Meet Kristy Tally

I am super-excited to be joining the instructors of Seattle Agility Center at the new Obedience Studio. Loving, training, and working with dogs has always been a passion of mine, and passing that joy on to others is top on my list of favorites! My “doggy journey” began when I was just a little kid. One with a surprisingly irrational fear of all dogs over four inches high! However, my big sister was into everything animals and dogs, and I was not to be outdone! In my little kid-brain, the only way to live up to her was to face my fear and get it out. As crazy as that seems coming from a little kid, it worked. I shut myself in the backyard with our friends’ crazy English Springer Spaniel, and came out an hour later with a best friend and an addiction to working with dogs. :)

As I grew up, I was always surrounded with dogs, the ones that are pets and wrap themselves around your heart, the working kind, and both combined. In high school, I became much more focused in my desire to learn and train dogs. I worked with Canine Companions for Independence in training puppies for disabled people, and I also had the opportunity to work through the training of a companion dog for a close friend who was deaf and needed a certified signal dog. Through college, I was an obedience consultant, gave private lessons, and worked with families who recently adopted dogs through a rescue group to incorporate them into their homes. Throughout these years, I was inseparable from my very first Border Collie/McNabb named Robbie. He went everywhere with me, and I dreamed of one day training him for agility and competition. However, it was not to be, and tragedy struck when he went blind and lost the ability to function. He was my first heartbreak, and for awhile, I was unable to continue in training puppies.

After getting married and settling down in Southern CA, I began to wish for another companion to share my life with. My husband did not grow up with pets, and the idea of a dog did scare him a little. However, after one early morning of walking out in the rain to dump our garbage only to see our neighbor open the door and send his Australian Shepherd out to dump his garbage for him, he was convinced. We adopted our first Australian Shepherd, Pasha. His name means “protector,” and he truly has been everything I needed in a new friend.

About four years ago, we moved up here to the Northwest and brought Pasha with us. I wanted to get back into formal obedience training and working with dogs, so I began to do some research. I found Seattle Agility Center and decided to give it a try. Pasha and I loved it, and my dream of doing agility and competing has come true. Pasha competed until he earned his Elite Versatiliy Title, but is now retired. Agility was more something he did for me, not for pure enjoyment. He’s my obedience dog, now, and I have two more agility pups at home that keep me busy. Sadie-Girl is my 4 year old black-tri Aussie, and Koda is my new border collie mix puppy. Sadie has earned her Elite Versatility, and now we are counting points to earn a NATCH. Koda is my little boy who has just started…. Maybe someday we’ll talk about titles, for now, we’re just having fun!

If our paths cross in the agility or obedience world, I hope that I get a chance to share with you my love for dogs. Having a true canine friend and sharing a close partnership is like nothing else – I hope that you can find that same joy and love in your experience with your dogs as well!