About Us

The experienced, friendly staff at The Canine Connection has worked hard to create a safe, supportive, and fun environment for you and your dog.

Valerie Murphy, owner of The Canine Connection, has been involved with dogs all her life, training her first dog when she was ten years old. From that point on, she knew she wanted a life that revolved around dogs. Valerie feels incredibly blessed to be able to spend her days (and nights) surrounded by and caring for Northwest Arkansas’ top dogs! Valerie currently shares her home with Ava, a Giant Schnauzer; and Sashay, a Bernese Mountain Dog.

Training Director Ed Minar has been teaching obedience classes for around ten years. He currently competes with his Australian Shepherd Bess in agility, formal obedience and rally obedience. He believes that each dog is an individual and that training does not happen by a single, cookie-cutter method – it should be suited to each particular dog’s needs. In his opinion, the main purposes of dog training are to build our relationships with our dogs, to help to shape a confident and happy canine companion, and to have fun!

Sam Rodriguez, our Conformation Coach, has been showing dogs for more than ten years, including five years in Europe. In just the last five years, Sam has put championship titles on seven dogs. In addition to showing his own dogs, Sam also works as a professional handler, showing other people’s dogs for them. He is currently showing Cairn Terriers, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Great Danes, and Irish Wolfhounds, having finished his own Boston Terrier, Mastiff, and Irish Wolfhound. He is very excited to get started showing Cody, his new Wirehaired Dachshund puppy. Sam has been active Northwest Arkansas Kennel Club for several years. He is a longtime friend of, and welcome addition to, The Canine Connection!

"If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around."   -- cowboy wisdom