Desiree Snelleman, Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI)
Desiree spent the first twenty five years of her career as a personal health & fitness professional working with such reputable companies as The Sports Club Company. During that time, she mastered the skills needed to help her clients build strong and healthy bodies, She gained such a strong teaching and learning philosophy that she taught other fitness professionals how to train their clients. She officially added dogs to her training career with the launch of Fido'N Friends.in Motion, a company that served to promote, educate, influence and create optimal health and well-being through exercise and mental stimulation for both dogs and people. She parlayed that expertise into working with her own dogs who have become national competitors in their own right. T'ai, one of her Siberian Huskies is ranked as the nation's top Siberian husky in dog agility. Chi, T'ai's sister, is not quite as accomplished as her brother, but is beginning to blossom and is doing her best to close the gap on the list for the national rankings. Stinger, her young border collie is a rising star in agility and has made it into the finals at every Regional and National event he has competed in his short career. Her dogs have also earned titles in Obedience, Rally Obedience and are Canine Good Citizens.
Desiree has been involved in scent detection and Fun Nose Work classes since their inception. She worked all of her dogs at every class level and went on to become one of the first instructors to complete the apprenticeship program and certification in scent work. (Certified Nose Work Instructor - CNWI under K9 Noseworks and the National Canine Scent Work Association - NCSWA.) Her dog, Chi took First Place Overall in the Inaugural Fun Nose Work Competition August 2008 and T'ai and Stinger were on the teams that finished first and second in the team event. In the December 7, 2008 Preliminary Trial and Practice Match, her dog Stinger took Top Box Drill, Top Exterior Area Search, Top Vehicle Search and First Place Overall and Chi was on the first place team. She is currently preparing her dogs for their title qualifiers at the First Official, National Nose Work Trial in January 2009. Her love of nose work and working dogs has led her to teaching and also conducting seminars to support handlers and dogs in this new sport.
Desiree has become a sought after lecturer and has presented nationally at many of the most respected dog training and behavior programs around. This includes, but is not limited to Dog Sense and the Instructor Course at Terry Ryan's Legacy Canine Behavior and Training Center in addition to Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles.
Some of Desiree's educational accomplishments include gaining her teaching and coaching credentials from the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education and another degree in athletic training, sports medicine from San Diego State University. She has also earned a Counseling Certificate from The San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers with Jean Donaldson and has attended two of the Bailey and Bailey chicken camps.
Desiree is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), the American Canine Sports Medicine Association (ACSMA) and the Southern California Dog Trainer's Forum (SCDTF). Desiree has been a member of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and is a certified personal trainer/member of the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). http://fidonfriends.com/
