Joy competing with Curzon at Can-Am 2010 in Indianapolis, IN.

Joy and her youngest dog, Sirella, in pre-flight class in June 2015.

Joy competing with her first dog, Jadzia, in October 2004.

Joy and Ezri celebrating their Flyball Grand Champion 60,000 point title in May 2015.

When I grew up, the first job that I wanted to have was to be a marine biologist and work with sea animals.  By the time I graduated high school and went to college, that morphed into working in the developing field of biotechnology.  With my degree in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, I proceeded to do just that and I have spent over seventeen years working in biotech labs on drugs including Enbrel, Prolia, and others still in clinical trials.  My education and experience have made me the scientist that I am today, and I bring this sense of inquiry and desire for data-driven results to every part of my life and business.

Over the past fifteen years, I've trained and competed with six dogs of my own, as well as training, handling, or assisting with many more.  I've participated in flyball training and canine fitness workshops and seminars, competed across most of the western United States, and traveled cross-country four times to compete in the NAFA national tournament known as Can-Am in Indianapolis, IN and once to compete in the UFLI National tournament in St Louis, MO.  I now own and run my own flyball club, Engage, based just north of Seattle, WA.

As my training skills improved and I began to race more competitively, the fitness of my dogs became of interest to me in order to ensure they could give their best throughout their lives and do so safely.  Over the years I've added in various forms of exercise and spent time working with my veterinarians to ensure the best care for my dogs.  I've researched various care options including acupuncture, laser therapy, Chinese herbal medicine, and physical therapy for rehab after surgery.  When one of our dogs was struck by bone cancer, the amazing veterinarians at Seattle Veterinary Services and their help in guiding me in PT exercises combined with our wonderful family vet at Mercy Vet and their knowledge of herbs and cancer support was invaluable.  With their help and my daily work with him, Curzon recovered from having three ribs removed to compete again for another year after his initial cancer diagnosis. 

In mid-2013 I began taking K9 fitness classes with Bobbie Lyons of Pawsitive Performance, starting with Ezri and moving on to include Martok and Sirella.  Over the past few years I have learned a great deal about core strength, proper form, and cross-training for flexibility, strength, balance, and mental fitness.  I took the FitPaws USA MasterTrainer course in Denver, CO in May 2015, where I earned my FitPaws Master Trainer certification.  In 2016 FitPaws partnered with the University of Tennessee to expand the certification, and I completed the coursework to earn my Certified Canine Fitness Trainer (CCFT).  In 2017 I completed the FitPaws Specialized Equipment Training (SET) course, and I eagerly await the next class offerings from FitPaws and U of T.

My education and research is a lifelong pursuit, and I take classes constantly in canine behavior, training, and tricks (often at the Fenzi Dogsports Academy) as well as having a long reading list.  In 2017 I took classes in structure & anatomy (FE238), behavioral wellness in sports dogs (BH300 & BH305), and trick/fitness training (Zanee Agility), and 2018 saw classes in biology of performance dogs (BH510), advanced canine conditioning (CC120), jumping gymnastics (AG175), and “fitness in five minutes” (CC420). I’m looking forward to more classes in 2019, including another new one on the genetics of performance dogs!

When we compete in flyball, one of our favorite judges yells "ready on the line!" to indicate it's time to begin, and that inspired the name and logo for my business.  My job is to ensure that your dog is "ready on the line" for your sport of choice, whether flyball, agility, dock dogs, lure coursing, barn hunt, or something entirely different!

I hope to work with you to further your goals in canine sports, so let's meet and discover what a canine fitness program can do for your dog!