HyCaliberK9s

About Katie

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. -- Zig Ziglar

Katie Trachte - Agility Director

Katie Trachte has been involved in dog sports since she was born. She started showing Belgian Tervuren in the breed ring with her mom and then dabbled in obedience, all the while assisting her mom’s dog training classes in manners, obedience, tracking and breed. Early on Katie and her mom discovered the sport of dog agility and all of it’s attention to detail combined with competition and fun -- they were hooked. Katie has now been competing in agility for 16 years. In 2008 she became the co-owner of AgilityVision.com, providing live streaming for National and International dog agility events.

Katie has been on four World Teams, the 2004 AKC/USA World Team and the 2008, 2009 and 2010 European Open World Team. She has been a finalist in the European Open every year she has competed - most recently placing in the top 20 in her Team runs with her young Sheltie, Miley. She has multiple MAChs and USDAA titles on multiple dogs of different breeds and sizes, has participated in the AKC/USA World Team Tryouts six times and has attended many National and International events. She has travelled to over 40 different states and 5 overseas countries to compete in agility trials. She likes to joke that she has winning in her blood because her grandfather George O'Day won a gold medal in the 5.5 meter class at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.

Katie has been teaching agility since 2001. She has worked with hundreds of dogs and their handlers. She believes educating the handler is just as important as educating the dog. She understands that humans and dogs learn in different ways and prides herself in coming up with as many different teaching methods as she possibly can to help every team reach their goals. Katie is well known for her energy and sense of humor during her classes.

Katie follows the Awesome Paws Handling System and Jumping Skills programs created by Linda Mecklenburg because she feels it makes the most sense to both the dog and the handler. She is a member of the forum and attends seminars and camps by Awesome Paws instructors and participates on continuing education clinics by top trainers and handlers regularly. Katie trained her young dog, Miley, running contacts using the Silvia Trkman Running Contact method. Katie has also attended coaching seminars with Lanny Bassham and Greg Louganis and regularly uses their mental management systems. Lanny not only developed the Mental Management System but also used it personally to win 35 medals in international rifle competition for the USA, including 22 world individual and team titles, setting 4 world records and winning the Olympic Gold Medal in Montreal in 1976. Greg Louganis is a six time Pan-American gold medalist and a four time Olympic Gold Medalist in addition to winning 47 national titles.

Katie is a full time college student studying Social Work. She is a straight A student, recently inducted into Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. Katie has always had a passion for having a positive attitude and challenging herself with short and long term goals. She is currently training for her first half marathon in 2012. She has successfully competed in multiple 5k and a 10k races. She's successfully overcome the idea that "running was never my thing" through Lanny Bassham's Mental Management System.