Heather Christenson: Instructor
Heather has been involved in Agility since 2001 and teaching for over 15 years, instructing for the Columbia Agility Team and Jumpstart Agility before forming the Oregon School for Clever Dogs with Tammy Moody. After Tammy moved from the area, Heather changed the name to Bright Agility Academy. While Agility has always been her main passion, Heather has also trained and competed in Competitive Obedience, Rally, Flyball, Barn Hunt and Herding. She feels that agility is the most fun you can have with your dog and loves the teamwork and relationship that lets a dog and handler work together to solve the puzzle of a course, whether in training or competition.
Heather's focus has always been on finding the joy in training and maintaining an enthusiastic performance. Her classes emphasize choice, trust, play, fun, foundation and training independent behaviors. She firmly believes that Agility should always be fun for both the dog and handler, and that every dog and handler team is unique in what will work best for them. She loves to explore new training concepts and ideas and is always looking for skills to bring back to classes. Heather is especially interested in trained skills and behaviors that let handlers that are mobility challenged enjoy agility without having to rely on physical cues and timing. She believes that all handlers, no matter of age or physical ability, can learn to run agility successfully, whether running with or training the dog to work independently.
Heather has run and owned a variety of dogs from big to small, from mixed breeds to purebred, and from shy to bold. She finds that almost all dogs can learn to love agility when introduced as a fun game with their handler. Many of Heather's students compete while many stick to agility at class and practice and enjoy it just the same. While she enjoys competing, Heather's passion for agility is not with the goal of competing, but building the relationship and skills to work together as a team through every new challenge.
Heather currently lives with four Border Collies (Haku, Navarre, Asher and Bryn), two Maine Coons (Fizban and Dragon) and a Ragdoll named Marvin. She also enjoys photography, reading, hiking and chocolate.
Heather's focus has always been on finding the joy in training and maintaining an enthusiastic performance. Her classes emphasize choice, trust, play, fun, foundation and training independent behaviors. She firmly believes that Agility should always be fun for both the dog and handler, and that every dog and handler team is unique in what will work best for them. She loves to explore new training concepts and ideas and is always looking for skills to bring back to classes. Heather is especially interested in trained skills and behaviors that let handlers that are mobility challenged enjoy agility without having to rely on physical cues and timing. She believes that all handlers, no matter of age or physical ability, can learn to run agility successfully, whether running with or training the dog to work independently.
Heather has run and owned a variety of dogs from big to small, from mixed breeds to purebred, and from shy to bold. She finds that almost all dogs can learn to love agility when introduced as a fun game with their handler. Many of Heather's students compete while many stick to agility at class and practice and enjoy it just the same. While she enjoys competing, Heather's passion for agility is not with the goal of competing, but building the relationship and skills to work together as a team through every new challenge.
Heather currently lives with four Border Collies (Haku, Navarre, Asher and Bryn), two Maine Coons (Fizban and Dragon) and a Ragdoll named Marvin. She also enjoys photography, reading, hiking and chocolate.
Heather's Dogs
Poco the Amazing Circus Dog (RIP)
FDX CGC V-NJC
Heather's first dog and the most hardcore bitch out there - she dabbled in sports later in life and lived to be 19 years old
FDX CGC V-NJC
Heather's first dog and the most hardcore bitch out there - she dabbled in sports later in life and lived to be 19 years old
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Lord Fenwick of Christenson (RIP)
TACH MAD SACH RM SM JM TM-Bronze MX MXJ CL3 CL4-S CL4-R CL4-H EAC EJC TN-E TG-E R1MCL FDCH-S CGC
Heather's first competition dog, and the loudest, most badass little dog - there was nothing that he didn't enjoy doing (as long as he could bark while he was doing it!)
TACH MAD SACH RM SM JM TM-Bronze MX MXJ CL3 CL4-S CL4-R CL4-H EAC EJC TN-E TG-E R1MCL FDCH-S CGC
Heather's first competition dog, and the loudest, most badass little dog - there was nothing that he didn't enjoy doing (as long as he could bark while he was doing it!)
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Mr. Jonathon Brisbee (RIP)
PD2 PJ2 CL3-R CL2-H CL2-F NJC CGC
Heather's husband's dog, Brisbee was a huge training challenge dealing with his stress and fear (and way too smart for his own good)
PD2 PJ2 CL3-R CL2-H CL2-F NJC CGC
Heather's husband's dog, Brisbee was a huge training challenge dealing with his stress and fear (and way too smart for his own good)
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Contact Point London Dream (RIP)
MACH2 MXS MJG NF MAD SACH JM GM RM TM-Bronze CL3 FDCH-S CD PCDX
An independent free spirit, London loved his agility and anything else you asked of him
MACH2 MXS MJG NF MAD SACH JM GM RM TM-Bronze CL3 FDCH-S CD PCDX
An independent free spirit, London loved his agility and anything else you asked of him
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Contact Point White Dragon
MX MXJ AAD CDX PUTD U-CD HSAs HIAs HSBs HXAs TKP
With no lack of enthusiasm, Haku struggled with early take issues in agility and went on to rock obedience and herding
MX MXJ AAD CDX PUTD U-CD HSAs HIAs HSBs HXAs TKP
With no lack of enthusiasm, Haku struggled with early take issues in agility and went on to rock obedience and herding
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Flyin Eve of Destruction
NA NAP OJP
Eva struggled with jumping depth perception, but still loved agility
NA NAP OJP
Eva struggled with jumping depth perception, but still loved agility
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Contact Point The Light Fantastic (RIP)
MACH MXB MJB T2B TKP AAD
Bright was known for being deceptively efficient
MACH MXB MJB T2B TKP AAD
Bright was known for being deceptively efficient
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Contact Point Etienne of Navarre
HC HIBs HXAds HXDs MX MXJ CD TKP APD APG
A giant goober puppy, it took a long time for Navarre to grow up - but he is loving agility, herding and obedience
HC HIBs HXAds HXDs MX MXJ CD TKP APD APG
A giant goober puppy, it took a long time for Navarre to grow up - but he is loving agility, herding and obedience
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Contact Point Heart of Joy
HC HXBs HXAs HXDs AX AXJ NF TKA
Asher has no lack of enthusiasm, and he's turning into one awesome herding dog - running in Nursery in USCBCHA trials. He's finally started running in agility too (did I mention the enthusiasm?)!
HC HXBs HXAs HXDs AX AXJ NF TKA
Asher has no lack of enthusiasm, and he's turning into one awesome herding dog - running in Nursery in USCBCHA trials. He's finally started running in agility too (did I mention the enthusiasm?)!
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BC Bryn
AX AXJ
Itty bitty Bryn is just learning the ropes in both agility and herding - her little legs aren't holding her back!
AX AXJ
Itty bitty Bryn is just learning the ropes in both agility and herding - her little legs aren't holding her back!
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Rayn's Haven
Because everyone needs a borderpap(ish) thing! Adorable, so much fun, itty bitty Haven :-)
Because everyone needs a borderpap(ish) thing! Adorable, so much fun, itty bitty Haven :-)
