Mary Engstrom
Mary currently shares her home with two Shiba Inu’s – Mayday and Thunder. She got hooked on dog sports in 2001 when her first obedience instructor said “I can’t believe I am saying this out loud, but your Shiba Koshou is a really good obedience dog. You need to keep moving up with him!” Over 20 years, Mary and her Shiba partners have earned titles in agility, rally, trick dog, coursing ability test, Fast CAT and barn hunt. Koshou went on to become the fastest Shiba ever in the 60 weave pole challenge. Thunder is the lifetime fastest ever Shiba in Fast CAT with his best run at 29.35 mph. (Thankfully Mary worked with great trainers to insure he has a solid recall!) They have been recognized by the National Shiba Club of America for their yearly top dog performance in several sports as well as receiving a special NSCA Versatility award for the scope of their work.
Mary believes that the enrichment provided by canine activities is vital to having a happy, healthy, confident dog. There are many options to choose from for dogs and handlers of all abilities and limitations. There is no “can’t” – there is only “how can I?”