07/21/2026
American Schutzhund is proud to announce the addition of Tony Stokes to the organizations judging program.
Tony Stokes brings nearly a decade of experience as a professional dog trainer, coach, mentor, and working dog enthusiast to the American Schutzhund judging program.
Throughout his career, he has earned a reputation for technical excellence, a commitment to continuing education, and a passion for developing both dogs and handlers.
As the owner of Lead Your K9, a successful training, boarding, and daycare facility employing 13 staff members, and the founder of Stokes School for Dog Training, Tony has dedicated his career to educating others. Through seminars, private instruction, and hands on coaching, he has worked with sport competitors, police K9 handlers, search and rescue teams, and professional trainers in American Schutzhund, IGP, PSA, and Mondioring.
Since beginning his dog sport journey in 2016, Tony has relentlessly pursued education under many of the working dog community’s most respected instructors, including Michael Ellis, Forrest Micke, Stewart Hilliard, Mia Skogster, Deb Zappia, Joeri Veth, Ford K9, Heather Beck, Melanie Uhde, Paul Edwards, and many other accomplished trainers. His education spans all three phases of the sport, including obedience, protection, tracking, detection, canine cognition, behavior, and helper development.
Dedicated to advancing the sport beyond competition, Tony founded an American Schutzhund affiliated club, serves as its Training Director, and earned his American Schutzhund Helper Certification. As an educator and mentor, he has developed an exceptional ability to evaluate performance and deliver constructive feedback that helps handlers improve. He believes judging extends beyond assigning points, it is about recognizing quality work, upholding consistent standards, and providing meaningful evaluations that help competitors grow while preserving the integrity of the sport.
