Sarah has owned Golden Retrievers since 1992 and has been training and showing in Obedience and Rally since 1992 with her current Golden, Rupert (Sandpoint Morning Thunder, CDX, RAE, ASCA CDX, CCA). They were among the first to show in Rally when it debuted as a non-regular class in AKC. When Rally became a titling class in 2005, Sarah and Rupert were one of the first teams in Southern California and one of the first ten Golden teams in the country to earn all of the titles (RN, RA, RE and RAE).

Sarah has been teaching Rally for VHOC since the summer of 2005. In addition to teaching, she regularly judges Rally and Obedience practice matches for various clubs in the Los Angeles area. She believes it’s a great way to give back to the dog-sport community.

Sarah tailors her methods and classes to match the individual capabilities of each dog and handler team.She has worked with students and dogs of many experience levels, from veteran obedience people looking for a “retirement activity” for their older dogs, to people who have never seen a dog show before; she has taught a wide variety of breeds, from Great Danes to Miniature Poodles. She uses positive methods, including food and toys as rewards, with some correction when necessary. Sarah believes it’s important to have a balance in training and to know that what works for one dog might not work for another.