Collinswood K9 Instructors

She started out showing in obedience, followed closely by conformation. In more recent years, she has added agility and herding, as well as teaching others to enjoy these sports.  Betty and her dogs have achieved multiple High in Trials in obedience and many 1st placements in agility. Her dogs have consistently qualified for the USDAA Grand Prix and Steeplechase finals and AKC Nationals. She is also an Authorized Mentor Trainer through Animal Behavior College and a mentor to other dog trainers.

Thanks to lots of help from handling instructors through a club she joined, she did learn the finer points of showing a dog. She has shown all her own dogs over the years; they included Airedale Terriers, Siberian Huskies, Lhasas, and for the last 25 years Briards, and Chinese Cresteds. She became interested in showing for others as she just love to show the dogs, and many of her friends didn’t want to or just could not show their own dogs. Over the years of showing she has learned much from the different dogs she has handled as well as the many judges she has shown to. She put on handling clinics at the Briard Nationals to help out people who need that extra TLC before being brave enough to go in the ring themselves She loves to watch any and all breeds being shown, and some of the bigger professional handlers have also helped her learn through the years. One of her favorite things to do is to judge Junior Showmanship, as she believes these kids are the future of the sport of dog shows!

Joining TDI as a volunteer, than an evaluator and instructor for 16 years. With an addtional 2 years with Pets and People; a local therapy dog group. Pat’s therapy dogs (5) have logged in more than 1,000 volunteer hours as therapy dogs and disaster relief dogs. An active AKC judge and an evaluator. Pat’s newest therapy dog is Collinswood’s very own Phoenix.

Her methods are based in science and positive reinforcement techniques.  Being a lifelong learner she continues to keep educating herself on what is current in the sport of agility. I host and attend seminars from top instructors from the EU and UK as well as the US.  Her passion is helping students become the best teammates for each other.

Expanded bio coming soon.

In her business, Homestead Farm Agility, she worked with many students at various levels of training through classes, camps and workshops. Her Border Collies, Keeper and Blizz, also competed in herding and then k9 nosework. This more recent interest has led Mary Jo to become a certified nosework instructor through NACSW. The same philosophy has remained in place throughout her career in dog sports, as well as her career in Special Education in public schools, and that is to develop and adapt techniques that allow students to be successful learners. Homestead Farm Nosework, based in central Massachusetts, continues to offer classes in Introductory and Continuing Nosework. Homestead Farm Nosework

Expanded bio coming soon.

Beginning 2001, Shetland Sheepdog Jag and Erin represented the United States in International competition for 5 consecutive years.  She and Jag were the first American team to win an Individual Gold medal at the World Championships in Dortmund Germany, 2002.  At the 2001 World Championships in Porto Portugal, they finished sixth Individually.  They were also members of both Silver medal-winning mini-Teams in Dortmund and in Porto.  Jag also won individual rounds in the 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 World Championships. Erin was also a member of the US Agility team at the European Open with Jag and Shadow, owned by Sharon Fortune. They competed in Italy and Germany in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Nationally, Jag was the 1999 USDAA Steeplechase Champion, and has won numerous Steeplechase qualifiers, as well as Grand Prix qualifiers.  Since 1999, Jag has been rated in USDAA Top Ten in all categories, and is on the USDAA Lifetime Achievement list as a Top Dog.  Erin and Jag have been finalists in USDAA, NADAC and AKC Championships.  Jag was rated the top Shetland sheepdog in AKC agility in 2000, and was the 2000 AKC 16” National Champion.  The pair won double gold at the 2002 ESPN Great Outdoor Games in Lake Placid New York.  In 2005, they won the Eastern Regional of the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge and were the NADAC 12” Weavers Champions.  They have also won multiple AKC/Iams International classes held throughout the US.  They also won their spot on the 2002 and 2005 World Team by winning the Word Team Invitational tryouts.  Jag has a USDAA championship title (ADCH), five AKC Championship titles (MACH5), and most recently completed his Outstanding NADAC Versatility Championship title (O- VersNATCH). Not to be forgotten, Erin began her agility career with her American Eskimo, Stasch.  A rescue with many behavioral problems, the two of them went on to become finalists in USDAA, NADAC and AKC National Championships.  Additionally, Stasch was listed in USDAA Top Ten in all categories up until his retirement in 1999.  Stasch has a USDAA Championship title (ADCH), and a NADAC Championship title (NATCH).  He was the first American Eskimo to earn such distinctions. Erin and Jag have appeared on many television shows, including, The Purina Incredible Dog Challenge, the ESPN Great Outdoor Games, David Letterman, and most recently The Caroline Rhea Show.  Erin and her dogs have also been featured in numerous publications, including Clean Run Magazine, Dog and Handler, The USDAA Bullletin, the Sheltie Pacesetter as well as several newspaper articles. In 2008 Erin decided to become an AKC agility judge and later a UKI judge in order to round out her knowledge in the sport of agility and to give back to the sport as well.  Erin’s current Sheltie Kitt moved up to Excellent level competition at the age of 17 months.  Her other Sheltie Boom moved up to Excellent level competition at the age of 16 months. Both have already qualified for national events. Erin has conducted seminars all over Canada and the United States.  Many of her students have gone on to National and International competition and have made it to many finals and invitationals over the years.  She is very proud of all her students and their accomplishments

Early Career in Equestrian Training
Andy started gaining experience in animal training at a young age, focusing on equestrian handling and horse training skills.  By the age of 20, Andy was hired as a rider at Blue Hors Dressage, Denmark’s largest Dressage facility, where he worked with prestigious horses, riders, and trainers across Europe.

Move to the United States and Transition to Dog Training
Andy moved to the US to further his career in training, initially in New Hampshire and later in West Palm Beach, Florida.  Unfortunately, a riding accident cut short Andy’s equestrian career, prompting a shift in focus towards new horizons.

Education and Development in Dog Training
Andy pursued higher education, obtaining three degrees while continuing to nurture his passion for animal training.  In 2010, Andy adopted a Whippet, sparking an interest in adapting his equestrian training techniques to dogs.

Career Focus on Dog Training
Andy’s dedication to understanding K9 motivation and teaching dogs to think led to his specialization in dog agility sports and continuous improvement in training methods. In 2012, Andy acquired a border collie to further enhance his skills and sensitivity in dog training.

Achievements in Dog Agility
Andy has achieved notable success in dog agility competitions, including being an alternate on two world teams: the World Agility Open and the FCI Agility World Championship. He also secured significant placements in prestigious competitions like the AKC National Final and the Premier Cup.

Philosophy in Training
Andy emphasizes that the foundation of any impressive animal behavior lies in simple and enjoyable beginnings for the animals themselves.   His background as a dressage rider has provided him with invaluable insights into effective and humane training practices for both horses and dogs.

Andy’s journey exemplifies resilience, passion, and a commitment to excellence in animal training, transcending from horses to dogs while continually pushing the boundaries of his skills and knowledge