About Sally Boarman Sally and MACH4 Aussie CDX, XF (Sept. 30, 2012) Yes, that's right I have a aussie named Aussie.  So I may not be the most creative mind when it comes to naming my dogs but I do love training dogs and training people to train their dogs! I have been training dogs, informally and formally, since the early 90's.  I first began training and competing in Obedience and then was thrilled to discover Agility and it quickly took over my life!  I was living in the suburbs of Washington DC at the time and began formally teaching classes with an area club.  My passion grew, I began competing more and more (primarily AKC but dabbled in NADAC) and I then learned of the opportunity to purchase Dogwood Training Center in Ohio.  My passion won out, I left my job, sold my home and in 2007 moved to Ohio.....the best decision I've ever made! Aussie achieved her first MACH title in October 2008, her MACH2 title in December 2009 and her MACH 3 in April 2011.  We also qualified for and competed in the 2009 AKC National Agility Championship.  I am proud to say that Aussie and I finished 13th out of 242 20" dogs in the State tournament on Friday.  We finished 122nd out of 260 20" dogs in the Championship rounds, achieving my goal of being in the top 50%.  Not bad for her first national competition!  We then competed again in the 2010 AKC National Agility Championship, finishing 68th out of 270 dogs - wow , was I proud of her!  We also qualified again in 2011 and traveled to Lexington, Virginia.  We had another wonderful year with some very tough competition and I was quite proud of our runs.  After the first 2 rounds we were in the top 60 dogs (out of almost 300) but a blooper on my part in our last run dropped us way down.  But, we remained in the top 50% and were clean 2 out of 3 runs.  And then in 2012 we headed to Reno, Nevada for the 2012 National Championship - our 4th qualifying year!  Aussie did fabulous, again hanging in the top 50%.  Not bad for a 10 1/2 year old!  And now, we are headed to Tulsa, OK in 2013 for her 5th national competition.  So proud of my girl! MACH3 Aussie and I with our agility buddies, Caramel/Kim and Gromit/Ruth, at the 2009 AKC National Agility Championship I am also proud that Aussie has ranked in the top 50 Australian Shepherds in AKC for the past 3 years.  She ranked 41st in 2008, 38th in 2009 and 36th in 2010.  She is now almost 10 1/2 years old and finished 2011 ranked 51st - what a good girl!! In addition to teaching Obedience and Agility, I have also trained dogs for Flyball.  I helped to establish the first Flyball team in Greenbelt, MD, the "Greenbelt Flyers".  My dog, Aussie, has an amazing passion for Flyball! I am also competing with my younger dog, Fly.  She began competing in 2009.  She's done extremely well and is currently competing at the Excellent level of AKC.  She has also dabbled in USDAA, NADAC and CPE. Sagehill's Flyin' By Ya "Fly" at her first trial! In April 2010 I added another aussie to the household, Superior's Razzle Dazzle aka "Dazzle".  He is quite the sassy boy and has become a joy to do agility with.  He started competing in 2011 and is doing well.  If you don't see Dazzle's runs you will at least hear them!  He loves to bark!! Superior's Razzle Dazzle, "Dazzle" In October 2011 I offered to foster a puppy who has become a permanent member of our household.  She is an adorable mix of everything under the sun and an absolute sweetheart.  Her name is "Boo".  She had a very strong fear of being touched by strangers when she came to live with me but she now thinks people touching her is a very good thing.  She's become quite the little cuddler.  She is learning to do agility and thinks jumping and tunnels are wonderful!! Dogwood's Friendly Ghost, aka "Boo" In November 2012 a new pup joined the family.  He is a border collie with the name, Declan.  He has fit into the household quite well and is proving to be quite the smart little guy.  He has started to learn the foundations for agility and will begin herding lessons soon! Brush Creek Charity's Declan Four felines tolerate life with this canine clan.  All rescues, they are loving life here in Ohio as much as the dogs! So, there's a little about me.  Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions about me, my training style, my experience, etc.  I do believe in a very positive approach and the priority is always for the dog and handler to be having Fun! Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and my dogs.