In Their Own Words: Student Testimonials That Capture the Essence of Learning
"Karen has been instrumental in my young dogâs improvement in the ring. From analysing my video submissions, she can assist in a range of areas to improve and then sets exercises which are easy to follow and well explained. Every dog and handler has their own agility journey, and mine and Blinkâs could have been far more difficult to remedy if it wasnât for Karenâs help. "
Dee Ockey
Agility Competitor
"Attending Karenâs seminar was such an amazing and positive experience. Going to other seminars Iâve come away feeling stink about my prior training efforts and told I MUST do this to fix it. But going to Karenâs seminar, she observed what Iâve already done and praised it massively and only had ideas that could improve the work Iâve already done. This has made me feel as though I am already a good enough trainer which is a massive boost to my confidence. Karen pushed me to trust my dogs which is something Iâve struggled with as Iâve always been taught to baby my dogs and support them to everything and Iâve never had the confidence to just trust. Karen has made me feel so much more confident as a handler and Iâm so happy with how much we covered over the weekend. Karen is such a kind and supportive trainer who supported everyone with all of their needs, and everyone came away feeling so much better about their skills and confidence! I would recommend one of Karenâs seminars to anyone, whether they are a senior handler or a beginner. Karen does not push her own opinions on to you, she works to expand your skills, confidence and trust as a handler! "
Taylor Mechen
Agility Competitor
"Karen is an absolutely amazing instructor who has a wealth of knowledge to share. She is a super friendly, constructive, interactive coach. Karen prepares lessons, courses and sequences tailored directly to what you want to work on during your time with her and whilst you attend your lesson, she watches how your dog functions and how you work together as a team thoroughly, giving you consistent feedback to helping you understand why your dog is doing what it does. I couldnât recommend Karen enough as a coach, I always come away absolutely buzzing with everything I learn from her. She is an amazing mentor! "
Ashton McDonald
Agility Competitor
"I cannot recommend Karen and her training enough! I started my training journey in June 2021 with my older dog Aria, I wanted to retrain our contacts as it was our constant failure in the ring and was holding us back. I had always been in admiration of Karenâs contacts so our journey began! With Aria, she lacked understanding of the position I wanted and what was expected of her. Karen observed where we were and what holes we had in our foundations and built it back up successfully with enormous support. Then, in December 2021, we added my young collie, Phoenix, into the training programme at 16 weeks old. Unfortunately, I had to retire Aria in 2022 due to increasing health issues, so decided not to continue with her contact training, but that just increased our training together with Phoenix then progressed on now with my next collie, Leia. Karenâs training is second to none! She is understanding, and patient. No question is a silly question and she is never unhappy to explain things further if I donât understand them, which can be hard as we do a lot of training online but Karen will often draw diagrams so I can visually understand. The depth of her knowledge is also unmatchable! She has a vast knowledge of important exercises to ensure the fitness of our dogs. I easily get overwhelmed with the amount of skills needed to be taught to get my dogs into the ring again, but she helps me focus my thinking with a training plan, with short fun exercises that work on a variety of skills. "
Lauren Homer
Agility Competitor
"Hello Karen, I want to express how very happy I am to have had you as my Dog Agility Instructor Karen. When I first met you Karen, I had come to you with a border-collie who was about to have his second birthday. My border-collie, âShiney,â is very full of energy and over- active and hard to manage at times. Your calm and knowledgeable teaching made the world of difference to both âShineyâ and me. I was anxious about how I would calm Shiney to focus on his agility skills which he learned quickly but Shiney did require calming skills for him to focus on his tasks. Not only did you implement steps for me to calm Shiney, Karen, but you were very patient, kind and enjoyable to work with. This positive attitude from you Karen instilled confidence between me, the dog-owner, and my dog. Your dog training skills are top-class Karen. You are clever at tuning into the dog with your skills and knowledge. This has resulted in great results from âShiney.â âShineyâ has shown you lots of appreciation in his fondness of you as well Karen. (see picture) Dogs know when they matter as you well know Karen. You have made Shiney and I matter which has manifested itself in âShineyâsâ good demonstration of his skills taught by you Karen. Your kind and exact instruction to me made me feel confident in my directing of Shiney. âShineyâsâ great dog-agility performance is because of your calm and confident instruction Karen. Thank-you again Karen for your kindness and great coaching to âShineyâ and me, Karen. Anyone who is lucky enough to be instructed by you Karen will leave your Agility class with big smiles on his/her face and a very happy dog. Sincerely, Jenny Jackson"
Jenny Jackson
Agility Competitor
"Team Murihiku Hounds has attended multiple seminars run and coached by Karen Morrison. Each seminar we have attended has left me more confident and inspired by what my dogs and I have the potential to achieve. Running multiple breeds of dogs in agility requires a variety of different approaches and understandings. Karen has been extremely skilled and understanding when it comes to the variety of approaches needed for my Golden Retriever and Border Collies. Her extensive knowledge of breeds and agility has made every seminar we have attended a rich and constructive experience. The Murihiku Hounds Team have always left Karenâs seminars feeling confident and positive about myself and my dogs. Karenâs warm and approachable personality makes asking questions easy and comfortable. Her feedback is always productive, kind, and friendly. Karenâs advice and training has given me the confidence to believe that I am capable and skilled enough to train my dogs to their full potential. Trusting and seeing my dogs for the potential they have is something I would never have been able to achieve without Karenâs teaching, expertise, and praise. I would recommend Karen to anyone, no matter their level or experience, her wide base of knowledge would suit anyone who is looking to improve their handling or their dog's capabilities. I look forward to attending as many seminars run by Karen as I can! Sincerely Murihiku Hounds (Justin Crosswell)"
