I began training dogs at 12 years old, starting with hunting dogs and then went on to train and show in obedience and UKC conformation as a teenager. Next I pursued a college degree in veterinary animal technician, and also obtained my certification as a registered laboratory animal technologist. My first job as a professional instructor was for Wolverine Dog Training Club for seven years. Concurr
ently I trained at Canine community center for ten years. Presently I have been training at Tierra Acres for sixteen years. Throughout these years I have had the pleasure of teaching all ranges of obedience from puppy beginner, to novice, open and utility, as well as rally. I have also personally trained a variety of dogs including herding, toy and working groups. I am actively involved in the community with kindergarten dog safety, and have taught hearing dogs for the deaf. In addition, I am a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen instructor/evaluator, as well as an AKC star puppy instructor. In addition to my years of instructing, I have been very active and have successfully campaigned my own dogs in obedience, conformation, agility, herding, rally and tracking. My Rottie "Ace" was the #1 ranked Rottweiler in the country in conformation, and won the breed at Westminster and Eukanuba. He also had the distinction of being ranked a top 10 Rottweiler in the country for novice obedience; he then earned his CDX title, a leg of his Utility title, and his herding started title. He was also in TV commercials and in a movie. Recently, I have successfully trialed my Belgian Malinois, Seuss, across the country where we earned multiple obedience high-in-trials with scores of 199 1/2. We went on to win multiple high-in-trials in sheepherding, being honored as the "Most Versatile Malinois" at the Malinois Nationals. My philosophy about dogs is that with proper training and socialization, most dogs can do anything. I believe in setting the bar high and reaching for my goals. I understand that all dogs are different and my training techniques reflect the uniqueness of each animal. I also know that in order to be an effective trainer I must be able to communicate with the owners. Most dog problems start with owners who mean well but are ineffective leaders. I do my best to educate owners about their dogs so they receive the training experience they want and deserve.
