The Instruction Team:
Theresa Richmond- Director
Since 1982, Theresa has titled her own and client dogs in Canada and the U.S. including a number of breed championships, group placements, and obedience, rally, and agility titles. Theresa has also collected a number of Canine Good Citizen Awards & Temperament Test Certificates.
In 1985, Theresa attended Volhard's Instructor Training School in New Hampshire. Theresa adopted the Volhard's motivational method as her mission at Mahogany Ridge and has never looked back.
Theresa’s canine education consists of a multitude of seminars, training camps and self study.
Theresa received her certification as an agility instructor by Julie Daniels in 1997 and is a follower of the Hatfield/Mah approach to agility.
She has attended behavioral seminars by Katherine Houpt at Cornell University as well as training seminars with the late Job Michael Evans.
She is a Certified Volhard Staff Instructor and a professional member (#2725) of the International Association of Canine Professionals.
She also is an AKC Evaluator (#772290) for the Canine Good Citizen and Community Canine tests.
Most recently Theresa has received her Competent Communicator certificate with Toastmaster International and her Trick Dog Instructor certificate from Kyra Sundance with Do More With Your Dog.
Theresa is forever a student who seeks any information to be gathered. Many individuals, organizations, and schools have recognized Theresa for sharing her knowledge and experience.
She has helped many to become successful with their goals, whether it be fixing behavior problems, obedience, agility, or teaching their dogs special skills like running beside a bike!
Never hesitant to face a challenge, Theresa reaches into her “bag of tricks” and comes up with the solution.
Students and trainers alike seek Theresa’s help and guidance. With her knowledge and skill she leads the way, facing each challenge with confidence. She tailors her training to the individual team, so that a strong bond is formed and the dog and handler work as one. In this way success is achieved and goals are met, whether that goal is of a happy family pet or a competitive team.
Welcome to Camp 2018! I look forward to spending time you and your dog(s)!
Wendy Volhard
Wendy Volhard is internationally recognized as one of the leading authorities on health and nutrition for dogs.
Volhard is the senior author of The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog (Howell Book House, 1996 & 2nd edition 2000). In 1973, she formulated the Natural Diet for a Healthy Dog, a nutritionally complete diet to maintain peak health, long life, beauty and performance.
Volhard developed the most widely used method for evaluating puppies for the right home and the right purpose, and her film Puppy Aptitude Testing was named best film for 1981 by the DWAA; developed a Canine Personality Profile to help dog owners understand why their canine charges do what they do, and her article on Drives was named Best Article in a Specialty Magazine for 1991 by the DWAA; gives seminars on health and behavior, instructing and training and also lectures at annual conventions of the APDT, GroomExpo and the United Kingdom Registry of Behaviour Consultants.
Wendy's talents are best summed up by James Dearinger, former Director of Obedience for the American Kennel Club, in his Foreword to the Canine Good Citizen (Howell Book House, 1994, 2nd edition 1997): "Wendy has few equals when it comes to understanding canine behavior. She has a remarkable ability to sense the needs of a particular dog and what is best for the animal. A talent, for sure, but one she has honed to a fine point by studious research into all phases of dogs - behavior, health, and nutrition."
Mary Ann Rombold Zeigenfuse
Mary Ann has been teaching people how to train their dogs since 1981. She has been training dogs since 1978. She started as the training director for a small school in Lexington KY. Now she owns and operates a large training school, in Lexington, that has 18 instructors.
Best Friends Obedience, Inc. offers Obedience, Rally and Agility, everything at all levels. On top of this, Mary Ann is a Licensed Veterinary Technician, graduating from Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in Denver, Co.
As a technician, she supervises 20 technicians at a 24 hour practice just outside of Lexington. Between the veterinary practice and the training school, plus showing and training her own dogs, she is thankful for “the retired husband” that fully takes care of her and the dogs, as he does just about everything else for house and home.
Mary Ann has authored a trick training book using the drives theory, which will be available at the Trick workshop on Wednesday. She also is a frequent lecturer for Humane Societies, Pet Sitting and Home Care Services, as well as Veterinary Conferences in Kentucky. She is Certified through NADOI (National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors)
Linda Pike
Linda is the president of a local Kennel Club, director for the Mastiff Club and secretary for her local Schutzhund Club.
Linda and her daughters are quite active with the dogs: from conformation shows to obedience trials, also attending local and out of province shows and seminars.
In her spare time she owns and operates Companion Dog Trainers Ltd., offering dog daycare and obedience classes using the Volhard method.
Carolyn Noteman
Carolyn has been involved in dog training since the age of ten when she and her best friend began as “puppy raisers” for Dogs for the Blind. A lifelong love of understanding dog behaviors and learning was born. Her first dog, a Collie dog named Major, was Carolyn’s best friend until she forced to join the other children and attend kindergarten.
Carolyn has competed in and titled dogs in both obedience and agility. Having been an athlete from sandlot thru college, agility has been Carolyn’s emphasis since 2002. She has competed with and titled a variety of dog breeds such as a Parson Russell Terrier, Lab, BorderJack, Smooth Fox Terrier, and her beloved Beaucerons. Carolyn has competed in AKC, USDAA and UKI agility. She has also had the privilege to train with former and current world team members: Stuart Mah, Mary Ellen Barry, Jen Pinder, Rachel Sanders, Jeannette Hutchison, multi Hungarian national team member and FCI World Cup Silver Medalist Anna Eifert. Carolyn has attended numerous Volhard Training Camps and the Volhard method has always been the foundation of all her training.
Carolyn resides in the Charlottesville, VA area with her two young Border Collies, Brecon and Calon.
Catherine Heffner
Catherine has been training in a variety of animal activities since 1975. She guides growth while building on innate abilities to develop a well-rounded companion. Her goal is to help you build sustainable relationships. Life Member, Southern Michigan Obedience Training Club
Willie Viarnes
Willie has a passion for dogs and for than a dozen years he has brought his signature skill to the professional world of dog training. A talented and versatile trainer, Willie looks to develop your dog’s natural desire to be on your team and helps you establish a clear method to honor that. He is committed to helping you build that relationship for life.
Willie founded 1 Obedient Dog, LLC and is a successful trainer. He embodies the commitment to knowledge and growth, participating in regular conferences and training seminars. A graduate of the Tom Rose professional dog training school, Willie has studied with industry well-knowns in fields as diverse as dogs. A sampling includes Michael Ellis obedience intensive, Training for the French Ring Decoy with Bob Solimini, Tyler Muto’s aggression seminar, Martin Deeley retrieve E-Touch training, Koehler Basics at the Arizona Doggy Dude Ranch, Pack to Basics with Chad Mackin, Maryna Ozuna’s Dog Body Care, Canine Kinesthetics, the Volhard Healthy Dog Conference, Jack and Wendy Volhard’s Motivational Method training camps and Marc Goldberg’s Forcefree Remote training.
Willie is a Certified Trick Dog Instructor, training with Kyra Sundance and also holds the certification of Evaluator for the American Kennel Club’s popular Canine Good Citizen titles.
Prior to his career as a dog trainer, Willie distinguished himself with 30 years of service in the United States Coast Guard as a Chief Warrant Officer; a specialist in his field. He brings that same tradition of excellence and attention to detail to training your dog.