I began training dogs when my first dog, a mixed breed, was reactive and aggressive. I took as many classes as I could and learned many valuable lessons along the way. 

Perhaps because of my background in classroom teaching, I love to “do the research.” I continue to take classes from top trainers in the area, attend conferences and seminars, read the current research and attend webinars. The combination of more than 25 years of classroom experience and an 18-month Training to Train Apprenticeship program gives me a unique approach to dog training. Positive reinforcement works equally well on dogs and kids!

My subsequent dogs have become my “demo dogs” that help me teach group dog classes. I have participated in AKC events and my current Golden Retriever, Maia, has earned AKC titles.

I am certified as an AKC Canine Good Citizen, Trick Dog and STAR Puppy evaluator, as well as an AKC Temperament Test evaluator. I am also a member in good standing of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.

With over 30 years in dog training and sports, I have competed and titled in Flyball, Agility, Obedience, Rally, Tracking, Conformation, FastCAT, Dock Diving, and Dog Surfing. My focus is on fostering a strong bond through positive training, emphasizing kindness and respect.

Our dogs are family, joining us in activities like hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, Parkour, camping, and mountain biking. As a CGC and ATT evaluator, Fetch Dog Judge, service dog trainer, and former member of the San Diego Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team, I bring broad experience to every interaction.

My goal is to help you and your dog strengthen your relationship while having fun and achieving shared goals, building a well-behaved and confident partnership.

For the past eight years, I’ve immersed myself in Rally, exploring its signs, courses, rules, and trials. This journey highlighted gaps in traditional teaching methods, inspiring me to develop a holistic approach to Rally instruction at SDDSC, grounded in training, behavior science, and sports psychology.

I am the creator of the MyRallyCoach app, designed to enhance the Rally experience for teams at all levels. My training philosophy embraces science-based, positive reinforcement techniques, focusing on motivational play with treats, toys, and fun to build confidence and success. I avoid correction-based methods that can undermine enjoyment and trust.

Since 1997, I’ve participated in dog sports with Basset Hounds, including Conformation, Rally, Obedience, Tracking, Scent Work, and Field Trials. My proudest achievement is with Vinnie, who became the second Basset Hound to earn the Rally Master Title and one of few to achieve the Versatility Master title from the Basset Hound Club of America.

While not formally certified, I continually expand my knowledge through classes, seminars, and research. I’m excited to share my passion for Rally and help you and your dog thrive as a confident, connected team.

I have been passionate about dogs since childhood, beginning my professional journey as a veterinary technician and earning a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science. Active in San Diego’s dog training community since 1995, I participate in a variety of sports, including Rally, Dock Diving, Agility, Flyball, Tracking, Scent Work, NASDA, and FastCAT.

I share my life with two Lagotti Romagnoli, Lira and Rumble. Lira holds titles such as Rally Master and Tracking Champion and is pursuing AKC Scent Work Master and Detective titles. Rumble, my first conformation dog, is a Grand Champion and actively competes in multiple sports.

As a trainer, I teach Scent Work, Rally, Tricks, and specialized classes, prioritizing continuous education to stay current with evolving training methodologies and dog behavior insights. I am a CGC and ATT Evaluator, a Fetch Judge, and am currently approved as a provisional AKC Scent Work Judge.

My goal is to strengthen human-canine relationships through effective, positive training techniques grounded in science and experience.

My journey in dog training began in my teenage years with my first dog, a Sheltie. Back then, obedience was the primary focus, but today’s wide variety of dog sports offers endless opportunities.

Over the years, I’ve trained my own dogs to earn numerous titles and have worked with others’ dogs in obedience, rally, flyball, agility, and fieldwork. I believe in training the dog you have, recognizing that every dog has unique preferences. While it’s great to introduce your dog to new activities, it’s equally important to discover and embrace what they truly enjoy.

A strong foundation in obedience is essential for success in both sports and everyday life, ensuring good manners, socialization, and ease of training. Whether working with a puppy or an older rescue, the goal remains the same—a happy, well-adjusted dog thriving alongside their human partner. Lifelong learning is key to a joyful and fulfilling life for both dogs and their owners.

Known for my energy and commitment to positive training, I work with dogs of all breeds, ages, and circumstances. My group classes create a supportive environment for families and their pets to build a strong, enjoyable bond. My goal is to help owners develop confident companions ready for walks, travel, and competition.

As an AKC Canine Good Citizen trainer and evaluator, I teach skills like loose-leash walking, heeling, sit, stay, recall, and finishes, starting with pack walks to promote neutral interactions. I’ve also trained a service dog and volunteered at trials, conformation practice, 4H events, and school demonstrations.

With the support of my club, I’ve earned titles in Rally Obedience, ATT, CGCA, CGCU, Farm Dog, Tricks, Flyball, and Dock Diving. My dogs and I also enjoy Fetch, bikejoring, camping, kayaking, surfing, and paddleboarding.

I have owned dogs since infancy.  11 years ago, I was introduced to a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Delta, and began my journey of positive training and the love of play with my dogs.  

With Delta, I was introduced to the Canine Good Citizen program and I continued with my dogs to ensure they were good canine citizens and well-behaved.  In 2020 at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, I discovered Rally Obedience.  I have successfully competed with both of my dogs until their retirement.  I am  proud to say that I was able to successfully earn perfect scores of 100 with both dogs!

In addition to Rally, I also participates in Scent Work, FastCAT, Barn Hunt and North American Dog Sports.  Other than competitive sports, I enjoy just having fun with my dogs.  I love hiking, kayaking and paddle boarding with them, and my philosophy is that at the end of the day, if it isn’t fun, it isn’t worth it.

With over 20 years of experience in handling and training dogs, I am dedicated to helping handlers develop essential skills for their pets to excel both as companions and in competitive events. My training approach is based on the principles of Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive (LIMA). 

I hold the following certifications and training qualifications:

Certification:

• CGC Evaluator: Private, Club/Specialty events

• Training:

• Obedience Basic-Advanced (White Fang obedience, Obedience Club of San Diego County, Private)

• AKC Obedience: CD, CDX

• AKC Rally: Novice-Advanced

• CGC/CGCA/CGCU Preparation

Judge:

• ATT Temperament Test 

• 4H Obedience

• 4H Jr. Showmanship (Conformation)

• Specialty Show Sweepstakes and match (Conformation/Obedience)

Accomplishments:

• AKC Performance: CD, CDX, RN-RE, NA, NAJ, CGC, CGCA, CGCU, JC, SC

• AKC Conformation: Ch, Gch., Specialty Winners and have had Borzoi ranked in AKC top 10

• FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale)/Mex Conformation Championships

Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with dogs in Rally, Obedience, Flyball, Dock Diving, Paddleboarding, Surfing, and Search and Rescue. I have formally taught classes in Novice Rally Signs, Novice Rally Courses, and have supported all levels of Rally Drop-In.  My goal is to help enhance the fun and bonding one can have when training their dog. In my classes, I try to pass on the wonderful skills I have learned from the terrific instructors who have taught me.

I have been training my family dogs since I was a teen in 1969.  We had gotten a beautiful German Shorthair, Gretchen, who was a very destructive puppy. My mom wanted her gone.  We boarded her out for a month and the kennel owner became my mentor and suggested taking classes. I started with conformation and basic obedience. It was a frustrating time.  Gretchen was resistant, and I almost gave up until I figured I would just teach her tricks. (She was supposed to become my dad’s hunting dog.  Oops.)  The light came on!  She and I had learned how to learn!  

Fast forward through the many German Wirehairs that we bred and showed, Sierra, the  ridgeless  Rhodesian Ridgeback that had been thrown in the dumpster as a pup, Hannah, the stubborn Boxer who adored my grandkids, and now my whip-smart poodles, Grace and Hope.  The first thing they learn is tricks.  That is a huge key to creating a bond and a pathway to learning.  Once they learn how to learn fun and simple things, the path can go any direction!

Having fun with my dogs as part of my family is my focus.  Anything beyond that is icing on the cake.  If I can help others develop their bond with their dogs, I am happy to do that. 

Since 2018, I have taken group classes and private lessons with my dog, Shadow. We started with basic obedience and tricks, enjoying a pet-dog lifestyle. After earning my Masters in Education in 2020, I continued studying dog training to support my family with their COVID puppy. This experience inspired me to pursue dog training alongside my teaching career.

Shadow and I completed CGC classes, where I discovered that mixed-breed dogs could participate in dog sports. In late 2021, I adopted Lumi, a reactive dog, which led me to enroll in a 2-year online dog trainer certification program. I co-taught 75 hours of various classes and shadowed private lessons. I also partnered with a rescue to foster and rehabilitate shut-down dogs.

My training philosophy is to train the dog in front of you. I am passionate about teaching people to communicate with their dogs while having fun. Recently, I became a CGC evaluator and aim to keep learning the latest methods. I enjoy participating in Agility, Tracking, Rally, Obedience, Barn Hunt, Trailing and Locating, CABT, and Fast Cat. Outside of training, my family and I love road trips, camping, hiking, and paddle boarding.

I adopted Kimber in 2019 and after completing our CGCA, CGCU, and TKA, I peeked into the dog sports world to see what we could do together next! My goal was (and still is) to find motivating ways to continue to train and maintain my relationship with Kimber. And that’s how I stumbled onto Rally!

June of 2022 I took my first Rally class and was hooked! Fast forward to now, Kimber and I are competing at the Rally Master level and considering working towards the Rally Championship. I love sharing my love for Rally— whether teams are working towards trialing or just working together for the fun of it. Obedience training doesn’t have to be boring, Rally tests the limits of your skills, your dog’s skills, and your team bond. And everything is more fun with an amazing group of people!

Are you ready?

I'm excited to volunteer as a scent work trainer for the San Diego Dog  Sports Club, where I teach Entry-Level classes that help dogs and handlers begin an incredible journey in the sport.

My own Hungarian Vizsla and I have trained extensively, earning titles in AKC Excellent and NACSW II, and I’m eager to share that experience.

Over the past 30 years, I’ve trained in Conformation, Bird Hunting, Rally, Agility, Tricks, Barn Hunt, and more, but scent work has become our true passion. Join me to learn the foundations of this rewarding sport and start building an amazing bond with your dog. See you in class!

I grew up with family dogs, but got my first personal dog as a college senior thinking, “How hard could it be?” When I ended up with a handling-sensitive, sound-averse, adolescent puppy, I found myself thrown into a crash course in canine behavior and learning, behavior modification, cooperative care, and advocating for a “challenging” dog. During graduate school, I worked in the dog ward of my city shelter and grew as a handler and advocate. I have continued this effort through today as a volunteer and foster for San Diego rescues and shelters, working to give adoptable dogs the skills necessary to successfully navigate our human world. I use positive reinforcement training with the goal of giving my learner agency and choice in every training session. I believe that if you are a dog guardian, you are a dog trainer (whether you want to be or not, our dogs are always learning from us!) so I hope to arm you with skills to teach your dog to work towards your personal goals, whether you want to take a loose-leash walk around a park and grab a beer on a dog-friendly patio or dive deeper into dog sports.I currently live with 14-year-old Murphy who is the boss of the whole house, as old dogs should be, 3-year-old Ancho, who is my current training and sport partner, and two cats who frankly like the dogs more than me. When I’m not at my day job I enjoy reading, hiking and backpacking, and being “soccer mom” for my dogs’ busy social calendars.

Originally from Eastern Europe-Ukraine. I have more than seven years experience in dog training, including behavioral issues. I have always been interested in behavioral sciences, so all my methods and approaches are based on research and proven methods. My dog Gretta is the very first dog that I have been training. It’s been almost 10 years since.

My first interest is obedience and then Rally. In sport I pursue and enjoy self-improvement. And I’m talking about myself too. Either it’s in dog performance or the ability to keep a cold mind during stressful situations. It all needs practice, self-reflection and an open mind.

In working with people and their dogs, my biggest reward is helping them finding and filling up those missing gaps in communication (aka training) with each other.

I have been dabbling in canine scent sports since 2016 because I believe they are a great outlet for dogs who need enrichment, and a little more working space. 

I have competed in USCSS, NACSW, and most recently in AKC scent sports, and have learned to value the lessons learned as much as the ribbons earned. 

In my quest to put a dog’s nose to good use, I am also a member of Southwest Search Dogs (a nonprofit search and rescue organization that uses canines to help police departments search for missing persons).  

My first interest is obedience and then Rally. In sport I pursue and enjoy self-improvement. And I’m talking about myself too. Either it’s in dog performance or the ability to keep a cold mind during stressful situations. It all needs practice, self-reflection and an open mind.

In working with people and their dogs, my biggest reward is helping them finding and filling up those missing gaps in communication (aka training) with each other.