Debi has been involved in dog sports since 2021.  She has competed in Conformation in the US and Canada as an owner-handler and a breeder since 2002.  She is certified and has been training professionally since 2008, graduating from both Animal Behavioral College, now serving as a mentor instructor, and Karen Pryor Academy- KPA#98753.  She has taken additional classes from KPA, including being a Puppy Start Right certified instructor, puppy temperament development, and over 20 classes from Fenzi Dog Sports Academy.  Her education also includes Bite Prevention as well as dog safety during human pregnancy, with infants and with toddlers.  She has also spent 4 weekends at ‘Chicken Camps’, where trainers work exclusively with chickens.  It is a whole new level of understanding to the principles of learning.

Debi has dedicated her time for many years to training, competing, and teaching.  Her students appreciate her patience, broad training knowledge and support for positive training methods.  She prides herself on being a life-long learner and on-going education is part of her life.

She is an instructor and evaluator of all things AKC, including Canine Good Citizen, Dog Fitness, Trick Dog, Farm Dog, Temperament tests and Retrieve tests.  Her goal is to work towards her judging license in Rally-0.

Debi has supported the 4-H dog program as a judge, an instructor, a clinician and as the county superintendent of the dog program.  She has also organized and hosted multiple 4-H dog shows.

At home, Debi is an AKC Bronze Level Breeder-of-Merit in her personal breed, the Shih Tzu, which she has shown to multiple conformation championships in both the US and Canada.  She loves studying structure.  She has lived with multiple other breeds of dogs including lab, golden retriever, border collie, doberman pincher, poodle, cocker spaniel, and Australian shepherd.  She grew up on a cattle ranch in Montana on the back of a horse, training young horses and competed in jumping and dressage.  Her absence of horse ownership has only occurred since moving to Hawaii.