Meet Tessa Trusner: The Family Pet Became Her Sports Partner

Name: Tessa Trusner

Age: 14

Grade: Eighth

Hometown: Stephens City, VA

Family: Sisters, Audrey and Ella; Parents, Katie and Ryan Trusner

Just a few months after Molina became the Trusner family pet, it became clear that she would really be Tessa’s dog. Now the pair have become avid competitors; they scored second place in the 20-inch class at the 2021 AKC Junior Agility Competition. Read about their great start to an exciting dog sport career.

AKC: How old is Molina and how did she come into your life?

Tessa: My dog Molina is a 4-year-old Aussie mix. We got Lina to be a family pet, but after a few months, Lina and I started to bond more than anyone else. At this point, she has become my personal dog and my best friend.

AKC: What got you started in training and competing with dogs?

Tessa: I’ve always been interested in dogs. Initially, I was super interested in mushing. When I got Lina as a puppy, I was not originally planning on doing dog sports. As I started to learn more about training Lina to do tricks, dog sports like agility started to spark my interest.

AKC: What sports does Lina compete in and what titles/honors has she earned?

Tessa: When we moved from Illinois to Virginia, I started taking agility classes with Lina. That started a chain of classes and practice to competition in agility. We have yet to compete in disc and dock diving because we are still training for these events. In agility, Lina has earned her MXJ, TKI, MX, and T2B. Lina and I also scored second place in the 20-inch class at JAC 2021. We are currently working towards our MACH.

AKC: Is your family involved in dog training/showing?

Tessa: None of my family has done dog sports so we were all new to it when I got started!

AKC: Tell us about what dog training has meant to you. 

Tessa: Dog training has become a way for me to keep my dogs happy, learn how to explore and research, keep my mental health positive, and much more. One of the things I have really loved about the dog training world is the bond you grow with your dog, and the people you meet along the way.

AKC: Tell us about any other dogs you may have – names, ages, and what sports they compete in.

Tessa: I have another personal dog, a 13-month-old Border Collie named Marvel. He’s the only other dog I have really focused on training for dog sports. I plan to compete in agility, dock diving, and disc with him. My family has two other dogs, Eve, a Siberian Husky, and Ozzie, another mixed breed. Neither Eve nor Ozzie compete. However, Ozzie knows some tricks that I taught him just for fun!

AKC: Do you own any “non-dog” pets?

Tessa: We have one cat outside of the dogs. I used to own small animals like geckos and a hedgehog, but I’ve moved on to strictly dogs!

AKC: What are your goals in the sport of dogs?

Tessa: I would love to get Lina’s MACH, get her entered in disc events, and more dock diving. I’d also like to attend future big events like the NAC and go to JAC again! I am looking forward to competing with Marvel in agility and dock diving in the near future.

AKC: Do you plan do to something animal related as a career?

Tessa: Ideally, I’d love to become a sports and rehabilitation veterinarian as an occupation. But I still have some time to think about my job.

AKC: What extracurricular activities are you involved in addition to dog sports?

Tessa: Dogs take up the majority of my time, and I base most of my schedule around them. I used to be competitive in soccer, but now I prefer to do dog sports!