Gretchen blossomed into a terrific agility dog. Sue
especially credits Kim's encouragement and the
fact that DSK agility training classes are fun!
“Because of Kim's expertise,” Sue says, “MACH
Gretchen von Phillips OF now has her agility
championship!”
Clarence is another rescue dog who found a new lease on life at Kim’s. Debbie adopted Clarence when the pooch was three, and she quickly learned that though her new playmate had a sweet disposition, she had absolutely no confidence and was thoroughly cowed by every new experience. During her first few months at Kim’s, each time she walked through
the door, the timid Brittany would immediately dash off to hide. The situation was so dire, in fact, that some of the other handlers thought Debbie’s dog a lost cause.
But Kim thought nothing of the sort, and she was right! As Kim began to train the new dog, she displayed nothing but confidence that Clarence could succeed, and her patience and steady approach paid off. When the Brit finally competed in her first agility trial, Debbie relates, “It was like a light bulb went on in her head. She said to herself, ‘I can do this!’ And that fearfulness just vanished.”
Like some dogs, though, after enjoying initial success in agility, Clarence began to hit some roadblocks as her attention started to wander in the ring. When that happened, Kim was right there, watching Clarence in the ring, even studying video on the spot at trials, providing detailed suggestions to help Debbie set her wayward pooch back on the right track.
Giant Schnauzer "Action Jackson" was three years old when Wendy first brought him to Kim, initially for agility and then for obedience training. Jackson is extremely intelligent and quickly scoped out every angle to outsmart his mom. But he couldn’t outsmart Kim! Kim started by training Wendy – training her to understand that she and not Jackson was Top Dog.
“It really worked!” Wendy says. “I never thought I'd actually be able to show Jackson, but now we need just one more leg for a CDX in obedience!” Jackson competes successfully in agility as well, with Kim as his handler. “But most important,” Wendy emphasizes, “is the fact that Jackson has become a nice dog to live with, and he behaves himself when I take him somewhere.”
Says the owner of Heartland’s Stay a Lil Bit Longer CDX RA AX AXJ NJP OF, “I just can't thank Kim enough for all she’s done for us!”
“I’ve never seen a trainer quite like Kim,” Debbie says. “At agility and obedience trials, she’ll be showing as many as five or six dogs herself, yet she still finds time to watch her students compete, and she pays enough attention to make suggestions that pay off. It almost seems like she cares about her students’ dogs’ success as much as she cares about her own.”
Now a confident, vibrant dog who boasts AKC and CPE obedience and agility titles and is working to earn even more, Clarence is proud to be called, officially, Ashley’s Sassy Lil Gabrielle CDX GN RA OAP OJP NFP.
"To know I’ve made a difference in the life of a dog and handler – 
