Hello!

Welcome to my Blog!  I have created this space as a journal for my dogs' training successes and adventures.
My name is Katherine, I am a dog trainer and have been working with dogs most of my life.  I always loved dogs, but I grew up in a condo so my parents didn't want to have any. If you look at pictures from when I was young I would always find dogs to hug and love on.  I continually asked my parents for a dog, but they wouldn't agree to it, so when I was 6 they got me a cat (and rapidly we accumulated 3), which I of course trained! I also was taking horse riding lessons and that same year we got a horse and I spent all of my spare time training and riding. I LOVED animal training and my father worked in the film industry so I occasionally had the opportunity to meet exotic animals or go to training facilities. When I was 11 we moved to a house and I finally thought "This is it! I can get a dog!" but my parents refused, saying that it was too much work. I immediately found a local rescue and began volunteering with them every Saturdays.  About a month in I found an adorable dog and convinced my parents that we had to take him. I got my hands on anything with information about dog training, and he was definitely a challenge! Joey was officially my first dog, and he is now 16 1/2 years old. I had already fallen in love with agility at this point, and was jumping horses as well, so I decided to take my dog to agility classes but it just wasn't his thing.  I then started fostering dogs for the rescue and training them while they stayed in my home, gaining A LOT of experience in potty training and basic household manners.  I love training all of the basics, but my favorite training ventures are tricks.  I feel that the more I teach my dogs the better our relationship is, and the more I develop our communication, as well as building my dogs' learning capacity.
I then adopted my Border Collie, Opal, from a local rescue a few years later with the hopes of her being my agility star, but at 8 months we realized that she had severe hip dysplasia and with the surgery that I could afford she would never be a competition agility dog, although she and I loved taking the classes together! We also have done some sheep herding together, and she LOVES working as my demonstration dog for training classes, although she spends most of her time now being a happy retired dog.  
In 2009 I became a co-owner of a friend's Miniature long hair Dachshund, Hunter, and he has been a wonderful training project!  He has become my primary demonstration dog for training classes and gets so excited when we are going to work!  Hunter and I take Rally Obedience classes and hopefully we will be ready to compete in not too long!
Later that year we adopted Hayden, a Miniature long hair Dapple Dachshund, from a local rescue.  She is smart as a whip, and has been a training challenge as she is fearful and sometimes reactive with new people or dogs (but she loves them once she gets to know them!).  Hayden and I do Agility and hopefully we will be ready to compete soon!
I had always planned on getting a puppy when I graduated college, and in 2009 I began researching the Pyrenean Shepherd.  I love active herding breeds, and wanted a companion who would be able to do Agility and sheep herding, along with anything else we could get our hands on!  This little herding breed wriggled its way into my heart and after over a year of talking with an amazing breeder, I had my little Andreu!