About Fly Dog Sports
Christiana Gunderson, Owner & Trainer
My journey with animals began in childhood through 4-H, where I learned to handle everything from chickens to cattle for showmanship competitions. In high school, I performed with a PRCA Drill Team on a horse I showed while bareback and bridleless, later teaching beginner western riding lessons and mentoring young riders as the assistant
My journey with animals began in childhood through 4-H, where I learned to handle everything from chickens to cattle for showmanship competitions. In high school, I performed with a PRCA Drill Team on a horse I showed while bareback and bridleless, later teaching beginner western riding lessons and mentoring young riders as the assistant drill team captain.
My passion for dog training started in college, when I taught my first dog, Kaycee, to carry a flower basket in our wedding. That spark grew into a love for agility and Frisbee competitions, where my dog Oscar and I qualified for the 2008 Skyhoundz World Championship.
In 2006, I became Operations Director at SafeHaven Humane Society, where I worked hands-on with thousands of dogs—evaluating behavior, running playgroups, counseling adopters, and rehabilitating dogs from neglect and abuse cases, including wolf hybrids. My own adopted dogs during that time, especially a fearful Miniature American Shepherd, became some of my greatest teachers.
I returned to agility in 2020 with my Pomeranian mix, Bridger, which led to an apprenticeship under trainer Tammy Moody and eventually to teaching classes of my own. In 2023, I adopted an Australian Shepherd and we trained and competed in scent work, sparking a passion that inspired me to begin offering nose work classes.
Today, I’m dedicated to helping people build stronger, more rewarding connections with their dogs no matter what their breed or history through positive reinforcement training.
Continuing education includes:
2023
Handling Problem Behavior & Mistakes, Karen Pryor National Training Center ~ Graham, WA
FDSA 3 day Camp ~ Albany, OR
Worked Up 2.0 with Sarah Stremming ~ Newberg, OR
2024
Control Unleashed 2 day workshop
Clicker Expo, Portland, OR
APDT 3 Day Conference, Riverside, CA
Know the Nose Two Online Conference- FDSA
Aleks Woodroffe Nose Work Seminar Bend, OR
2025
NACSW K9 Nose Work Training Fest Pacific Northwest
Vicki Lovejoy Nose Work Workshop
Agility Seminars with Loretta Mueller
