I began training dogs as a teenager, first in junior showmanship/conformation, and then in obedience. While living in Europe after college, I found and fell in love with the sport of dog agility. In addition to competing with seven different dogs of my own over the last 25 years, I have enjoyed teaching other people and their dogs to do agility, rally, parkour, canine manners, and tricks.
I believe that clear communication is the key to great dog training. I strive to help dog owners learn what their dogs are telling them through their body language and behavior, which can improve the relationship and sense of teamwork between people and their dogs. I am a Certified Training Partner of the Karen Pryor Academy and a Certified Dog Training Professional—Knowledge Assessed through CCPDT. I have a TAGteach (Teaching with Acoustical Guidance) Level 1 certification. Before becoming a full-time dog trainer, I served a 21-year career as a member of the U.S. Navy Band in Washington, D.C, retiring as a Senior Chief Musician. I share my life with my husband, Stan, our two sons, and five dogs: Ruby, Maybe, T-Rex, Pirate, and Scallywag, who range in age from two months to fifteen years old.
Over the years, my dogs have earned three ADCH/PDCH (agility championship) titles in USDAA. My dog Maybe placed 6th in Grand Prix at Cynosports in 2022, 8th in Biathlon in 2019, and won Masters Jumpers Dog of the Year at USDAA’s 2018 TitleMania. She recently earned USDAA’s Lifetime Achievement Award—Gold. She also earned her IAC and CSS (agility championship) titles in UKI in 2022.
Prior to opening Fun Pup Dog Sports, I taught at Summit Dog Training in Fort Collins for four years. Before that, I taught agility at WOOFS! Dog Training Center in Arlington, Virginia, for six years and for the Fairfax County (Virginia) Park Authority for 12 years.