Tracy Sklenar
 
Tracy Sklenar is LOTP’s Training Director and an instructor at Susan Garrett's Say Yes! Dog Training (Ontario, Canada.) Tracy is also a regular contributor of training articles and event coverage to Clean Run and DogSport magazines. She was also the Manager of Team Canada at the IFCS 2008 World Championships in Ingelmunster, Belgium, helping to bring home a variety of individual medals as well as the Bronze medal in the team event.
 
Before moving to central New York, Tracy was on the staff of the Behavior Department of the ASPCA in New York City, and has appeared on Animal Planet's "Animal Precinct." She is a popular instructor and seminar presenter, having taught for clubs and schools throughout North America.
 
Tracy has trained extensively with Susan Garrett, Bob Bailey, Greg and Laura Derrett and Susan Salo, implementing their methods into her training and teaching. She has also been lucky enough to work on the “mental game” with Olympic-champion-turned agility champion, Greg Louganis
 
The Dogs!
 
Tracy is the proud owner of 5 dogs: Pierce (10 year old Dalmatian), Samson (9 year old rescue Dalmatian), Rebound (7 year old rescue Rat Terrier) and Export (3 year old Border Collie/JRT mix) and new puppy Matrix (10 week old Border Collie/Staffy mix). Tracy's first agility dogs were rescues Gypsy (Beagle/Eskie Mix) and Patch (Dogo Argentino), with Patch becoming the first Dogo to ever earn an agility title. Pierce and Samson have since retired to a life of luxury in the country, while Rebound and Export travel throughout the continent competing at the highest levels in USDAA (US) and AAC (Canada).
 
Both Rebound and Export have competed each year at the Nationals in the US and Canada, getting to the semi-finals of the Grand Prix and Steeplechase at USDAA's World Cynosport Games and earning multiple class and aggregate placements at the AAC Regional and National Championships.
 
Rebound bounced back from a life-threatening illness to enjoy a very successful 2008 - he earned several wins and placements at US and Canadian Regionals, including winning the USDAA Northeast Regionals Performance Speed Jumping Finals, finishing 3rd in the Steeplechase Finals at AAC Nationals and 10th overall in the aggregate division at the AAC National Championships.
 
Export is the current "up and comer," enjoying tremendous success in his young career, including qualifying for Nationals in the US and Canada, competing as a Finalist in the Northeast and Northcentral USDAA Regional Steeplechases and Ontario AAC Regional Steeplechase, as well as earning a "bye" to the Semi-Finals of the Steeplechase at the World Cynosport Games... all before he was 2 years old. Now that he is all of 3 years old, Export has multiple Grand Prix and Steeplechase wins to his credit and has earned a 2008 Top Ten National Ranking in USDAA's Championship Tournament Events.
 
Samson pursues a career as a canine actor, having appeared in a variety of national advertisements for Target, Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, Purina, and others. He is currently a canine "spokesmodel" for Target, appearing on the bags for their new line of dog food.
 
Methods
 
Tracy specializes in motivational training methods, behavioral problem solving, operant conditioning and clicker training. She believes that agility should be positive, motivational and fun for both the dogs and the handlers, and enjoys helping teams find the joys in challenging work. She has honed her skills under the finest trainers and handlers on the planet, including Bob Bailey, Susan Garrett, Greg Derrett and Laura Derrett.