“My cairn terrier, Chopps, was almost two years old when we took a Just-for-Fun agility class to help strengthen our dog/human relationship and to stay active. Chopps had such a positive response that I immediately knew I wanted to take the next step. I wanted to learn from a professional but I did not know where to go.
“By chance, I came across an article in the Seattle Met magazine in 2009 about Sandra Katzen’s training facility in Kent. I contacted her and signed up for a course. I was completely new to agility and a little intimidated at first. My only goal was to have fun and bond with my dog — not to enter in competition. After our first class with Sandra, I knew we were on the path to something life changing.
“Sandra’s experience and knowledge in the agility world is way beyond what I can attest to but I can say with 100% certainty that she helped me make the transition from a nervous beginner to a confident handler.
“Her classes are challenging and fun. She has a very positive approach to the training and motivates both handler and dog. She genuinely cares about her students and their dogs and I believe that anyone would benefit from her training.
“Sandra taught me how to better communicate with Chopps, successfully run courses and use methods that are best suited for my dog. At the beginning, I never thought I would be able to enter Chopps in a trial but she taught me how to prepare and successfully transfer what I’ve learned in class to a trial. I learned not to be afraid of making mistakes and with her guidance and encouragement we did begin to enter trials and haven’t stopped since! My dog loves doing agility and I discovered that we make a great team together.
“It’s true that Sandra has given me the tools to succeed in dog agility but more importantly, she has shown me the key to my dog’s heart for life.”
— Amanda “Sparky” Richmond and Chopps
