Born, raised and educated on the East Coast, my future husband and I moved to California in the mid 80’s. For more than 30 years I worked as a regulator, managing the Hazardous Materials Program for the City and County of San Francisco. I’ve been blissfully retired since 2014 and have been a member of MDDTC since then. I am a past Vice president of MDDTC and in 2020 I was named Training Director for the Club. I am also a member of the Shetland Sheepdog Club of Northern California.

We acquired our first Shetland Sheepdog in 1985 but it wasn’t until 2001 that I began agility training and quickly became hooked. In all, 8 Shelties have been part of my family and I brought my mother’s Shih Tzu from Florida to join the pack a few years ago.

I began teaching the Tricks Agility and More class at MDDTC in 2017, then joined the Saturday rotation for Puppy, Beginners and Novice a couple years later. In 2019 I began to teach Scent Work classes. Recognizing that not all students are interested in competition dog sports, as Training Director, I have developed several new classes for the Club including Family Dog 1 and 2 and Scent Work Fun, a non-competition class where dogs and handlers are introduced to the sport.

Through the years I have learned that each dog is different and there is always more than one way to successfully train a behavior. It is the handler’s job to find the best way for the dog that is by their side ON THAT DAY. My training methods are reward-based and my “recipe” for dog training includes lots of positive reinforcement, well placed re-direction when necessary and mutual respect between dog and handler. Add to that a huge amount of FUN and you have the makings for a truly rewarding, life-long relationship with your dog, whether or not you take it to the competition ring.

My current dogs include:

Trip Sheltie 12 years

Penelanes Time Traveler CDX BN RAE SWA SCE SBE SHDA CGCA CGCU TKI

Trip is retired from competition but he still loves to work and sometimes acts as my demo dog during classes.

Declan Sheltie; 8 years

Homewood Catching Fire CD BN RM2 RAE2 NA NAJ OF SWN SCA SIA SEA SHDA CGCA CGCU TKI

Declan is actively competing at the Open level in Obedience and the Masters level in Rally. He’s food obsessed and is the best heeling dog I’ve ever had.

Shine Sheltie; 2 years

Wedgewood Little Light Of Mine CGC TKN

Just getting started, Shine is preparing for Obedience and Rally. She was awarded a 5 point major in her first Conformation Specialty. One of these days she’ll get back into the conformation ring!

Sheba Shih Tzu; 13 years

Sheba joined the family in 2017 after both my parents passed away. She keeps those Shelties in line and is a Lap Warmer par excellence!

My Shelties who have gone to the Bridge were also titled in several dog sports including Obedience and Rally as well as multiple AKC Agility championships.