About Golden Acres
Chase That Fun!
We provide a fun place to take your dog to work on agility, rally, fitness, scent, manners, obedience, disc, tracking, or just plain fun! Private rentals are available to eligible individuals.
Our passion for dogs doesn't end with providing a space for fun. We also curate supplies and toys that we have tested on our pack! We believe in sharing knowledge and fostering a community of informed pet parents, so we regularly update our "Paw Prints" blog, which is packed with interesting topics, pet care tips, dog training resources, and stories that all dog lovers will enjoy.
For a fun space, a positive learning environment, experienced instructors, dog toys that will keep your pup engaged, treats that will make their mouth water, and tried and tested pet supplies - look no further than Golden Acres.
Let's 'Chase That Fun' journey of pet parenthood together. Our Smart Start Puppy Class helps pet owners teach their puppy important social skills and culminates in the AKC All Star Puppy test.
We are located in Pataskala, OH, just past Gahanna. The address will be provided with your service confirmation.
Our Instructors
Cindy Warren, Agility Instructor, Rally Instructor, Curriculum Manager
Cindy Warren teaches rally and agility here at Golden Acres. She has been involved in dog sports for over 25 years, competing primarily in agility and rally obedience. With her Shelties, she has earned dozens of championships in agility and has competed at the national level since 2016. In rally, she has also earned numerous championships and received several top 20 National rankings since 2015, including securing top spots in 2024 with #1 in level 3 with Vail and #2 in level 2 with Iclyn.
Cindy believes that good dog training should always be fun for the dog and thinks dog sports should always be confidence-building for both the human and the dog. She excels at meeting teams where they are. She began teaching dog sports in 2003 and prides herself on preparing students for their competition goals, whether it be for Agility or Rally. Students regularly seek her out to help them prepare for National Breed Specialties in rally because she has a proven track record of producing confident and competent students. Cindy is also a WCRL Rally Judge. She has private lessons available at Golden Acres.
Cindy has put many titles on her Shelties, including:
-MACH 3, PACH, ARCHMX3 Eastbrooke JusDandy Victory in Dinner Dress Blues, MXC, MJC, PJD, TKA, RL1 (AOE), RL2, RL3 (AOE), FL1 (AOE), "Coco"
-PACH 2, ARCHMX Eastbrooke JusDandy Devine Delite "Gracie" MXPB, MJPB, TKA, RL1X, RL2 (AOE), RL3 (AOE)
-MACH 2, ARCHX Chop Delivers the Goods O'Eire, RL1 (AOE), RL2 (AOE), "Loggie"
-MACH 3, ARCHX CastleGate's Snow Daze, TKN, RL1 (AOE), RL2 (AOE), RL3 (AOE), FL1 (AOE) "Vail"
-Legacies Elevate my Soul, CGC, MX, MXJ "Soarin'"
-ARCH Castlegate's Winter is Coming, RL1X, RL2 AOE), FL1 (AOE) "Iclyn"
-Chivalyn Victory Whispered in the Heart, TKN "Fitz"
Tara Smith, Scentwork Instructor
Meet Tara
With over 15 years of experience in competitive dog sports, Tara brings a deep well of knowledge, empathy, and enthusiasm to every class she teaches. Her background spans agility, Barn Hunt, and scent work, and her training style focuses on clear communication, confidence-building, and joyful teamwork between dog and handler.
From Agility to Scentwork
Tara’s journey began with coonhounds who defied expectations—earning multiple agility and Barn Hunt championships and competing multiple times at the AKC Agility Nationals and Invitational. Her current hound, Hitch, also excelled in agility, earning his MX and MXJ before making it clear that his true love lay elsewhere.
That “elsewhere” turned out to be scentwork.
A Record-Breaking Sniffer
Once they transitioned into scentwork, there was no turning back. Tara and Hitch now compete primarily in AKC Scent Work, where they’ve earned Advanced Elite, Excellent Elite, Master Elite 2, and Detective titles. Hitch is currently the second dog in AKC Scent Work history to earn over 80 qualifying runs in the Detective class, a milestone that reflects both his drive and Tara’s dedication.
Their experience also includes titles in NASCW, CPE, and C-WAGS, demonstrating a wide-ranging and well-rounded approach to scent sports.
A Teacher Who Makes It Click
Tara is known for her ability to break down complex training concepts into clear, actionable steps. Whether you’re just getting started or working toward high-level competition, she meets each team where they are and helps them build from there.
In addition to being a passionate trainer, Tara is a devoted trial volunteer and currently serves as a provisional judge for AKC Scent Work.
Scentwork Evangelist
Ask her what her favorite sport is, and she’ll tell you: “Scentwork! Every dog should be doing it!” Tara loves introducing teams to the joy of scent and believes it brings out the very best in both dogs and people.
Anne Blaha, Owner
Anne Blaha is the owner of Golden Acres, a passion project turned private dog training facility dedicated to providing high-quality instruction in a fun, welcoming, and supportive environment.
Anne discovered dog agility with her rescue dog May—part Great Pyrenees, part Border Collie, part Aussie—and was immediately hooked. That one leap into agility opened the door to a whole world of dog sports, including Rally, dock diving, scent work, tricks, barn hunt and more. Anne loves doing things with her dogs and sharing that joy with others.
Her pack also includes Kelce, a Golden (Visitor) Retriever who competes in agility and rally; Chase, a young Miniature American Shepherd in training for agility and rally; and three senior dachshunds who enjoy the good life as cherished family members.
When Anne first visited the property that would become Golden Acres, she had “paws in her eyes” and a dream in her heart. That dream has grown into a facility with spacious indoor and outdoor training areas designed for agility, rally, scent work, and more - kind of like a Disneyland for Dogs. Golden Acres emphasizes positive, reward-based training methods to help build strong relationships between dogs and their handlers, whether they're training for big goals, fun, titles, or just for the love of it.
Anne’s personal mission is to educate and empower dog owners at all stages, especially those just beginning their journey. She’s an AKC-approved Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and offers both All S.T.A.R. Puppy and CGC basic obedience classes at Golden Acres. These foundation classes help owners learn how to communicate with their dogs and teach them basic obedience and, most importantly, how to learn, because building a strong communication system early on creates a lifetime of success and happiness for the dog and the owner (yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks!).
“We’re passionate about growing the rally and agility community by offering regular classes, trials, fun matches, and workshops across a variety of sports,” Anne says. “We hosted our first Rally trial last year and have even more planned for 2025.”
Golden Acres also proudly hosts the National AKC Agility League year-round. This unique program allows teams at all levels, from brand-new beginners (no teeter or weaves required!) to experienced ISC competitors, to gain experience in a fun, low-pressure environment. You can bring a team of your choosing or be placed on a team. “AKC Agility League is the perfect stepping stone for new teams and young dogs,” Anne says. “It’s all about building skills, confidence, and connection.”
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Amelia Bean-DeFlumer, Agility Instructor
Meet Amelia Marie,
Amelia brings a wealth of experience and empathy to agility training, helping handlers build stronger, happier partnerships with their dogs. She shares her home with two devoted teammates—Rocket Raccoon, a cattle dog/rat terrier mix, and Loki, a Cardigan Welsh corgi, both of whom have shaped her approach to training.
Her favorite part of agility is the deep relationship it creates between dog and handler. Amelia’s proudest moments aren’t just about titles, though she celebrated a big win at a 2025 UKI ICE event with Rocket, but about trust and growth. She’s especially proud of qualifying Loki in AKC Rally, a triumph of courage over ring nerves, and qualifying Rocket for the 2026 AKC NAC with some of his happiest, fastest runs yet.
Amelia enjoys helping students learn how to support their individual dogs and overcome training challenges. Having worked with two anxious dogs who express stress in opposite ways, she’s learned that flexibility and understanding are key, that a happy dog is always better than a Q, and that even anxious dogs can be successful when supported with care and consistency.
Outside the ring, Amelia works as a prosecutor, teaching continuing legal education courses, and, as her dogs’ names suggest, is an avid Marvel fan.
Rocket (BN RN MX MXB MXJ MJB MXF MFB T2B2 CGC TKI)
Loki (Wyntr Trueblue Dark Idea AX AXJ OF CGC TKI)
Britney Imhof, Agility Workshop Instructor
Britney Imhof is a World Agility Open (WAO) Gold Medalist and international agility competitor, as well as, a coach for the American Senior World Team. Briteny visits Golden Acres many weekends a year to offer workshops featuring sessions for puppies, beginner teams, and experienced competitors! She occasionally has private lessons available.
Britney has represented the United States on some of the sport’s biggest stages, including:
● 2019 AKC National Agility Champion 12”
●2016, 2019, 2022 World Agility Open Team (2016 Gold medalist)
●2017,2018,2022 European Open Team (2018 finalist)
●2017&2019 Agility World Championship (2019Team 3rd,Individual 7th)
● 2021 US Open 8"national champion
● 2022 Westminster 12" Champion
● 2022 Incredible Dog Challenge finalist
Britney's love of training started with her work in the zoological field, where she worked with marine mammals. She started agility with her Brittany Spaniel in 2010 and has had a passion for it ever since. Britney has been diversely successful with her Papillon, Bilbo, achieving accomplishments in various venues. She loves sharing her passion for agility with her students. She has a Miniature American Shepherd, Witcher, who is quite accomplished for his young age and has even been in Incredible Dog Competitions Nationwide.
She brings a wealth of experience across breeds and skill levels, and her coaching style emphasizes flexible, individualized, and positive instruction, because there is no one-size-fits-all approach in agility. Britney is known for her belief in every dog-handler team and her ability to strengthen that working bond.
Britney provides Workshops and private lessons at Golden Acres on weekends several times per year. Watch our social media or website for the next workshop series and subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about her upcoming visits.
Explore our programs and classes, and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
