Nicole has been passionate about animals all her life. That passion found its ultimate outlet when she brought
home an overly exuberant standard poodle puppy about six years ago. "Mayday" could barely contain himself
on a leash and when first released in the park, spent five full minutes sprinting in tight circles around his bemused
new owner. Nicole resolved to learn all she could about dog training and behavior and fortunately had
ample opportunity to socialize her new pup and watch dogs interact during off-leash hours in the public parks of
her Brooklyn neighborhood.
Entirely self-taught as an obedience handler, Nicole armed herself with books about positive training methods and
a clicker: She and Mayday went right through Novice and Open and then earned the Utility Dog title in a minimal
number of trials, placing in nearly every one with scores above 190 out of 200. Then when someone suggested she
and Mayday try agility, something *really* "clicked"! With the help of like-minded instructors and seminars with
Susan Garrett and Greg Derrett, Nicole has been able to channel Mayday's drive and his obedience background
into a solid foundation for great teamwork.
In June, 2007 at the National Poodle Specialty in Maryland,Mayday earned first place in the 24" Jumpers class. In
American Kennel Club competition, they've earned their Master Agility and Master Agility Jumpers titles and are
well on their way to a Master Agility Champion title, most often placing within the top 5 competitors in their class
even though they must compete against the speediest of border collies.
In United States Dog Agility Association competition, they've earned their Master Agility Dog title and the
Tournament Master title. In 2005, 2006, and 2007, they qualified to compete in all events at the USDAA Cynosport
World Games. In 2005, they attended the games and their Dog Agility Masters team finished within the top 15
percent of more than 200 teams.
As a professional photographer, Nicole has worked with hundreds of dogs and their owners and finds her dog
training experience invaluable In helping to capture the perfect posture and expression for portraits. In fact,
each portrait sessionby necessity often becomes a miniature training session! Shooting and pouring over tens
of thousands of agility action shots has given Nicole a unique perspective on a wide range of breeds performing
the same obstacles and she finds that this experience benefits her training as well. She's grateful that both
types of clicking, both of the shutter and the clicker, complement each other so well.
home an overly exuberant standard poodle puppy about six years ago. "Mayday" could barely contain himself
on a leash and when first released in the park, spent five full minutes sprinting in tight circles around his bemused
new owner. Nicole resolved to learn all she could about dog training and behavior and fortunately had
ample opportunity to socialize her new pup and watch dogs interact during off-leash hours in the public parks of
her Brooklyn neighborhood.
Entirely self-taught as an obedience handler, Nicole armed herself with books about positive training methods and
a clicker: She and Mayday went right through Novice and Open and then earned the Utility Dog title in a minimal
number of trials, placing in nearly every one with scores above 190 out of 200. Then when someone suggested she
and Mayday try agility, something *really* "clicked"! With the help of like-minded instructors and seminars with
Susan Garrett and Greg Derrett, Nicole has been able to channel Mayday's drive and his obedience background
into a solid foundation for great teamwork.
In June, 2007 at the National Poodle Specialty in Maryland,Mayday earned first place in the 24" Jumpers class. In
American Kennel Club competition, they've earned their Master Agility and Master Agility Jumpers titles and are
well on their way to a Master Agility Champion title, most often placing within the top 5 competitors in their class
even though they must compete against the speediest of border collies.
In United States Dog Agility Association competition, they've earned their Master Agility Dog title and the
Tournament Master title. In 2005, 2006, and 2007, they qualified to compete in all events at the USDAA Cynosport
World Games. In 2005, they attended the games and their Dog Agility Masters team finished within the top 15
percent of more than 200 teams.
As a professional photographer, Nicole has worked with hundreds of dogs and their owners and finds her dog
training experience invaluable In helping to capture the perfect posture and expression for portraits. In fact,
each portrait sessionby necessity often becomes a miniature training session! Shooting and pouring over tens
of thousands of agility action shots has given Nicole a unique perspective on a wide range of breeds performing
the same obstacles and she finds that this experience benefits her training as well. She's grateful that both
types of clicking, both of the shutter and the clicker, complement each other so well.
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