I’m a passionate animal lover, a vet, and an agility enthusiast. I’ve been captivated by animals for as long as I can remember—it’s just something I was born with.
As a child, I used to bring home birds fallen from their nests, stray cats, mice, and all kinds of wildlife that needed help. This love for animals extended to parrots, hamsters, fish, turtles… you name it. So, studying veterinary medicine felt like a natural path. I simply can’t imagine doing anything that isn’t connected to animals.
My biggest dream—having a dog—finally came true with our first Border Collie, Kaili. She introduced me to the world of dog sports, sparked my love for agility, and taught me that the sky’s the limit when you’re passionate. Kaili was, without a doubt, the most important and best thing that ever happened to me.
Our Family
Today, my husband and I share our lives with four wonderful dogs: a Border Collie named Lexi, her son Pan, a Sheltie named Veni, and a young Border Collie, Tigi.
Our dogs are part of our family in every way—they’re our travel and hiking companions, and they join in on household chores like supervising kitchen activities and making sure the couch is never unoccupied!
Our daily routine includes at least an hour of off-leash walking, plus additional activities like agility, dog fitness, nose work, and canicross. With enough exercise and enrichment, they’re happy, relaxed, and don’t need a lot of restrictions at home. Crates are used only for puppy potty training and travel.
We also have two rescue cats, who are the most perfect creatures. I adore cats—their confidence, independence, and elegance. My admiration shows in my dogs’ names: Pan is short for “panther,” and his registered name is Lexceeding Black Panther. Tigi is short for “tiger,” and his registered name is Eye of the Tiger. Guess what the next dog’s name might be?
Full-Time Agility Instructor
I’d been teaching agility for some time, but after winning the European Open with our Sheltie Nai in 2018, I received so many seminar and training requests that I couldn’t resist the opportunity to travel, meet new people, and gain new experiences.
That’s how I left my “normal” job to become a full-time agility instructor, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This work has brought me countless friendships, travel adventures, and insights into dog training.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of dogs and their handlers, each bringing unique challenges. You can never have enough dogs to become an expert trainer, so I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn from my students and their dogs.
My Training Methodology & Philosophy
My top priority in training is to bring out the very best in my dogs and our teamwork! I never shy away from challenging dogs—in fact, they motivate me the most. I love problem-solving, inventing creative solutions, and thinking outside the box.
Dogs that challenge your knowledge push you to fill gaps in your understanding and to refine your methods. I’m grateful for the challenging dogs that have crossed my path and for the chance they gave me to learn, dig deeper, and adapt. It wasn’t easy; at times, it was incredibly tough, but it was always worth it. Thank you, my “difficult” dogs, for all you’ve taught me!
Another thing about me—I’m always looking to grow as a trainer and coach. I want to keep improving, trying new approaches, and keeping an open mind to new experiences. Finally, I do it all for the love of it!
Maybe it’s just a trait of my hedonistic personality, but I can’t do something if I don’t genuinely enjoy it. For me, training and competing in agility must be fun for both me and my dog. That joy creates a strong team bond and a wonderful relationship.
Besides animals, dogs, and everything dog-related, I have a deep love for nature, especially mountain hiking and being outdoors. To bring a bit of nature indoors, I’ve built a large plant collection. I’m also completely obsessed with travel—I usually start planning the next trip while we are still on the current one! In my downtime, I enjoy puzzle games like Sudoku, reading, learning new languages, and all sorts of crafty activities.