On May 4, 2022, Spot On K9 Sports officially opens in a new location, 1851 E Fabyan Parkway, West Chicago IL 60185, in a beautiful, 17,250 square foot building! I have a dream team of amazing instructors and together, we’re teaching more than 20 classes in agility, obedience and nose work. Plus, we’ll host workshops, seminars and social pawties.
Can I be honest? My heart has been pounding so much that I feel like I drank 10 venti-sized Starbucks mochas. I rival my Border Collies for anxious energy right now! For 15 years, I have dreamed of having my own dog training facility where dog lovers could enjoy learning with their canine companions and making new friends in the process. Dreaming is not nearly as exhausting as doing!
In 2007, I started teaching agility in my backyard to the masses. Well, not exactly. I started out with two students, my mom and dad, who borrowed my brother’s German Shepherd, Sheba, and my Catahoula, Desoto. Soon, others joined in. After a couple years of teaching outside, I lamented to my vet, Dr. Denise Crittenden, that it was tough saying goodbye to my students come Winter and hoping they returned in the Spring.
She mentioned a basement area below the clinic that might work. Of course, when I heard the word basement, I thought low ceilings and a cold, cramped space. It was really nice! There were two good-sized rooms, a kitchenette, and she installed a bathroom, too. Dr. Dee and the wonderful staff at South Town Animal Hospital referred clients to me. I started offering obedience classes in addition to agility.
As my business grew, I needed an instructor to help me. It had to be someone who was just as good with people as they were with dogs. I turned to one of my students, Donna Orlowski, who ran her adorable black Pug, Kiya, in agility. She was and still is super fun, honest, responsible, and did I mention super fun?
Donna said yes to teaching all those years ago, and I am beyond grateful that she will be teaching at the new building! Spot On would not exist without her. It’s also amazing that Kiya, who is now 16 years old, has witnessed Spot On grow from backyard to basement to building.
Thanks to fellow agility lovers who also dream big, I was able to teach advanced agility classes at several new facilities. As wonderful as they were, I yearned for my own place. When the pandemic started, I thought the dream was over. People were prioritizing how they spent their time. Would they still want to do dog sports like agility? The answer was a resounding yes. Because it’s the social experience of agility that makes it so special. We build a stronger partnership with our dogs while making lifelong friends.
To Spot On friends old and new, welcome to our new home!