06/15/2026
What a weekend.
I knew I was excited to bring WCERA to Canada, but I never expected this workshop weekend to exceed my expectations the way it did.
Going into it, I was looking forward to introducing people to the games, teaching new skills, and watching teams have fun. What I wasn't prepared for was how emotional it would be to watch confidence grow, not just in the dogs, but in the people.
Some of my favorite moments came from teams with little or no dog sport experience, or handlers who admitted they were nervous to attend because their dog is reactive, overexcited, easily distracted, or "not the kind of dog that usually succeeds in group settings."
And then something really interesting happened.
Because WCERA includes such a strong human component, the focus shifts. Suddenly people weren't worrying about whether their dog was doing everything perfectly. They were laughing because they couldn't solve a puzzle designed for a three-year-old. They were forgetting which clue they were supposed to follow. They were running in the wrong direction. They were making mistakes and laughing about it.
For a little while, they forgot to be anxious.
And when the handlers relaxed, the dogs relaxed.
That cycle we all know so well... where we're anxious about the dog, which makes the dog anxious, which makes us even more anxious... started to break. Instead of worrying about what might go wrong, teams were focused on having fun together.
And that's when the magic happened.
Dogs that their owners thought would struggle started succeeding. Teams that arrived nervous left smiling. Handlers who doubted themselves started trusting both their dogs and themselves.
There were moments this weekend where I wasn't teaching anymore, I was just standing back and watching people realize their dogs were capable of so much more than they thought.
By the end of the weekend, it wasn't really about puzzles, scents, retrievals, or rats anymore. It was about watching people rediscover how much fun it can be to simply play with their dog.
It was about celebrating the wins instead of worrying about the mistakes. It was about learning that sometimes the best thing we can do for our dogs is stop trying to be perfect and just enjoy the journey together.
Seeing confidence return to both ends of the leash was honestly emotional.
This was my first WCERA workshop. I'll admit I was nervous. I worried about whether people would enjoy it, whether I could do this incredible sport justice, and whether everyone would leave feeling successful. By the end of the weekend, those worries were gone. Watching all of you embrace the games, support each other, laugh together, and cheer each other on reminded me exactly why I wanted to bring WCERA to Canada in the first place.
Thank you to everyone who took a chance on a brand new sport, trusted me through my first workshop, and brought such positive energy to the weekend. You made this far more special than I ever could have imagined. Special thank you to Aleks, I am forever grateful for all your help, support and encouragement.
❤️🐾
There's no escaping now. 😉
