I have been training with Alison for a year and after every lesson I think how fortunate I am to have found her after moving to SC from FL. She is a very skilled agility competitor and trainer, and has really helped my then novice dog (and self) learn and progress with our skills and confidence. We trained for a year under another instructor before coming to SC, and Alison was able to easily take what I had already learned and build on that for our new training program. Alison has the ability to adapt a lesson and training method to the needs of the particular dog, and will think outside the box if additional ideas are needed to solve an issue. She puts a lot of thought and time into planning courses and skills for her students to work on, and is constantly challenging me to learn new handling techniques and think about all the different options for running a particular sequence. Under her guidance, we have progressed to running advanced and international level courses that a year ago I would not have dreamed of attempting. Importantly, she is always positive and values the handler-dog relationship. Last, but not least, she is an extremely kind and generous person, and has created a fun and supportive agility community for her students.
Allison & Millie
I have been taking private agility lessons and various classes from Alison for the past couple of years. She is an excellent coach with an exceptional eye who tailors exercises and courses to meet the individual needs of me and my dog. Hers is not a cookie-cutter approach. Her focus on foundation training has greatly improved my dog’s understanding of his job and my understanding of how best to handle him in various situations we will encounter when running a course. She is patient and thorough in her explanations and she pushes us to excel. I highly recommend Alison to anyone looking for an agility coach. We are lucky to have her in the Aiken-Columbia area.
Laura Janecek
Coming from a career in education, I appreciate the excellent quality of Alison’s coaching. She takes the time to prepare the best exercises for each dog and handler at this particular time of their training while being able to monitor and adjust in real time. Alison is intuitive in her communication with the teams and “sees” things that so many coaches would miss. She has a true gift that is complemented by her hard work.
Teri, Winnie & Jag
I moved from California to South Carolina just three years ago. Not long afterwards, I was fortunate to have found Alison to train with. She has pushed me and my dog to always excel in our handling and challenges us with the courses she sets up. I look forward to our lessons with Alison because I know we will always learn something new. At trials she is always supportive of our runs. I would recommend her to anyone from a beginner to advanced teams.
Karen & Brite
Alison is an amazing and talented agility coach/trainer. She has the unique but vital talent to meet you and your dog where you are whether it be high level competition, just having fun, new teams and special needs. She has been nothing but encouraging and patient as I navigate agility with my newest dog, a border collie rescue who a year ago wouldn’t look at a jump bar on the ground let alone step over it and now is sequencing and working through each new challenge with enthusiasm! Alison keeps up with the latest handling systems and leverages that knowledge with creative methods to unlock a team’s potential. She puts a lot of time and energy into preparing for classes and workshops but then is able to adapt the class to each team’s needs and even in a class environment, make you feel like you are getting a private lesson. I am excited to be working with her wherever this next journey takes us.
Lisa, Jesse, Katie & Max
I moved to NC from the Seattle area and was amazed at the lack of agility trainers. I had recently gotten a new puppy to train and was at a loss of how to proceed with this very fast prospect so different from any other dog I had trained. And then, I met Alison. What a delight it has been to work with her. She has always been able to give me the tips I needed to keep us progressing forward in a positive fashion. She has always been able to figure out what we needed in each stage of our journey. At close to three years of age, my young dog is turning into a strong partner and a joy to run. Alison always has a new challenge for us when we train but it is presented in a way we are able to work through it in no time. I highly recommend her to others. You won’t be disappointed.
Mary & Bolt
