April 6th, 2025

Trainers

I’ve hinted at this before, but it’s time: my thoughts on trainers.

Did you know my mom is a dog trainer? She was part of the German SAR squad and trained her dogs to national level. When I got Rylee, she was my first trainer. Every morning, we’d head to the driveway, walking the alphabet and numbers for 5–10 minutes before a short loop around the block.

When we moved back to the States, I wanted a dog who’d follow me anywhere. I accidentally created an anxious terrier who panicked when I wasn’t around. At three, we dove into agility—three years of trials, training, and dissecting every course. Some trainers helped. Some didn’t.

My mentor and Jack working sheep February 26th, 2025

Because of one trainer, I got Bella. Big dog, new sport, new challenges. Herding was humbling. I was slow, clumsy—my mentor back then probably would've hit me with a stick (lovingly). So, I trained. Practiced. Sought out mentors and found an incredible community.

Finding a trainer is easy. Finding one who knows your sport? Harder. But finding one whose methods work for you, and who truly gets you? That’s rare.

So why stop training?

Happy Training with Trainers.

Addi and The Girls