Jessica Kara
I have always had a love for pets, especially dogs. Growing up I read all the pet books I could get my hands on from James Herriott's All Creatures Great and Small, to Black Beauty, and the entire Lad, A Dog series. I had as many pets as my grandparents would allow and I was always trying to teach them something! I taught our rescue lab/shepherd mix to jump over a broom in the backyard when I was about eight. Little did I know that someday I would be teaching other people and their dogs about the sport of agility!
I really got hooked on dog training when I got my puppy Lager in 1999. Someone told me that, you can't teach a Lab anything until they are at least to years old, and I was determined to prove him wrong! I started with Puppy Kindergarten and took every lesson I could from then on. Lager certainly DID learn a few things before he turned two, including how to do all the agility obstacles including the weave poles! I have another Labrador Retriever, Porter, who was such a joy to train after my crazy boy Lager. Porter is a trainer's "dream dog", easygoing and willing to please. I only hope I can help him live up to his potential! Lager, Porter, and I compete in agility, rally, and we occasionally dabble in competitive obedience. We have legs and/or titles in AKC, DOCNA, APDT, and NADAC.
I love the camaraderie of dog sports and the teamwork it inspires between dog and handler. I enjoy teaching people how to bring out the best in their dogs and I love watching people learn what makes their dog tick. Dog training and agility should be FUN and that's what I strive to bring to class with me every week.