04/01/2025
**Top Dog PSA - Club Member Spotlight:
Kelli Sams Heathman n & Koning – PSA2 Title Earned!**
This weekend at the Dallas K9 Trial in Kaufman, TX, Kelli and her dog Koning made Top Dog PSA Club proud by earning their PSA Level 2 title – and were the only Level 2 team to pass all weekend! And they are the 8th team from our club to achieve a level 2 title.
Kelli’s PSA journey with Koning began in 2021, when they stepped onto the trial field for the first time as Top Dog PSA Club members and earned their PDC in Florida. Just nine months later, they hit the field again in Carrollton, TX, and crushed a back-to-back PSA1 title.
Kelli dove into Level 2 prep soon after. Their first attempt came near the end of the 2023 season, where Koning (like many dogs) reminded everyone how humbling the call-off portion of that routine can be. But instead of backing down, Kelli doubled down.
She took some time off from trialing to focus hard on training – and it paid off. In late 2024, they earned their first PSA2 leg in Canyon, TX, along with some very impressive trial hardware.
This weekend, they returned to the field – stronger and more focused than ever – and closed out their PSA2 title. 💪🔥
What makes this even more impressive? Kelli had no prior professional handling or training experience before starting PSA with Koning. Her commitment, work ethic, and determination have brought them to this level, and we know she’s just getting started.
Big thanks to Khoi Pham and the K9 Working Dogs of Dallas for welcoming Kelli to train and helping expose Koning to new environments and decoys and allowing her to supplement her training when she has additional availability. Your truly an inspiration to others and your support for others is a hallmark of what makes this sport so special.
Earning a PSA2 is no small feat – it’s a testament to the dog, the handler, and the training behind them.
Huge congratulations to Kelli & Koning! We’re proud to have you as part of the Top Dog team– and we can’t wait to see what’s next for you and Koning.
