Finally after meeting Martha Francis from Fetch Dog Training Cara was introduced to the world of positive reinforcement training using reward to reinforce the behavior you want. It was then that training literally clicked. Bad behaviors extinguished new and good behaviors rewarded and maintained. Cara was able to have success with client dogs learning that loose leash walking was rewarded and jumping dogs suddenly stopped offering the behavior because she learned how to reward what she wanted them to do instead.  Cara learned that the secret to a good dog becoming great is being proactive instead of reactive.  

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How Cara's Life Went to the Dogs 

 

A lover of the Boxer breed, in 2013 after suffering the loss of her previous Boxers from a disease that could have been prevented by better breeding practices, Cara researched getting a Boxer from a reputable breeder who bred away from known health issues. She knew in order to improve the breed she loved, she had to have a hand in helping, and this meant breeding as well as conformation. What she didn't realize is that despite the Boxer she worked so hard to find being genetically and physically everything she dreamed of, she also stumbled into other things she had no idea about but they became her new dreams, dog sports - particularly agility. 

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Debbie (yes, that is her dog's name) and Cara quickly found themselves at agility classes, fully immersed back in the face of positive reinforcement training only this went beyond stopping leash pulling and jumping up inappropriately. Agility showed Cara that she could get her best friend around an entire course with just the positioning of her body. The level of communication and the bond she built with her dog was incredible, and she wanted to learn more and more.

 

Eventually, this agility addiction would lead Cara and her Boxer Debbie to rise to the ranks of eligibility and success at Westminster, AKC Nationals, and her massive goal, to become the #1 preferred AKC agility Boxer and get invited to 2019 Invitationals, which she not only made, but was a finalist placing 8th in the 20-inch class, beating 121 other dogs. In 2020 Debbie and Cara became the very first Boxer team to win the lifetime award of Agility Grand Champion (AGCH). They proceeded to be invited to the 2020 AKC agility Invitationals, made finals again but this time placed 2nd! They continued onto more, the 2021 and 2022 AKC agility invitationals, missing finals by less than 1 second. But at 9.5 years old, that's amazing for a Boxer.

 

The journey continued with an invitation to the most prestigious AKC agility event, the 2021 AKC Agility Premier Cup. There have been many firsts for their team, they continue to set the bar as the highest preferred agility champion Boxer ever, first Boxer to be awarded premier class titles, first Boxer to ever achieve the Agility Grand Championship and they continue to qualify for AKC national events, including the 2022 nationals and again to AKC Agility Invitationals for 2023!   

 

All goals seemed to just get crushed despite massive setbacks. Breeding, other sports, having and raising litters from Debbie, from Debbie's offspring, COVID-19 and of course still having to work to pay for all of this! But Cara continued to work hard at everything she did so that she and Debbie could enjoy every moment together. She now enjoys even more training and ring time with her two offspring, Walter and Phoenix and young dog Wendy. Walter has earned 4 Master Agility Championship and is phenomenal at scent work. Phoenix is a rising star and on her way to her 6th agility championship as well and like Walter, excels in scent work. Wendy has just started out being born in 2021 but at 19 months old, found herself in the master agility classes for AKC. 

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