Enjoy Every Moment
Praise Every Run
In the early 2000s while living in the West Palm area, Lisa discovered agility through the Obedience Training Club of Palm Beach County. After a move to Sarasota/Bradenton in 2002, she joined the Sarasota Obedience Training Club and began teaching agility and soon became the Agility Director for the club. During this time, Lisa researched and followed the latest handling trends and was instrumental in developing a very successful agility program.
While at an agility trial in NW Florida after yet another move in 2014 to be closer to family, Lisa’s very handsome Golden Retriever, Finnegan, fell in love with Debbie Revell’s Golden Retriever, Honey. After getting to know each other, Debbie asked Lisa to join the Pets Behave team and she now teaches everything agility – from Puppy and Beginner through Advanced.
While Agility is her thing, Lisa also dabbles in AKC Rally and Obedience but has a great love for Tricks. Riley and Finnegan earned their AKC Rally Novice and Beginner Novice titles and Darcy, Pippin and Cassidy have earned several AKC Trick titles. Lisa enjoys trick so much that she offers an occasional Trick class throughout the year at Pets Behave in Niceville.
Team Graham enjoyed exploring the different agility venues throughout the South and in 2015, The Mobile Dog Training Club asked Lisa to present an agility and obedience workshop for their members. That weekend was the springboard she needed and over the next few years, was invited to Nashville, Baton Rouge, Pensacola and Tallahassee to do some Workshops for her new-found agility friends. In 2017, the fun came to an abrupt halt while Lisa struggled through hip pain and ultimately hip resurfacing surgery in 2018. After some time off, Team Graham is happy to be back playing the game again. In early 2024, she was invited to Montgomery for a 3-day workshop and then back to Baton Rouge later in the year.
For over 20 years, Lisa has worked with a wide range of breeds and handler skill sets and has taught everything from beginner to advanced/trial preparation classes. She enjoys the challenge of finding the best options for each dog/handler team no matter what their agility aspirations are. Lisa’s approach to teaching is to make sure that in each class, students will learn something new, will improve their existing skills and will be reminded of just how much fun Agility can be.
Team Graham may have changed dogs over the years, but not breed – all Gloriously Golden! Read more here.
Competed in AKC, ASCA, UKI, USDAA, ISC and NADAC.
Earned AKC MACH* with Finnegan (2) and Darcy (2 – regular and preferred).
Earned the honorific of the Golden Retriever Club of America’s Agility Dog Hall of Fame (ADHF**) Sophie, Finnegan, Darcy (2 – regular and preferred) and Pippin.
At the age of 3, Darcy was listed on the Bad Dog Agility’s Breed Power 10*** as the number one 20″ Golden Retriever for 2016 and has been listed several times in the 20″ and recently the 16″ Preferred classes.
Team Graham also enjoys ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America) and attends 2-3 trials a year at a local venue. Lisa joined ASCA and in addition to casual, fun weekends, in 2024 Pippin earned an ATCH (Agility Trial Champion****).
* AKC Master Agility Champion (MACH) Requirements
Championship points: Earn at least 750 championship points (earned when dog is under the SCT or Set Course Time).
Double qualifying scores: Earn 20 QQs (a double qualifying score is earned by qualifying in both the Master level Standard Class and the Master level Jumpers with Weaves Class on the same day).
AKC Preferred Agility Champion (PACH) for Preferred Jump Height
PACH requirements are the same as the MACH, but dog jumps 4″ lower than height class dog measured into
** GRCA Agility Dog Hall of Fame (ADHF) Requirements
The Agility Dog Hall of Fame (ADHF) was created to recognize those Golden Retrievers who display superior achievement in the sport of dog agility. The criteria for earning the ADHF title is as follows:
ADHF certificates and acknowledgement will be given to GRCA members only.
Dog has both MX and MXJ titles.
Dog has 10 Double Qs.
Dog has 375 MACH points.
Dog has earned 15 placements (a placement being any place 1st – 4th) of which at least five come from the Excellent B Standard class and five from the Excellent B Jumpers with Weaves class. In addition, six of the 15 placements must be earned on Double Q runs (dog must place in both the Excellent B Standard class and the Excellent B Jumpers with Weaves class at the same trial on the same day, three times). Placements are counted in Excellent B Standard from the time the dog has its AX, and in Excellent B Jumpers with Weaves from the time the dog has its AXJ. Double Q placements are counted from the time the dog has both its AX and AXJ titles.
*** Bad Dog Agility Breed Power 10
The Breed Power 10 is a group of the top 10 dogs in each breed at each height ranked by PowerScore. The Breed Power 10 recognizes the fastest dogs in our sport by using average yards per second, rather than double qualifying (QQ) runs or points.
**** ATCH Requirements
The ATCH Certificate will be awarded to dogs which have completed all of the following requirements:
Successfully earn a minimum of one hundred (100) points in the Jumpers Classes at the Elite Level in one of the three divisions after earning an Elite Jumpers Certificate.
Successfully earn a minimum of two hundred (200) points in the Regular Classes at the Elite Level in one of the three divisions after earning an Elite Agility Certificate.
Successfully earn a minimum of one hundred (100) points in the Gamblers Classes at the Elite Level in one of the three divisions after earning an Elite Gamblers Certificate.