about tammi
Big Believer that Connection is the Key to Everything that Matters in Life with Your Dog
Everything Changed the Moment I learned to listen to my Dog
I didn’t come into this work because I had all the answers. I came in with questions, mostly about how to help my nervous dogs feel safe and happy.
Born in a barn, Riley was so scared when we first met that I questioned whether I could give him a good life. Initially, it was my parents' dog Toby—just seven months older than Riley—who helped him feel safe. Riley trusted Toby immediately, which helped him learn to trust me.
Riley and I did some puppy obedience classes and took a lot of hikes together. But that didn't feel like enough to keep him busy and happy.
That led us to agility — not because I had competitive goals, but because it was something we could do together.
Agility classes were supposed to build his confidence. They did so much more. They taught me how dog communication happens through body language — things I’d never paid attention to before. Our bond deepened. I saw him start to take risks, try new things, and trust more deeply.
Growing up, I'd loved our family dog Joshua, but I didn't know what to do with that love beyond walks and kicking the soccer ball for him to chase. He was just... there.
Now that I had experienced a different type of relationship with Riley, I wanted the same with Toby, my parent's dog.
Even though agility wasn’t an option for Toby, I began working with him on our connection. And observing his body language to help better understand what he liked and didn't like. And something shifted. We weren’t just coexisting. We were bonded.
Working with Toby is what opened my eyes: the connection I was finding through agility could also be built outside the ring — with any dog, anywhere.
That discovery changed everything in how I connected with every dog I've interacted with since.
I was also hooked on the sport of agility, so I got another dog to compete with— Salsa. Her energy level was all fire and noise. Her anxiety showed up differently: barking, overreacting, bouncing off the walls.
I knew right away her behavior wasn’t a problem to fix. She was a relationship to build. Connection was the path forward. Agility gave us a shared focus, a physical outlet, and a place for her to understand I could be her trusted teammate.
But we also had to tackle how I could help her with everyday life. I studied reactivity. I learned from brilliant trainers. I experimented with using my body language to help her feel safe. I paid attention to her body language. I listened. And I watched Salsa begin to relax, not because she was “obedient,” but because she trusted me to help her feel safe in a world that often felt like too much.
After about 10 years competing, I started to coach agility foundations. My first six-week session focuses more on relationship-building and how to move together than how to do the agility equipment. And it turns out my students had a lot of questions that weren't about agility. They ask why their dog does things like flinch when they reach to pet their heads. Or they ask how they can help their dog with challenges like crating, other dogs being near them, or being calm when they bring them to work. It turns out they were seeking a way to understand their dog as much as they were seeking to learn a dog sport.
through this journey
I'VE DISCOVERED
Every dog craves the same thing: to be seen, and heard as an unique individual.
Again and again, I’ve seen the same transformation — not just in my dogs, but in my students and their dogs too. You don’t need a sport. You just need presence, curiosity, and a willingness to listen to what your dog is saying.
Even my agility students found that it wasn't the jumps or tunnels that transformed their relationships. It was the connection skills we built in those first six weeks before we ever touched the equipment.
The secret isn't more training classes or complicated plans. It's about presence, connection, and learning your dog's unique language.
That’s the heart of what I share here — simple, meaningful ways to exercise and entertain your dog while you bring out the best in both of you.
meet the dogs
They're the reason I'm here.
Riley
Riley is a mixed breed - Cavalier King-Charles Spaniel and Bichon Frise. He was born in 2012. He loves breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, walks, and his mama (in that order). He is the first dog I got on my own and my first agility dog. He is the most patient instructor - as long as I have cheese, he will keep working with me until I figure out how to be clear in what I'm asking. He is sweet and very social with people.
Toby
Toby is a Labrador. He was born in 2011. We joke that he didn't get the Lab memo - he doesn't swim and he doesn't retrieve. But that's ok as we didn't need him to be a hunting dog. Toby loves meals, walks, and tugging with a toy. He is very sweet and has never met a human or dog he didn't like.
Salsa
Salsa is a Havanese. She was born in 2018. She was named for the dance, as I wanted to dance around the agility ring with her. But it turns out she is also spicy like the food. Salsa has two speeds - fast and off. She loves the game of agility because she gets to go fast. She is definitely a mama's girl at home, jumping up every time I move. She loves to play with toys and is dog selective, with very few dogs meeting her criteria for being ok as friends.
meet the dogs
They're the reason I'm here.
Riley
Riley is a mixed breed - Cavalier King-Charles Spaniel and Bichon Frise. He was born in 2012. He loves breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, walks, and his mama (in that order). He is the first dog I got on my own and my first agility dog. He is the most patient instructor - as long as I have cheese, he will keep working with me until I figure out how to be clear in what I'm asking. He is sweet and very social with people.
Toby
Toby is a Labrador. He was born in 2011. We joke that he didn't get the Lab memo - he doesn't swim and he doesn't retrieve. But that's ok as we didn't need him to be a hunting dog. Toby loves meals, walks, and tugging with a toy. He is very sweet and has never met a human or dog he didn't like.
Salsa
Salsa is a Havanese. She was born in 2018. She was named for the dance, as I wanted to dance around the agility ring with her. But it turns out she is also spicy like the food. Salsa has two speeds - fast and off. She loves the game of agility because she gets to go fast. She is definitely a mama's girl at home, jumping up every time I move. She loves to play with toys and is dog selective, with very few dogs meeting her criteria for being ok as friends.
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