Dog-assisted coaching brings leadership development out of the boardroom and into a space where authenticity can’t be faked. Frank van Nimwegen, Dutch agility handler turned coach, uses dogs to help corporate teams and individuals develop confidence, clear communication, and grounded leadership. Because dogs respond to who you really are, not who your business card says you should be.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
- How dogs reveal the gap between who we pretend to be and who we actually are, and why that matters for leadership and personal growth
- Why people-pleasing patterns show up instantly when working with dogs, and what a simple bowl of treats can teach you about setting boundaries
- How mental state affects performance in dog sports, and what that means for managing your own reactions under pressure
- The difference between demonstrating dominance and offering genuine leadership, as dogs will always choose the highway over an inflexible handler
- Why starting with the basics matters, whether you’re learning agility for fun or aiming for competition level
- What happens when corporate teams work through exercises with dogs instead of staring at PowerPoint slides
- How fear and discomfort can shift when someone gets to approach dogs at their own pace, without pressure or pretence
A FAVOURITE MOMENT
“There’s only one nervous creature allowed in the ring, and the dog has already chosen.” — Frank
ABOUT FRANK VAN NIMWEGEN
Frank van Nimwegen is a Dutch agility handler, instructor, and coach who has competed internationally with Belgian Shepherds and served as team manager of the Dutch agility team. After decades in dog sports, he became increasingly interested in how dogs can help people develop confidence, communication, and leadership. Today, he combines his competition experience with coaching methodologies like NLP and mBIT to offer dog-assisted coaching for agility handlers, corporate teams, and professionals seeking greater performance and personal growth.
CONNECT WITH FRANK VAN NIMWEGEN
Website: www.qynnect.nl
LinkedIn: Frank van Nimwegen
Additional: www.caniquest.com
CONNECT WITH SOUL TOUCHED BY DOGS
To find out more about Soul Touched by Dogs, visit https://soultouchedbydogs.com
And if you’re a dog lover who’s also building a business – or just want a calmer, happier dog – come find us at Happy Pupcakes. Happy dogs, thriving businesses, and a community that gets both.
Anke Herrmann is the creator of Soul Touched by Dogs, a podcast, virtual event &
community platform to celebrate the human-canine connection and advocate for holistic
approaches to canine health and education.
She is on a mission to educate people to see dogs not just as pets, certainly not as fashion accessories, toys for the kids, or tools, but as soulful beings, finely tuned into your emotions, wise teachers worth our respect and care. In her ideal world, every dog has the loving home it deserves.
Originally from Germany, she lives in the south of Spain. When she's not talking about dogs,
she is a multi-passionate coach and online tech expert helping coaches and educators build
Boutique Businesses offering freedom and ease without scaling the soul out of it. She's the
author of Taming the Tech Monster.
Find her at soultouchedbydogs.com or ankeherrmann.com
