What makes us your best choice

Our team is passionate and talented dog professionals, who are hand picked and led by Olga Baram, a dog trainer, a competitor and coach with 28 years of experience under her belt not only training family dogs but also competing with her own at World Championships. Why does it matter to you if you are only having a couple of issues at home with your family dog? Just like when looking for a doctor or even a hairdresser, you wouldn’t just go to whoever is available simply because they are next door. You would do your research first. Same applies to dog trainers because you want the best possible experience for your furry family member and the best possible results for your life together for years ahead!

We live on the property, so unlike the commercial facilities, your dogs are never left overnight all alone. I am involved in daily operations and I lead the training program for each dog. You will never be pushed around through teenagers answering the phones or taking messages, I answer the phone and most of your questions personally, or at least oversee it.

Our brand new world class canine training center in Englewood, FL is a state of the art facility and my dream of 30 years that has finally coming together! Private and secure 6-acre property designed exclusively for dogs makes it one of the best not only in FL but in the country! Football stadium size training field, an indoor air conditioned training building, a spacious climate control training room, canine gym with fitness equipment an treadmills, bathing quarters, multiple fenced shady exercise runs with training equipment and an obstacle course is all here for your dog’s enriched stays. With tons of activities and events for serious competitors and family dogs to dabble in we are super excited to welcome you into our Dogsports4u family!

Meet Olga!

You have the advantage of working with a trainer who not only competes but has also raised her own dog from a puppy to the highest level in one of the most challenging dog sports—IGP (formerly Schutzhund).

Olga Baram understands aggression, natural drives, and impulse control. The key difference between a competitor and a pet dog trainer is the depth of connection and relationship with the dog—without relying on food, toys, or leashes.

In trials, the true test of training comes when the dog competes off-leash in obedience and protection, channeling its power, natural instincts, and drives while demonstrating complete control, concentration, and unwavering focus on the handler—all with enthusiasm and joy.

Often, a dog’s distractive behavior, leash reactivity, or aggression stems from misunderstanding, a lack of impulse control, and an inability to channel natural instincts productively. Working dogs are energetic, strong-willed, and driven by instinct. Successfully training them requires skill and experience to channel their abilities into remarkable results.

Most local trainers rely solely on reward-based or suppression training—just a fraction of the tools Olga has refined over the years. Her approach integrates a diverse range of training methods tailored to each dog’s unique needs.

Olga's Story

I was born in Minsk, Belarus, and when I was five, my mom took me to a utility dog trial. From that moment, I was hooked. I started dreaming of getting my own Collie puppy to train for OKD/ZKS trials—competitions that involved scent discrimination, obedience, and protection work.

Living in a small apartment, I spent the next five years begging my parents for a dog while saving money and devouring every book on dog training I could find. Finally, for my 10th birthday, they gave in and got me a small Poodle mix (back then, it wasn’t called a Doodle 😊). It wasn’t the Lassie I had dreamed of, but it was my very own living, breathing puppy! And so, my journey began…

Over the past 30+ years, I’ve raised, owned, and trained a variety of dogs. My first, the Poodle mix (who, unfortunately, wasn’t allowed to compete in working dog trials 😂), was followed a decade later by a Rough Collie in my Brooklyn studio apartment 😊. Since then, I’ve worked with five Belgian Sheepdogs, earning multiple obedience, agility, and tracking titles, and now, my 2 most incredible Malinois—along with countless dogs belonging to others.

My obsession with dogs has made me a sponge for all things canine: AKC Conformation, Competitive Obedience, Agility, genetics, breed health, puppy imprinting, proper nutrition, raw diets, structure, wellness, and physical conditioning.

But my true passion is IGP, formerly known as Schutzhund. It’s one of the toughest canine sports in the world, similar to police work, but harder in a sense where the dog and handler teams get judged not only on precision for points, but also on our relationship with the dog, and the dog’s positive state of emotions and motivation. It involves tracking, obedience and protection phases where each dog/handler team must pass all 3 just to earn a title...

I am extremely proud of my lifetime dreams and goals coming to life, in 2022 me and my Belgian Malinois, D&C’s Bravo, IGP3, FH, CGC earned a prestigious spot on the American team (top 6 dogs in the country) and went to represent USA at FCI IGP World Championship in Czech Republic! I raised Bravo since he was seven weeks old. Together, we earned IGP3 titles 5 times, and an FH which is an advanced tracking title. Unfortunately Bravo got injured, had knee surgery and had to be retired from big stadiums, and he now had to settle for living a regular pet life! Bravo is more than just my competition dog; he’s my best friend, my partner, my buddy and my shadow in everyday life. We traveled, trained, and competed together, and besides being a fierce competitor, he’s also a fantastic breed ambassador—loves being friendly to everyone and embracing all of life’s adventures 😊. I now have a puppy She-Ra I am raising as my next competitions partner, who came into my life as a hoarding situation re-home, but it was impossible to miss her special talents and fun personality. We are starting to get ready for our new IGP journey together as well as learning how to be the best family dog and a Canine Good Citizen.

I first discovered IGP (then called Schutzhund) in 1995 while living in Brooklyn with my Collie. I joined a Schutzhund club and quickly became captivated by this highly demanding, competitive working dog sport. IGP combines three disciplines—Tracking, Obedience, and Protection—all judged on the relationship between handler and dog. The sport requires precise performance in a high state of arousal while maintaining total control. It pushes both dogs and handlers to evolve constantly, making it as addictive as it is rewarding—it truly becomes a way of life!

I’m committed to continuous learning and constantly refining my skills. Bravo and now She-Ra and I travel the country, attending seminars and training with literally the world’s top trainers. I am currently undergoing a super intense certification program with 2 times World champion and an incredible dog trainer in Finland Mia Skogster, and currently there are less than 20 trainers in the world who are certified by her...

I believe all dogs thrive when they’re a real part of the family, whether they’re top sport dogs, champions, canine athletes, or couch potatoes... Our dogs go everywhere with us—beach strolls, town walks, shopping, outdoor dining, RV trips, and even flying. With the right training and manners, your dog can be part of your everyday life, too! I love helping my clients transform unruly dogs into well-mannered companions. Sport dogs or lap dogs, every dog wants to wake up with a purpose and to belong in his family pack.

I’ve always prioritized structure, movement, proper weight, and nutrition, but it wasn’t until Bravo that I became serious about injury prevention and sport-specific conditioning. I’ve seen too many dogs get hurt in this sport, and I knew the best cure was prevention. That’s why I earned my CCAS (Canine Athlete Specialist Certification), the only program dedicated specifically to the needs of working dogs. Now, I integrate fitness, nutrition, and wellness into my training programs to enhance motivation, build confidence, and help dogs relax, overcome fears, and avoid injuries while running and playing.

And then there’s DogSports4U—a labor of love where I personally select, design, develop, and test high-quality dog training equipment, gear, and clothing to ensure trainers and handlers have the best tools available.

At DogSports4U, our team is just as carefully selected as our products. Everyone on the team is canine CPR and first aid certified and our team of trainers is supervised and coached by Olga. If you share our commitment to excellence and passion for improving the lives of dogs and their people, we’re always looking for the right fit!

Here are a few more things I'd like to mention:

Certified Canine Athlete Specialist
AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
Pet Partners Evaluator Therapy dogs certification in process
Mia Skogster certification in process
Served as Regional Director and as Secretary and Executive Board member of AWMA - American Working Malinois Associaton for 4 years
Member of DVG-America
Member of AWMA

Meet lrene

Our head trainer Irene McKay is a committed and confident dog training professional with the ability to handle dogs of any breed and work in a volatile and high stress environment. Her experience as a dog trainer has a strong academic background, which has been enriched by different work experiences within various dog training facilities, vet hospitals and the leading pet supplies company.

Few words from Irene:

Dogs are my biggest passion in life. My personal Yellow Labrador, Lada, was raised by me as a Leader Guide dog, but was not able to fulfill her purpose due to a progressive degenerative disease. I adopted her and developed a keen interest in nutrition and alternative pet therapies while helping Lada to cope with her condition. After she passed away at the age of 10, I got another Labrador puppy, Dasha, who is now 3 years old. We began training Dasha in Competitive Obedience, and I am proud that she has earned AKC titles for Canine Good Citizen, Temperment Test, Beginner Novice, Novice, and four AKC Trick Dog Titles. Besides this, I like being active and keeping fit, particularly my Zumba classes at the gym

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS

2021 Do More with Your Dog Certification:(Course by Kyra Sundance)

Canine Conditioning and Fitness Coach
Dog Trick Instructor
Pet Acting

2011 Penn Foster School Veterinary Assistant Diploma

2010 Greyfriar’s Rehab Centre, UK Certifications for Hydrotherapy

Pool Water Management Canine Anatomy and Physiology
Understanding Orthopedic Conditions
First Aid for Hydrotherapists and CanineProfessionals

2010 Equisage Canine Sport Massage course Certification: Canine Sport Massage Therapist

2010 Compass Education, UK Certification: Dog Nutrition

2005-2006 Penn Foster School Dog Obedience Trainer/Instructor

2005 American Red Cross Pet First Aid certification

WORK EXPERIENCE

2022-2024 Pet Suites, Bradenton, FL

Dog Trainer

2014-Present Therapy Dogs Approved Evaluator

2011-2022 Pet Smart Pet Training Instructor

2012-2019 Michigan Avenue Animal Hospital

Hydrotherapist and Dog Trainer

2010-2019 Canine Sport Massage Therapist

2010-2013 Me and My Shadow, Garden City, MI

Certified Canine Hydrotherapist and Freelance Consultant

2006-Present

Approved Evaluator for AKC Canine Good Citizen

2008-2011 Lakeshore All American Pet Resort/ Lakeshore Perfect Pets,

St. Clair Shores, MI

Head Trainer (full time) at Doggie Training Center

Canine Sports Massage Therapist

2005-2008 PETCO Novi, MI

Meet Jordyn!

Jordyn is our youngest trainer, she is 16, but don’t let her age fool you! She has been at the Academy almost from the beginning and has been here the longest. She is one of the 2 junior handlers currently competing with their dogs at the AWMA (American Working Malinois Association). Jordyn is not only extremely mature, responsible, and serious, she also has some pretty impressive accomplishments in dog training under her belt!

Here is her story in her own words:

I'm 16 years old. I grew up in Englewood, Florida my whole life and had dogs as long as I can remember myself. The first dog I had of my own and trained was a chihuahua x jack russel, and that was when I really got into dog training and behavior. She ended up learning over 40 tricks, all random things I thought were cool and taught them however I could. I adore little dogs because of her!

I then got a malinois x german shepherd, and began IGP training with her. I was able to learn the basics of the sport and get valuable experience with her, until I decided to be more serious about the sport and competing and got a pure bred malinois to co-own from a well known breeding and training kennel Ot Vitosha.

I started mentoring under Olga and was fortunate enough to be invited to work at Dogsports4u Academy, which at the time had only one other employee. It has now been over two years and we’ve trained countless dogs and made a difference in so many lives for dogs and for their families… I am very fortunate to work at such an amazing place with even more amazing people, and look forward to the future at DogSports4u Academy and training more of your pups as well as achieving more IGP titles with my own dog!

Meet Nicole!

Nicole is a key player at DogSports4U Academy, she is The kennel manager and the enrichment co-oridnator, and she is bringing a lifetime of hands‑on animal care experience to the dogs she supports each day.

Raised in the veterinary world alongside her mother, a veterinary technician, she spent her childhood in the vet clinic learning what compassionate, attentive care truly looks like.

Nicole began her own career at just 15 as a kennel technician and later expanded her skills through veterinary and emergency medicine work.
Now 33, Nicole oversees kennel operations with a calm, knowledgeable presence, ensuring every dog receives safe, structured, and individualized care throughout their training journey. She is dedicated to maintaining a clean, low‑stress environment where animals can thrive and build confidence here at the Academy.

She shares her home and her life with 2 of her own dogs, a Rottweiler Arie and a mixed rescue Willow and Arie and Nicole are starting to dabble in IGP obedience)

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The Latest from the Blog

0 to 100 or how we went BH-IGP1-IGP2-IGP3 in under a year

D&C’s Bravo IGP 3...98-86-95 today HIT alternate breed at the USRC IGP 2019 Nationals!

This dog!!! ❤️❤️❤️We went in just under a year through a BH, IGP 1, IGP2 and IGP3!!! And he is only 2 years old!!! Proudly walking in his dad Scooter’s footsteps🤩.

What a ride and what a journey!!!💥💥 We are still on high cloud with so many friends and acquaintances from all over the world congratulating us on our great results and my hard work. So many are asking how we did it.

IGP Warm-up for beginner dogs

Do you know what minimizes the risk of injuries and improves your dog's performance on the field? Just like the human athletes, they need a proper warm-up. It increases their heart rate and warms up the muscles. And, when it's sport specific, it actually warms up "the right muscles" ,

those same ones that will be used most during your training session or the trial routine!

Way too often, I watch handlers hang on the sidelines, wait for their turn, go to the car to get the dog ready and...