championship in the RAE class (which was the highest skill level offered at the time). 3rd in Novice Rally at 2012 All Star.

Agility: USDAA 2018 National Top 10: Snooker, Jumpers and Gamblers, USDAA Agility Championship, USDAA Performance Dog Championship SILVER level, USDAA Performance Lifetime Achievement Award SILVER.

Primer 

Obedience/Rally: 4th place in Open at the 2015 AKC Obedience Classic. 2014 All Star: 2nd place in Maximum Dog, 3rd place obedience and 3rd place rally. Multiple High In Trials (including DOCOF), UDX and OM1. 

Tracking: TD 

Agility: USDAA Performance Dog Championship

Rachel does not only hold her dogs to high standards. Her public service and sportsmanship awards from her life in competition sports include: 

• Robin Clark Memorial Award 
• Border Collie Society of America’s Sportsmanship Award 
• DACOF Sportsmanship Award 
• Randy Reed Memorial Award

Rachel Sanders has been involved in agility since 1993. She has competed successfully at the national and international levels with her Border Collies and Jack Russell Terrier, winning USDAA Grand Prix and Steeplechase finals as well as spots on international agility teams. She was a member of the 2008 IFCS World Team with Fable and the 2014 AKC European Open Team with Gifted. Rachel and Bright represented the US as part of the IFCS World Team in 2019 and were also on the 2020 team. From 2011-to 2016 she was the USDAA IFCS World Team Coach until she became World Team Member with Monique Plinck's "Tush" in 2017. 

In 2015 Rachel became a OneMind Dogs Coach and is a popular seminar presenter. Currently, she coaches agility in California and at seminars all over the US. 

Rachel teaches agility to all levels of handlers and dogs. No matter what your agility goals are, she believes the focus should be on you achieving your personal best and being the best teammate for your dog.

Rachel was a regular contributor to Clean Run magazine and is the author of several training videos available through Clean Run.

You may have seen Sandy competing on television at the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge or the Westminster Agility Championships. Her Jack Russell Terrier was a World and National Champion. She medaled three times at the world events. She competed in England, Belgium, and Spain and brought home her gold medal from Belgium in 2012. Quill won the USA Nationals in 2013. Her Border Collie, Brink, was a 3-time National Champion. 

In addition to competing successfully at the top of the agility game, Sandy is dedicated to sharing her knowledge with others. She wrote for Clean Run magazine for more than 10 years. She created three videos and a workbook teaching various aspects of agility, and she currently Sandy lectures on a national level for trainers' conferences and agility clubs. Plus, she teaches agility both in-person and online.

Her training and handling styles and philosophies are based on respect. She says, "I have a solid respect for the art of teaching animals. My love for training and competition began when I was 5, the first time I showed my pony. Since then, I have developed a deep-rooted passion for teaching people how to inspire their dogs to work for them. I have devoted my life to this work and am forever a student of the sport of agility and the mind of the dog.
I owe my career to 7 incredible dogs, Rasta, Brink, Sweep, Ty, Quill, and Jigs. Each of them taught me how to bring out their best; all I had to do was listen to them. Together they have won hundreds of events on the local, regional, national, and world stages. My dogs feed my soul and bring me joy every day. Rasta, Brink, Sweep, Quill, Tux, and Ty have passed away and are missed beyond measure.

Beyond the pride I have for my incredible dogs is the pride I have for my school and all the students who train there – they inspire me every day." 

Shelly Switick has been training dogs and competing in flyball for over 13 years. She teaches in-person classes, private lessons, team practices, seminars, and all-day boot camps, as well as conducting online classes, virtual practices and monthly video review subscriptions.  Shelly's teaching style is very analytical, tailoring every training program to the specific dog based on their drive, structure, maturity etc. With flyball's repeatable pattern, the smallest tweaks to positioning, calling, or rewarding can have monumental effects in perfecting your dog's performance. 
 
Shelly began teaching flyball in 2009 and has honed her training skills by learning from the best coaches in the sport. While the technical running pattern in flyball is always the same, the individual training journey for each dog is vastly different. With her detailed eye and thorough feedback, Shelly is dedicated to helping dogs and their handlers achieve the epitome of success. Since the sport of flyball is constantly evolving as dogs get faster with each generation, she enjoys staying up to date on innovative training methods.   
 
All of Shelly’s dogs have competed in flyball, including the "OG" Miniature Long-Haired Dachshund, Cooper. At only 8 inches tall, he competed for 10.5 years and became the highest-ranking Dachshund in the North American Flyball Association (NAFA). He could easily be run by children or new handlers, which encouraged more people to get involved with the sport. Shelly's personal Flyball handling skills are best suited for providing consistent heart-stopping passes for the pass-caller as well as working collectively with her team in the moment to adjust should they need to push or hold. 
 
Shelly’s dogs and coaching skills have elevated her flyball team, Fur Fun, to achieve success in regional and national tournaments. Fur Fun was titled the NAFA Champions - Multibreed Team in 2018, 2019, and 2021. In addition, they have been the reigning NAFA Regional Champions - Multibreed & Regular for the last decade. Her flyball team also competed in the FCI Flyball Open World Cup, not only winning first place, but setting a new world record time as well. Shelly and her Flyball team have also aired on ESPN for both the CanAm Championships in 2021 and the ESPN Invitational in 2022. 
 
Shelly enjoys the competitive nature of sports and has also competed in agility, disc, dock diving, and Whippet racing. She went from backyard disc throwing abilities to holding a year-long world record in Women’s Xtreme Distance with her Whippet, Smitten. Before having her own children, her dogs were certified therapy dogs and participated in Tail-Waggin' Tutor programs at local libraries to help children learn to read with confidence.   
  
Shelly shares her home in Danville, Virginia, with her husband, two young boys (ages 5 and 3), and her four dogs (Tesla, shepherd mix, age 13; Smitten, Whippet, age 8; Wesley, Whippet, age 7, and Queso, Border/Whippet, age 3). 

Silvia Trkman is known for bringing every dog she has owned, from her very first dog, to the very top of the sport. Her dogs are known for great speed, tight turns, running contacts, and long injury-free careers. Silvia has been doing agility since 1992 and is a 3-time FCI Agility World Champion (with 2 different dogs), and 5-time European Open champion (with 4 different dogs). Silvia has earned a spot on the podium at the Slovenia National Championships and earned a spot on the World Team with every dog she has owned: 22-time Slovenia National Champion (with 5 different dogs of 3 different breeds) and 19-time World Team member (mostly with at least 2 dogs at a time, sometimes 4).

Susan Salo is a lifelong equestrian and has ridden hunters and jumpers since childhood. Susan has ridden for many years with some of the nation's most noted horsemen, including Gene Lewis, George Morris, and the late Jimmy Williams, and has competed throughout the United States and Canada. Turning professional, she moved to the East and spent 16 years between New Hampshire and Virginia helping clients achieve their goals.

Susan brings over 35 years of experience from the world of show jumping, combining speed with jumping, to the sport of agility. She offers a unique perspective and knowledge of the mechanical aspects of jumping which, when properly applied, can create muscle memory and balance for the canine athlete. Not to be confused with a handling seminar, her lessons and workshops focus entirely on the dog and build better jumping skills and instill more confidence and speed. Training with Susan is an opportunity for you to develop your "eye" and witness your dog learning about balance, striding, and scope until jumping becomes effortless.

Tammy has been training dogs for more than 30 years, getting her start in 4-H obedience in middle school. Tammy found her love for agility in 1999 and started teaching agility in 2002. She opened her own training program in 2006 when she founded Oregon School for Clever Dogs. Tammy is best known for helping her students create happy working relationships with their dogs. All of Tammy's own dogs enjoy working with her and it is obvious through the joy and engagement they show on course. 

Tammy’s background as a Veterinary Technician and a Small Animal Massage Practitioner allows her to see when problems on course may be due to physical limitations and not necessarily training issues. 

Tammy likes to focus on trust and clear communication between dog and handler. As an instructor, she puts heavy emphasis on the understanding of partnership on and off the course using reward-based training and play. Her training philosophy is that agility should be fun and challenging for both members of the team without being overwhelming or frustrating. She says, "I like to break things down into manageable pieces for both dog and handler while building the teams up. I choose to empower both members of the team so they can be confident with their skills and understanding of what is being asked of them. I am adept at reading both people and dogs and I use this ability to push teams just enough to encourage them to leave their comfort zones and into new growth. I am a believer that both members of the team should enjoy the process. If either the dog or the handler are not enjoying the game, I change the way things are being done to ensure progress is happening through joy."

Tammy's personal handling style doesn’t always match the style her students are using. She says, "I am a dog trainer first and I make sure my dogs are trained to the level that will be expected on course. I use trained skills, verbals, and physical cues to navigate sequences. I feel the more a dog understands what is being asked, the easier handling becomes."

Outside of the ring, Tammy has a great relationship with her dogs. She says, "I participate in agility because I have dogs. I do not have dogs because I do agility. My dog's health, wellbeing, and happiness come before anything else. When we are not training you can find us adventuring in the mountain snow, kayaking lakes and rivers, hiking desert trails, doing farm chores together, and cuddling on the couch watching films."

Tara LaBelle lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and is a multiple-time Canadian World Team member. She's currently both an AAC and UKI agility judge.

Her latest adventures took place at the 2019 IFCS, European Open, and FCI Agility World Championships with her Border Collie Jet. Jet is an 8-time IFCS medalist and 3-time world champion, winning gold in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Jet is on the Team Canada 2022 WAO & IFCS world teams.
Tara's teaching style uses upbeat motivational methods to get the best out of each team! 

Tracy Sklenar has been training dogs and competing in dog agility for almost 20 years and is perhaps the only handler in the world who has won medals in international finals as a coach for two different countries AND as a handler with her own dog in both team and individual events. She is on the faculty of Agility University and Agility MasterClass, teaches in the Clean Run Learning Center, and also travels extensively to teach seminars and compete. Her "Feet Forward" approach to handling and emphasis on connection and reinforcement have helped handlers excel at every level and with every type of dog. 

Tracy's dogs have had very successful careers regionally, nationally, and internationally. She and her dogs have achieved many titles/championships, made many finalist appearances as well as multiple podium appearances in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Tracy has competed successfully in agility with a variety of dogs of all shapes, sizes, and temperaments. Most recently, Tracy won the National Games Championship at the 2018 UKI US Open.
Currently, Tracy shares her life with eight dogs: 3 BC/terrier mixes (16-year-old Export, 13-year-old Matrix, and 3-year-old Hot Sauce), a BC/Croatian mix (9-year-old Voodoo), two Papillons (10-year-old Crusher and 7-year-old Macho Nacho) and two pointy puppies (Whippet mixes): Border Whippet, Contraband and "Bwhap" (Border/Whippet/Papillon) Elektra! She began agility with two mixed breeds and two Dalmatians, and also enjoyed a fabulous high level career with Rebound, a Rat Terrier. This range of experience with a variety of breeds and individuals has helped her become an instructor who can help all types of dogs and handlers!

Tracy also has extensive coaching experience, ranging from local competitors to international teams. She came out of team coaching retirement to coach Team USA at the IFCS World Agility Championships in Valencia, Spain, in 2017 and stayed on to coach the 2018 USA team in Italy. In 2012 and 2011, she was the Coach/Manager of Team USA at the World Agility Open in Belgium and the United Kingdom, respectively, and she was proud to see the US team bring home more medals than any other country—both times! She served as the Manager/Coach for Team Canada at the IFCS World Agility Championships in 2008, 2010, and 2012. These teams were also very successful, ranking high in the Individual medal count and bringing home medals in the Team event.

Outside of international competitions, Tracy's local, national, and international students from live classes, seminars, and online classes have achieved great success with a variety of breeds, including championship titles, national finals appearances, top five finishes in their breed, Invitational appearances, and more! Tracy uses positive reinforcement, motivational games, and shaping to build brilliant behaviors in the dogs while teaching the handlers to be consistent and positive in their handling and dog training. She tailors the training to the needs of the individual dog and handler while continuously evolving her approach to training and teaching. Underneath all of the handling is a solid layer of dog training that makes even the most complex skills fast and easy for the dogs and handlers.

Tracy loves the training and coaching elements of the sport that happen at every level! She believes that training is both a science and an art and enjoys bringing both to the ring when working with dogs and their handlers.