Meet The Teacher

Our teacher, Kayl McCann has been around dogs her entire life. Her parents are long established and successful dog trainers, and at 3, Kayl got her first dog, a cute Border Collie named Piper. By the age of 7, Kayl was already competing, and soon took on the challenge of training her second dog Kozmic (a Lurcher) entirely by herself. Like most puppies, it was a challenge, but by then, she was already hooked.

If there's anyone Kayl can rely on for encouragement, advice and above all support, it's her parents. They've even been to every major competition she's ever entered! A lot of dog training is learnt as you go along, but having dog trainers as parents sure comes in handy once in a while.

Since the age of 16, Kayl has been teaching dog training classes. It started as an enjoyable way to earn a bit of money, but it was soon clear a strong future lay ahead. Taking classes, seminars and clinics has taught her well and she's now been a full time teacher for over 5 years.

Competing internationally since 2004, Kayl has been quick to make her mark. In total she has won over 25 medals, including 5 golds for Canada. Her proudest moment came in 2006 when her dog, Jitter Bug (an 8 year old Border Collie), won an unexpected gold at the World Agility Championships.

Kayl has 7 dogs in total, so let's start with the youngest. There's 1 year old Rayz'r, a Belgian Malinois, who's apparently a bit of a rebel. Funkee Monkee is next, he's a 15 month old Border Collie cross with a fantastic attitude. Then there's Batman, a 4 year old Papillon, who started out as a rescue dog but has since become a star. He's currently ranked #7 in agility in Canada and has recently turned his attention to acting in commercials and movies too! Next up is Hummer, a 5 year old Border Collie cross. Not as competitive as the other dogs, Kayl plays a lot of Flyball with him, which by all accounts he absolutely loves! Then we have 6.5 year old Slyce, one of Kayl's favourite dogs. She's a super talented Border Collie who always gives her all. She's won several gold medals so far and Kayl hopes for even more this year too. Jitter Bug is an 8 year old Border Collie who also competes a lot. She's the 2006 World Agility Champion and won a bronze in 2008. Last but not least is Ping Pong, a 10 year old Border Collie-Jack Russell cross. She's the oldest in the bunch, but over the years has won many medals including 3 at the World Agility Championships.

If there's one piece of advice Kayl would pass on to aspiring trainers, it's to build a fantastic relationship between you and your dog. Never assume you know everything about dog training. The best trainers never close their minds and never stop learning.

Aside from her passion for dogs, Kayl's a regular 25 year old. She used to sing in a band, enjoys traveling, camping and loves escaping to the cottage for a few days in the summer. Being young, she sometimes thinks about going back to school, but when you see how she is when training dogs, it's clear nothing can make her as happy as this.