When I moved to San Diego one of my first priorities was to find an agility trainer.  I asked several dog people and they gave me the same name Stacy Winkler.  One of my friends had a flyer for Stacy's facility - Keen Performance Dog Sports. With contact information in hand I called and scheduled a lesson.  This is one of the best things I ever did for my dogs.  Now 15 years later my dogs and I have earned 5 MACHs, been to the agility National and have had so much fun along the way.  Stacy is a consistent trainer with a keen eye for every situation.   That consistency translates into the dogs sound understanding.  She has helped me to be a better partner to my dogs. I recommend Stacy to anyone looking for RESULTs in their training. 

We have been blessed (and spoiled) to have one of the top agility instructors in the entire country in our own backyard for the past 15 years.  You are more than an instructor to us . . . you are a friend, and you will be dearly missed. Patty Englestad

My dogs and I have been taking agility lessons from Stacy Winkler for almost ten years. This involves four dogs all Brittanys. 

Stacy teaches an efficient form of agility so progress is easy to monitor. She is the best at recognizing a problem and the most expedient at fixing it. Weather puppy foundation or Master's level her pleasant demeanor and straight talk instruction are the very best. 

 Will miss you so much. You are the best agility instructor but more important you are such a good and kind human being. You simply cannot be replaced. 

I have been training in agility with Stacy for over 12 years and she is a brilliant instructor!  Stacy has an extraordinary eye for attention to the important details in handling and in dog behavior and motivation.  Stacy is a tremendous coach to her students and truly cares about us.  She always pushes me to be a better handler, which I so appreciate.  I have achieved MACHs and ATCH's and have competed at AKC and ASCA agility nationals with my dogs due to Stacy's instruction and she will always be my agility instructor as in my eyes no one else can fill those big shoes.

“What do you say about an agility trainer? A lot!! Especially when you have spent nearly 12 years training with an amazing, intuitive, witty instructor who knows how to bring out the best in your dog, in you as a handler, and then push you both into becoming a phenomenal team together. Stacy has incredible skill, knowledge beyond her years, and a way of calling you on your “crap” so that you pull up your socks, recognize what you need to do to achieve your goals, and then train through the rough patches. More than a trainer, Stacy is a coach—not just for athletes and Border Collies … but for everyone and for every breed. Under her instruction, my dogs (Brittanys and Jack Russells) have achieved 9 MACHs and worked through multiple training “issues.” She was worth every minute of the 2.5 hour commute for lessons and she will remain a remote training destination even a thousand miles away! Whether you have high drive dogs, low drive dogs, or just dog dogs—if you love agility, Stacy and her training philosophies are worth the drive! And don’t ever discredit her focus on foundation skills—because these will make all the difference in the end! BEST … INSTRUCTOR … EVER!”

The best thing about Stacy (other than that she truly cares, is passionate about dog agility and is hilarious) is that she never teaches you something that doesn’t work! She truly is a world-class talent – and not only does she know agility, she knows how to teach.

I can also say with confidence that Stacy really stands out from other instructors in terms of training your dog in ways that are consistent with established principles of behavior. I have a Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis, with a background in both human and animal behavior (but no doctorate in dog agility haha). Her training methods demonstrate insights and an understanding of behavior often found only in academia.

For those who really want to take their agility training to the next level, getting there is possible with Stacy as an instructor. And for beginners, I can’t imagine a better foundation. By taking private lessons, I’ve learned more than I’ve even had the time to apply fully in the few short years I’ve been working with her. I know I would not be anywhere near the trainer I am today without her.