About Dawn

My name is Dawn Fleischhacker and I currently reside in Minnesota. I have had dogs all my life but started “formally” training for competition in 1999 with my sheltie Laddie in obedience and agility. I have gone on to train in numerous areas including: agility, conformation, obedience, rally, trick dog and recently I have started the beginning stage of nosework. Agility is my main focus and something I am very passionate about. I have competed in several national-level events and achieved some competitive placements. My biggest achievement though is the incredible bond I have formed with my dogs. 

Currently I am showing and training my two shelties Reba and Bindi. Each dog I have owned has presented their own unique challenges; which has allowed me to grow as a trainer. You can learn more about my dogs by clicking here. 

In my spare time I shoot photography and work on web/ad design. You can see some of my work by going to Show N' Off Design. 

My Training Philosophy

Fun, fun, fun! Dog training should be fun for both the dog and the handler. I use positive training techniques that incorporate shaping and choices to help dogs learn to want to work for us while building on drive and motivation. 

I am a strong believer that developing solid foundation skills, along with building a positive relationship, will set a team up for lifetime success. All too often I see young puppies being “rushed” through early training so they can start competing and many foundation skills are never truly developed. Often this “quick” success is short-lived and things quickly fall apart in upper-level classes causing stress and frustration for both the dog and the handler.  

I also utilize trick training and balance/coordination development exercises in my training programs. I have found this to be useful in all kinds of competition from agility, to obedience and even conformation. It is beneficial to dogs recovering from injuries and senior dogs as well. 

Some Final Thoughts

In the world of dog sports it’s all about qualifying. Whether it’s qualifying on a course/exercise or qualifying for an event, you hear the term “Q” a lot. I encourage each of you to look Beyond the Q and focus on what really matters: your relationship with your dog and the quality of training you provide him/her with. From there the rest will all fall into place.