Sarah Robinson
Ruffdog Team Member and Expert Balanced Dog Obedience Trainer and Coach
Sarah has built a deep connection with dogs throughout her life, starting with her family’s active breeding kennel for Field Golden Retrievers. Growing up surrounded by dogs, she first discovered her passion for training when she decided to keep a puppy from her family’s kennel in 2015. This decision set the stage for a successful journey in dog sports, as she and her Golden Retriever earned numerous high-in-class achievements in CKC Obedience competitions. In addition to obedience, they spent time training as part of a K9 SAR (Search and Rescue) group before the dog’s eventual retirement.
Sarah's professional career as a dog trainer began in 2017, when she began working with pet dogs and their owners using balanced training methods. Seeking new challenges, she became interested in the sport of IGP (formerly IPO) in 2018, acquiring a young German Shepherd that she trained and titled in 2022. After her German Shepherd retired due to health concerns, Sarah turned her focus to a young Malinois named Limit, with plans to start competing in IGP in 2025.
Her dedication to her craft is evident in her active memberships with organizations like the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), the German Shepherd Schutzhund Club of Canada (GSSCC), and the Canadian Working Belgian Shepherd Association (CWBSA). Sarah has also accumulated a wealth of experience in a variety of settings, including boarding kennels, breeding kennels, veterinary clinics, and of course, dog training
Over the past three years, Sarah has worked closely with Christine, shadowing her to deepen her understanding of training methodology, which she applies both to her own sport dogs and the pets she trains. This relationship with Christine has become an essential part of Sarah’s growth, and she credits this mentorship for refining her training techniques.
Sarah is currently expanding her expertise by completing the Certified Canine Athlete Specialist program through the Northeast K9 Conditioning Academy. Upon graduation, she plans to offer personalized fitness and conditioning plans for working K9s, sport dogs, and even active family pets.
With her extensive background in dog training, sport dog competition, and canine conditioning, Sarah brings a holistic and well-rounded approach to her work, helping dogs and their owners reach their fullest potential.
Reviews speak volumes
A friend recently recommended that I contact Sarah at RuffDog for training my dog. After speaking with Sarah about my goals, she suggested the Balanced Dog Obedience Training for Pet and Sport Dogs course.I have a 15-month-old, 120-pound German Shepherd that I got when he was five months old. He’s a great dog and about 80% where I’d like him to be, but there were still areas that needed improvement—for both of us.Fen and I attended the course a few days later, and I was thoroughly impressed. Sarah is a knowledgeable and professional instructor who is a pleasure to work with. The course was packed with valuable information, which Sarah explained using real-world examples that directly applied to my dog.After a couple of hours of lectures, we moved on to hands-on training. Sarah assessed both Fen and me, then provided specific, practical guidance to help us reach our training goals. With her help, I left feeling confident that I was on the right track.I look forward to future lessons with Sarah and highly recommend her to anyone needing help with dog training!
This training is a great investment. We invested in this for our dog, hoping that we could teach her valuable skills. It sure paid off. Our dog saw a deer on the property and went running after it. My husband called out for her to go down, exactly what we had trained for, and she responded immediately. It doesn't get better than that. I would totally recommend Sarah to anyone with a working dog and a need for good training.
Sarah is very personable and injects humor into her sessions with you. She makes it fun but will let you know when you need to tighten up your training; for example, The positioning of your body or your hands to more effectively maneuver or engage your dog.
Great trainer who helps you train both your dog and yourself.
The Intro to Balanced Obedience was surprisingly awesome training. To be honest, I signed up for this training because it was a requirement to move forward. I never realized how valuable it would be to me. So glad I signed up for it. Sarah is an amazing coach and she helps you prepare for the amazing journey ahead of you with your dog. I would definitely recommend this step.
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