Events & Seminars

Dogs & Storks Seminar

Dates:
Friday, Nov. 7th from 3:30 pm -4:30 pm
Saturday, Dec. 20th from 10:30 am – 11:30 am

Instructor: Alison Schramel CPDT-KA, LFPPE

Cost: $30/ per couple or co-parents

About the Seminar:

Dogs & Storks® workshop is perfect for expecting families with dogs as they prepare for life with baby. The information provided will add to your understanding and bond you already have with your dog as you both navigate preparing together and life with a baby. This one hour presentation will provide positive, practical, and ongoing solutions that will help you include your dog before and once baby arrives. Our goal is to support you as you transition from a dog family to a family with a baby and dog.

About your Instructor:

With over 15 years of experience, Alison has helped thousands of families and their pets live harmoniously together. When she became a mother herself, she quickly learned that a home with pets and kids was more chaotic than she expected – even as an animal professional! This experience jump started her journey to helping other families and their four-legged friends. Thus, Hearts and Paws was founded. Alison understands that every animal and every human is unique, so our services are tailored to meet everyone’s individual needs. Her innovative approach combines positive reinforcement techniques with a deep understanding of animal body language and human psychology. Alison has a B.A. in Psychology, is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed, and a Licensed Family Paws Parent Educator.

Dogs & Toddlers Seminar

Dates:
Sunday, Nov. 23rd from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Instructor: Alison Schramel CPDT-KA, LFPPE

Cost: $30/ per couple or co-parents

About the Seminar:

Dogs & Toddlers™ is the ideal workshop for families with dogs and babies who are soon to be crawling or walking. Often the first 3 months have gone smoothly and many families are caught off guard when their dog begins to show discomfort with the new developmental changes of their mobile baby. This one hour presentation offers insight and proactive options for some of the common challenges families with dogs experience as baby becomes mobile.

About your Instructor:

With over 15 years of experience, Alison has helped thousands of families and their pets live harmoniously together. When she became a mother herself, she quickly learned that a home with pets and kids was more chaotic than she expected – even as an animal professional! This experience jump started her journey to helping other families and their four-legged friends. Thus, Hearts and Paws was founded. Alison understands that every animal and every human is unique, so our services are tailored to meet everyone’s individual needs. Her innovative approach combines positive reinforcement techniques with a deep understanding of animal body language and human psychology. Alison has a B.A. in Psychology, is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed, and a Licensed Family Paws Parent Educator.

“Those Darn Contacts!” – Getting Consistent, Confident Performances

Dates: Saturday, Nov. 29th from 8:30am-12:30pm

Instructor: Beth Hostetter

Cost: $95 – working spot, $25 – auditing spot

About the Seminar:

We’ve all been there — the perfect run… until those darn contacts!

Join us for a fun and focused half-day seminar dedicated entirely to improving your dog’s contact performances. Whether your dog has a beautiful 2-on-2-off that sometimes disappears in trials, or you’re chasing that smooth, confident running A-frame, this session will help you build understanding, speed, and reliability.

We’ll cover how to teach, maintain, and proof solid contact criteria — and how to keep your dog fast and accurate. Expect hands-on exercises, problem-solving, and plenty of laughter as we tackle the challenges of contacts together!

We’ll cover:

• Consistent criteria: building value for the right behavior every time

• Independence and drive — balancing speed with accuracy

• Common handler mistakes and easy fixes

• Drills to improve your dog’s clarity, stride, and confidence

This seminar is designed for working and auditing participants who want to make contact training fun again — for both ends of the leash!

Agility Handling Lines: Approaches, Exits and Changing the Dog’s Line

Dates: Saturday, Nov. 29th from 1:30pm-5:30pm

Instructor: Beth Hostetter

Cost: $95 – working spot, $25 – auditing spot

About the Seminar:

Smooth, connected runs start with great lines! Join us for a fun, hands-on seminar focused on how your motion, position, and timing shape your dog’s path through the course.

We’ll explore how to handle approaches and exits for cleaner turns, how to change your dog’s line without losing flow, and how to use those lines to avoid or bypass off-course obstacles.

You’ll also learn different handling techniques and how each one affects your dog’s line in various situations, helping you make better handling choices for smoother, faster runs.

You’ll come away with new tools to help your dog read your cues more clearly and run with confidence and speed!

Let’s make handling lines smoother, faster, and more fun for both ends of the leash!

Mini Seminars with Stefanie Rainer

Dates: Friday, January 9th

Cost: $135 – working spot, $25 – auditing spot

About Stefanie:

Stefanie Rainer has been involved in the sport of dog agility for over 20 years. From the time she entered the ring as a young child, her passion and love for agility has grown and she has achieved the pinnacle in the sport. Stefanie’s love for dog training began at a young age. Her enthusiasm was sparked by her mother, an in-home dog trainer specializing in pet manners and behavior modification. Stefanie had the privilege to learn from her mother and the mentorship of world-renowned dog trainer, Diane Bauman who taught her about the sport of dog agility and numerous other
disciplines.

Stefanie continually pushes herself to achieve new goals and loves to share her knowledge with her student teams. She seeks to create the ultimate bond between handler and dog. Stefanie does not believe in a “one-size fits all” approach, rather she seeks the best techniques based on what works for the team.

Stefanie has earned many titles on multiple breeds and she actively competes in AKC and UKI events with her dogs. Each of Stefanie’s dogs has taken her to compete around the world. She has had countless top placements, won multiple national championship titles, and had the honor or representing Team USA at European Open and World Agility Open
competitions. She is an accredited judge for the American Kennel Club and UK Agility International.

The world of dog agility is fast paced and constantly changing. Handlers and dogs are constantly challenged to become faster and more skilled. Stefanie strives to remain on the forefront of the latest techniques, which is why she frequently attends seminars and travels the world to stay up to date on the newest trends and learn from the top competitors in the sport.