Author Erin McNeill has been owned by and competing in dog sports with whippets since 2005.Although lure coursing (despite the risks!) is her first love, she has also titled her dogs in straight racing, rally, obedience, conformation, scentwork, barn hunt, dock diving, tricks, and agility. She has also competed in disc sports with them and trained but never competed in flyball. She is also an avid collar collector.

Amy Cook, Ph.D. (she/her) has been training dogs for over 30 years, and through Full Circle Dog Training and Play Way Dogs in Oakland, CA, has been specializing in the rehabilitation of shy and fearful dogs for 20 years. She is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through the IAABC, a longstanding ...

Alla is a long time FDSA student and is currently working on obedience, rally, agility, nosework, and tricks with her great dane Lily and aussie Dante.

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Irith Bloom (she/her) finds joy in helping people teach with kindness while developing choice-rich environments for their companion animals. ...

Kristin is a truffle hunter, teacher, and trainer in the Pacific Northwest. She has been teaching and developing educational programs since 1998. Her business, Wagnificent K9 Truffle Dogs LLC, was founded in 2010 and enables her to explore her passion for truffle hunting with her own dogs while also teaching others to do so and educating them about the importance of developing a partnership with animals. For Kristin, when a student’s dog finds their very first truffle, it’s a magical moment! Every single time. And while her students are successful at finding truffles, she relentlessly reminds them that “it’s just a truffle” and everything comes down to the relationship they share.

Nicole Wiebusch CPDT-KA (she/her) has been active in dog sports for over 25 years. What began with 4-H quickly grew into a lifelong passion for dog sports. (Click here for full bio and to view Nicole's upcoming courses)...

Megan (she/her) has been involved in the dog sport world nearly her entire life. Though her family did compete in obedience, agility was Megan’s passion right from the start. With over 20 years experience, she has competed with a variety of dogs...

Dr. Spaulding has a PhD in Biopsychology and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist through the Animal Behavior Society. As a graduate student, she acquired extensive experience in teaching the science of behavior and received an award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student. Prior to receiving her PhD, Dr. Spaulding earned her B.S. in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. In college, she volunteered and then worked at the local humane society. During her time at the animal shelter, she and a coworker established a training program for shelter dogs. She also served as an assistant trainer at Dog’s Best Friend which was owned at that time by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Dr. Patricia McConnell. In 2001, Dr. Spaulding moved upstate New York and opened Smart Dog Training and Behavior LLC, where she continues to conduct private lessons for basic training and a wide variety of behavior problems.

In addition to working with clients, Dr. Spaulding regularly offers educational opportunities on the science of animal behavior at training and behavior conferences and online. She has a particular interest in increasing the flow of information between academia and those in the field to improve the quality of both research and applied work. She is a long-standing member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainer’s (APDT) Education Committee and in 2019, Dr. Spaulding received the APDT’s Member of the Year Award. She is also a member of the Fear Free Advisory Group and an authorized Speaker for Fear Free which advocates for minimizing fear, anxiety and stress for pets around the country. She chairs two task forces for Meeting of the Minds, a coalition of top dog professionals across the country charged with improving quality of life for our dogs. She also regularly conducts staff training on dog behavior for local veterinary clinics and animal shelters.

Erin (she/her) is a lifelong dog enthusiast from Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada. Erin is certified as a Karen Pryor Academy Training Partner, a Certified Professional Canine Fitness Trainer, a Licensed Family Dog Mediator, and as a Cani-Fit Leader, ...

Amy Johnson (she/her) is the official show photographer for many of the premier agility events in the United States, including the AKC National Agility Championships, AKC Agility Invitational, USDAA Cynosport World Games, UKI US Open, and NADAC Championships, as well as numerous local trials, regional events, and breed national specialties. She has photographed a wide variety of dog sports, including agility, obedience, rally, and conformation. (Click here for full bio and to view Amy's upcoming courses.)...

I’ve always lived around, and loved, dogs. 

And science. 

Which is why for the last 20 odd years, starting with a BSc in Animal Behaviour and Psychology, I’ve been studying and applying the scientific underpinnings and practical application of compassionate dog training. 

2 years ago, after many years as a professional dog trainer, I decided to concentrate on my writing – my second big passion! I now freelance; creating content such as blog posts, emails and articles for professional dog trainers who’d rather be tossing treats than tapping keys.

In my spare time I’m  a competition obedience junkie. I love the challenge of teaching beautiful heelwork with snappy, flashy precision!  I have one Obedience Grand Champion and hopefully, a new one in the making. Time will tell with that, I’m sure.

Want to get in touch? Please email me at [email protected]

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Julie Symons (she/her) has been involved in dog sports for over 30 years. Starting with her mix, Dreyfus, in flyball, she went on to train and compete in conformation, agility, obedience, herding and tracking with her first Belgian tervuren, Rival. Rival was the first CH OTCH MACH Belgian...

Laura Waudby (she/they) trains and competes in obedience, rally, and agility. She was halfway to her OTCH with her UDX corgi, Lance, before his uexpected early retirement. She also has championship titles in USDAA and UKI. By day...

Deborah Jones, Ph.D. (she/her) is a psychologist who specializes in learning theory and social behavior. She taught a variety of psychology courses at Kent State University for the past 20 years. Deb has been training dogs for performance events for the past 25 years and was an early...

Liz Joyce has been at the forefront of the fitness industry since 2006, with a specialized focus on the unique needs of dog handlers ...

Barbara Currier (she/her) got involved with agility shortly after adopting her Chihuahua. In 2004, Barbara and her husband Michael were relocated to VA and shortly after she started teaching agility at All Dog Adventures (fka All Dog Playskool) in Richmond, VA. (Click here for full bio and to view Barbara's upcoming courses)...