Dianne Ford

I have been a handler, competitor, coach in the sport of agility since November 1994. I became an agility judge in April 2015 (AAC) then switched to judging for UKI.  I have aided CKC Agility in Newfoundland by judging for CKC at a Sanctioning Match and the trial during the pandemic when Newfoundland had closed borders.  I became interested in Hoopers in 2023 when I started looking into retirement options for my current agility partner. 

I officially started Hoopers in October 2024 when Debbie Vassallo came to Newfoundland to teach a workshop and introduce the sport.  I became a CHC judge January 2025.  I have taught the first Hoopers class on the island and will be offering workshops this Spring.  2025 is busy with me mentoring 6 new UKI agility judges for Newfoundland, but after that, I’m hoping to host the premier CHC trial in Newfoundland.

My dog sport philosophy focuses on maintaining a fun and safe environment for the dogs and handlers, while striving for quality performance and strengthening the communication and relationship between dog and handler through the use of non-force training techniques.  I have competed in agility in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland, England and Wales. 

I started with Saskatchewan Agility Association, Inc. (served as their President for 2.5 years back in the 90s).  I coached and aided in the growth of agility businesses in Kingston and North Bay, Ontario.  When I moved to Newfoundland, I co-founded of Newfoundland Athletic Dog Association, Inc. and started their agility programming.  I am also the founder and director of DPF Leading Agility, Inc. in which I coach and consult for business leaders and coach in the dog sport of agility locally, nationally and internationally.  I have also conducted two research studies on agility equipment safety (one posted on my blog regarding the collapsible tunnel, the other (tunnel safety) recently published in a veterinary journal). 

Finally, I have taken several (agility) course designing professional development courses over the years, including OfCourse with Tamás Tráj, Jan Egil Eide, Petr Pupik (working spot in four offerings, 2021-2024, and now have OfCourse Gold Edition completed), Global Judging Program with Greg Derrett and Lee Gibson in 2020, Course Designing with Greg Derrett and Lee Gibson in 2020, plus the organizational judge certification training with AAC (includes course designing, completed April 2015) and UKI (recertification completed August 7, 2024).