Meet Amanda Fortman . . .

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Hello! My name is Amanda and I have been passionate about animals since my youth. Since I can remember we have always had a dog. The dog that most changed my youth was a border collie mix  rescued from a kill shelter. At the time (age 10) I knew nothing about formal dog training but she taught me how smart dogs are as she learned many tricks via shaping and positive reinforcement (aka: treats!). 
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The dog that most changed my LIFE is a puppy mill Australian Shepherd named Mihkoa (Mick-oh-wah). I rescued her from being put to sleep at a pet shop where she had been sick since the day she walked in the door. She taught me to love, and to learn. Together we began learning. Obedience, rally, agility, therapy dog work and dog rescue were the main things we did together.  Mihkoa worked with me as my demo dog as I worked as a "pet dog trainer"... and that is where I met Tara, Athena and Hermes who highly recommended we look into agility training. And so we did! Mihkoa's severely bad hips were kept strong by her regular practice and runs. Being involved in dog rescue meant helping all sorts of 'problem' dogs by training them to become well adjusted and loved members of their family. To date I have fostered, transported, and trained over 75 dogs for many different organizations up and down the East Coast. I have also volunteered for different shelters to train the dogs to have basic commands making them more adoptable. I firmly believe that good dogs aren't born, they're trained.

My agility obsession began 12 years ago and only continues to grow today. I am very blessed to still have Mihkoa in my life, though now retired. My current competition dog is a rescue mutt named DARE (Dogs Are Really Expensive) who is also run in agility and loved by my 7 year old son. I have trained under many different trainers from Florida to New York over the past 12 years and to each I am indebted for the joy and passion for learning and having fun with my dogs they have bestowed upon me. I am excited to share my love for the sport and  help others as they begin their journey."The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness"