As a handler, Stephanie loves the feeling of running with her dogs, the teamwork and connection, and the look of happiness on her dogs’ faces when they are running with her. “I think that’s the most special thing in the world” she says. Her favorite runs are the ones where she can run fast with her dogs, but also train and practice all the handling techniques. “If I need to handle from behind or at a distance, we have the skills and have fun doing it. I like to have many tools in my handler toolbox so my team is ready for anything we may come upon in a course” she explains.

Stephanie and her dogs love training together and she finds great joy in any opportunity to let her dogs’ skills shine, be that in training, class, or in a competition. “My job is to help them show it off! I strive to be clear and precise as a handler so my dogs can feel confident in knowing exactly what they need to do, and can have the most fun possible while doing it. My dogs are great teachers too, and I love learning from them!”

Stephanie is passionate about teaching and loves seeing her students learn new things and feel successful. Her goal is to create a learning environment that is upbeat and supportive. “In my classes and seminars, we celebrate every success, no matter how small or large, and we always remember that everyone is on a different learning path” she says.

Stephanie strives to find what works best for each individual handler and dog. She loves to teach everything, from foundation skills to handling full courses but her absolute favorites are obstacle commitment and distance skills. “I think those things show handlers what their dogs are really capable of and opens up new possibilities for what they can do as a team on a course”

Stephanie has a B.Sc. in Education, and she is also a certified professional dog trainer in the US. In addition to teaching agility, she teaches family dog training classes and private lessons in canine behavior. Before she became a professional dog trainer, she taught music to public middle school students. “I credit those young music students with helping make me the teacher I am today. I learned a great deal from them. I bring that background, as well as my knowledge of canine training and behavior, to every teaching opportunity I am given”

Certificates

OneMind Dogs Handling Techniques 1	OneMind Dogs Handling Techniques 2	OneMind Dogs Handling Techniques 3
Mental Training: Tools for Life	Mental Training: Tools for Teaching	How Dogs Learn	Physics of Agility