She started her own dog walking service specializing in working with fearful and leash-reactive dogs. The dogs enjoy the work and serve as nonjudgmental partners in learning. Christina discovered the effectiveness of positive reinforcement training first hand whilst researching a way to help her neighbors Shih Tzu mix with leash reactivity. Annette Thomason has been training dogs since she was 15, when she dabbled in obedience and herding with her first Australian Shepherd. The most important relationship your dog is going to have is with you. Some of the most common progressions are: The Foundation classes are designed for people and dog friendly dogs. During her 12 year tenure with CCI she was immersed in all aspects of assistance dog training and found the detailed work of training dogs to become high functioning partners for members of the disabled community to be thrilling on many levels. must be at least twelve months of age and healthy on event day and should be current on all vaccinations required by law. Contact us for info on arranging a placement test at 415.506.6280. Kathleen lives with her husband and multiple Marin Humane canine alumni in Muir Beach, CA.

She is also a critical member of the Marin Humane dog and cat behavior evaluation teams. Depending on your geographic area, there may be five or six different options. She sat for the state boards in 1998 and passed with flying colors. Nosework is a terrific sport for both people and dogs of all types, sizes, and ages. A passionate student of behavioral science and animal learning, Christina was honored to be accepted into the Academy for Dog Trainers where she is pursuing a Certificate in Training and Counseling. Dawn is a graduate of the Karen Pryor Professional Dog Training Academy. The dogs get a second chance by being rehabilitated giving them the help they need to get adopted.

Alissa began teaching obedience and family dog classes for her local dog training club in Salt Lake City. Our instructors provide workshops on a wide variety of topics including Tricks, Crate Training, Training with Clickers, Agility Skills, Recalls and Leash Walking Behaviors. Dogs must be able to do all equipment safely and be off leash within the fenced ring area. Takodas career is off to a great start. Marisa has lived with cats and dogs all her life, and currently shares her Novato home with Great Pyrenees Asha, motley mutt Bodie, three house cats, two career cats, a goat, a sheep, a flock of chickens, two children and her husband. $30.00 Agility is one of the fastest growing dog sports in the United States. Amy teaches every class using modern dog training techniques where she emphasizes putting each skill into every day, practical use. She has rescued and fostered many dogs and puppies over the years and for the past decade has taken a particular interest in feline behavior. Is your dog a sensitive soul who needs a little help learning how to navigate in the big world? She developed and teaches many of the classes and workshops Marin Humane offers for cat lovers. Drawing on her decades of experience she helped develop and teaches a special obedience class for seniors and makes in home visits to Marin seniors who need assistance with their dogs behavior.

Check out our. This four week session will include one brief training or management topic per 1 hour class, brief puppy interactions and practice in recall (come command) out of play. Alissa specializes in teaching beginning agility teams the complex art of agility and breaking it down so every team is successful and has fun. Pretty cool stuff! : $20 per dog for two runs, or $30 per dog for four runs. A lifelong lover of animals, Carrie focused on a pre-veterinary/agriculture program in high school and went on to work as a veterinary technician before joining the corporate world. As a teacher she enjoys fostering teamwork and watching confidence and ability grow. After two years volunteering, she became a Dog Training Instructors working with Puppies in the Park at Marin Humane. Since then she has focused on International handling and competition, traveling to Europe for two European Open Teams in 2018 and 2019. Betsy shares her home with her husband, two MH feline alumni, and a 45-mile-an-hour couch potato, also known as a rescued greyhound, who passes her time sleeping upside down on the couch. She currently competes both locally and nationally in UKI, AKC, and USDAA with her border collie, Savvy, who is the best merlie girlie in the universe. I know this to be true, I really do! She was a puppy raising leader for Guide Dogs for the Blind for 10 years, helping families during the 18-month commitment to socialize, train, and love these dogs before they move into service. Fast forward to 2020 and Devs passion for dog training and agility is greater than ever. Lils accomplishments include winning two national championship events, two regional events, and competing in the big distance division at NADAC Championships twice. 1.25hr(s), 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd. Marisa has 20 years of experience in nonprofit marketing and communications, and holds a BA in English and Psychology from Northwestern University. Novato California 94949. Novato California 94949, Sign up for an agility class (select the Sport Classes tab). She began teaching dog training classes at Marin Humane following the COVID-19 Stay-at-Home orders. ), scenting (hmmm), flyball and rally obedience (woohoo!). Christine Hsu has been training and competing in canine dog sports for more than 20 years, in venues such as obedience, rally, agility, retriever fieldwork, scent sports, and conformation. As a result, I am not sufficiently meeting anyones needs! 4 No instructional classes or private lessons are to be given. She strives to make the experience of living with a dog better for both human and canine alike. Jeri lives in Mill Valley with her husband, elderly in-laws, and their American Eskimo/Chihuahua, Betty White. Prerequisites: Family Dog 3, or equivalent with a placement test. Duration: Our goal is to help you learn in a stress-free environment, so you can help out with confidence at a real agility trial one day.

Shortly thereafter she was training all the volunteers in the Behavior Department. In her spare time, she volunteers as a nesting bird docent on Alcatraz Island, and as a Hawkwatcher for the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () { He must be kept quiet and is limited to a one third of a block daily walk mainly to attend to his personal business. These classes will provide your pup with the foundation and skills needed to become a well-mannered member of the family and through that process, help you build a lifelong bond. His favorite trick he taught his Kelpie mix is to recycle. Jake needed a job and on the advice of a behaviorist, Dev signed him up for a beginning agility class at a local shelter. Novato California 94949, Haz clic aqu para informacin en Espaol. She also worked at the Massachusetts Audubon Society, a farm education center, and at a livestock auction where she worked to create a safer, more humane place for the animals. Anne Marie McCormick has loved animals since she was a child, whether lizards, saving turtles, or dressing up her cats, these were her favorite things to do. For dogs four months and older, any breed size. Her vet friends say she is an expert at calming nervous cats and dogs alike. Our goal is to help you learn in a stress-free environment, so you can help out with confidence at a real agility trial one day. Dawn enjoys the particular challenge of finding techniques to address unusual problematic behaviors. We offer the same beginning-level class for the little guys. We ask everyone to allow dogs at least 6 feet of distance at all times. After 4 months of hiding, he is now the worlds sweetest cat with the best purr. Agility Area Marin Humane (Over the Bridge) 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd Novato, CA 94949, Time: A member of the Behavior & Training staff since 2000, she has developed in-depth training and behavior modification skills through hands on experience working with thousands of dogs and people over the past two decades. Karen Schwartz Amys focus is on helpingpeople develop a relationship with the family dog based on trust, understanding, kindness and common sense application. Darlene is well known in the industry for having created the Your Dog to Shareand the Sharea Book animal assisted therapy dog programs. As a dog trainer and behavior consultant for the Behavior and Training Department at Marin Humane I tell our clients that one of the first steps toward preventing and solving behavior problems is to ensure that the dogs emotional cup is full. In addition to teaching agility at Marin Humane during Covid-19s SIP, Dev created OCEAN, an online class that teaches people how to develop better communication with their dogs so they can enjoy happier, more satisfying training experiences, improved performance, and a deeper connection. Carrie shares her home with Tobee, a French bulldog, and Oliver, an Entlebucher mountain dog. Rally Obedience Program She is excited to be teaching at an organization that also focuses on animal welfare with the ultimate goal of making all lives happy. Handlers are allowed to cheerlead dogs through the course with verbal encouragement, clapping hands, or patting legs. Novato California 94949, Our instructors provide workshops on a wide variety of topics including Tricks, Crate Training, Training with Clickers, Agility Skills, Recalls and Leash Walking Behaviors. www.devorahsperber.com. He should also have basic obedience skills including a Sit with duration and distractions and off-leash engagement abilities. Participants are responsible for the behavior of their dogs. In an ongoing series on dog sports, Behavior and Training Director, Dawn Kovell, sheds light and enthusiasm on Agility! Her expertise runs the gamut but includes strategies and techniques for the most common feline problems including litter box issues, aggression and helping guardians understand a cats perspective when integrating a new dog into the house. Those folks tend to gravitate toward the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) whose spacious courses emphasize speed and distance. Darlene graduated from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst where she studied animal science/veterinary medicine. In this course you will be introduced to some of the handling foundation skills neededbefore you embark on your agility training. In addition to teaching classes and working with Marin Humanes Behavior & Training volunteers, she also evaluates shelter dogs and leads playgroups. const expandable = target.parentElement; Yuching Desch, CPDT-KA, CTDI, CNWI, teaches Family Dog 1-3, Tricks, Nosework and other game workshops. Toys, hand-delivered treats and lavish praise are encouraged in the ring. }); Price: Please plan to crate in your car or bring your own crate to set-up on the grassy area in KD Park adjacent to the agility field. We will mentor you in how to perform these jobs if you are new to the sport. The owner of each dog is solely responsible for having your dog ready when it is time to enter the ring. jose resident trainer Kathleen has also taught Marin Humanes rewarding Train-to-Adopt and Shelter Scents classes for the shelter dogs, in which volunteers bring adoption dogs to class to learn basic obedience, scent work and some cute tricks. You must have prior approval to book agility area time. Chad teaches Puppies in the Park, Beginning Puppy and the Family dog series. Within a couple of years, Jake evolved from being the class clown to successfully competing in the sport of agility. She was introduced to reward-positive training for horses and has incorporated that philosophy into all of her training. If you have only registered for 2 runs, you will also be asked to choose standard or jumpers runs. To gain more experience Anne Marie started volunteering at Marin Humane as a dog training assistant. Entries close 2-days prior to the event or when entry limits have been met (no day-of entries). She firmly believes that training cats is a great way to improve the relationship between people and cats by helping them speak the same language. Nancy has 35 years of experience coaching people as a personal trainer and group exercise instructor. When not working with client dogs, Yuching enjoys baking (dog treats), knitting (dog sweaters), reading (about dogs) and hiking (with her fearful but very cute dog). Upon approval, youll receive information to schedule rentals on the Sports Field Calendar which allows you to sign up and pay for practice time. She believes that positive, choice-based training is the best method to produce good behavior and a confident, happy family dog. Carrie began taking nosework classes at Marin Humane to build her young dogs confidence and manage his reactivity, and now actively trains and competes in K9 Nose Work. Its pretty easy to see how students can get hooked on Rally! Paul Skelton, CBA I & II, is a dog class instructor with an expertise in both dogs and cats. Marisa finds exploring the underlying causes and triggers of challenging animal behaviors and matching solutions to address them to be the most powerful tool in using positive training. We will mentor you in how to perform these jobs if you are new to the sport. Check out our Small Dog 1 class. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Stunt Dog Judge, AKC CGC & Tricks Evaluator, AKC ATT Judge and a Professional Member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. On the flip side, the smaller courses are less appealing to the larger dogs and the ambitious handlers. PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER FOR THIS CLASS UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED OFF THE WAITLIST. Recently, one of my sports dogs injured his ankle, had to have surgery and has been in a cast for three weeks. She is a member of the CVMA as well as a volunteer for California Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps. The sight brings a smile and sometimes even halts traffic as people pull over to watch the idyllic scene. She brings her background in psychology and social work, including many years serving at-risk children and their families, to her current focus on therapy dog training. But teaching young dogs to get along with other dogs is an important part of developing a stable adult dog. She has seen how emphasizing the development of mutual trust and communication with canine companions can create incredible bonds. Dawn Kovell, KPA-CTP, CBA I & II, is the director of the Behavior & Training Department at Marin Humane.

If you are new to Marin Humane, you can schedule an appointment to be approved for Agility Field rental by emailing ohbehave@marinhumane.org and you will be contacted by the Agility Program Manager to be assessed. She continues to expand her knowledge by attending seminars with top national and international agility handlers, but her most influential teachers continue to be the dogs in her life. You will need to provide your own shade, crate and chair. Alis strength is in helping students and dogs develop a stronger relationship through respectful training and in finding positive new approaches to any behavior issue. Chad manages the San Quentin Pen Pals Program which is a rehabilitation program with the inmates at San Quentin State Prison. Our grass field has up-to-date equipment, a shaded crating area, and lights for night training. Does he need a hobby? We offer agility training classes from Foundation Skills For Agility to Masters Handling on our fully-equipped agility field at our Novato Campus. She spent her summers working at horse stables in exchange for riding time. Permission from the instructor is a prerequisite to added this class. Heather currently loves, spoils, and plays flyball, agility, dock jumping and lure racing with Xena (Parson Russell Terrier) and Xoom (Border Collie-Whippet mix). }); 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd. A consultation with Dawn Kovell quickly led toVirginiabecoming a volunteer with Marin Humane in 2001. After registration, you will receive an email from. 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd. Rachel teaching Beginning Puppy and the Family Dog 1 series. He also taught her to find money, which was disallowed by his wife after Chance started to go in her purse to take money out. It is an amazing and life changing experience to have an active, constantly evolving relationship with another species based upon mutual communication and respect. This event is open to all dogs more than one year of age. Her journey led her to discover the power of K9 Nose Work and its ability to transform reactive dogs. Her passion for animals started in high school when she started volunteering with her favorite vet and passed out at her first spay clinic. Volunteering:Fun Match participants are encouraged to volunteer for various agility trial jobs (i.e. Joan began teaching agility at Marin Humane in 2016 and strives to make the sport of agility a fun activity for all dogs and their human handlers. Virginiais the Marin Humane Shelter Behavior Manager and oversees canine evaluations, adoption dog consultations and is also teaching classes and doing private consultations. Dogs work one at a time, which is especially great for reactive dogs, and it helps build a strong relationship between handler and dog. Also available, Flyball, Teaching your Dog to Swim and Dock Diving. At home in Novato, Anne Marie boards and trains dogs. An avid dog enthusiast, she spent time participating in obedience trials and then gravitated towards working with service dogs. Additional dogs per handler are allowed with a separate entry and fee. Kathleens specialty is teaching people how to read their dog. She believes that with a better awareness of dog body language and behavior, all human/canine relationships can improve in amazing ways. Jumping for Joy is a five-week class that provides unique opportunities for middle and high school students on the autism spectrum. Nosework Program Is agility the right sport for you and your dog? She loves to celebrate success and cant wait to meet you and your dog! Discovering positive reward training and the exhilaration of running a course with her dog, agility became her focus. Nosework (aka scentwork or scent detection) is a fun dog sport that mimics professional detection activities. Advisors include a special day teacher and a Behavior and Training instructor. This no pressure beginning-level class is designed to help human/canine teams do just that. One of the things she loves most about agility is the incredible bond and partnership you create with your canine teammate. She has 16 years of experience training dog parents and their animals, as well as consulting, teaching, boarding and extraordinary dog walking adventures.

Janes goal in life is to help animals, and the humans that love them, live happier lives together. She is currently competing at the masters/elite level with her Australian terrier, Lil, and her border collie, Takoda. Maximum field rental time is two hours for maximum of three dogs. Janes interest in animal behavior started when she adopted Albie, an 8lb terrier-poodle-mix with a slew of issues including leash reactivity and separation anxiety. To request a refund, please email ohbehave@marinhumane.org. 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd. Class Trainer(s) In the North Bay, the American Kennel Club (AKC) tends to have the most trialing options. Requests for cancellations must be received via email at least 1 week prior to the event for a refund. Before joining the team at Marin Humane, Darlene worked for 10 years at the Massachusetts SPCA in animal care, humane education and volunteer coordination. We like to say that agility is easy for the dog and difficult for the handler. Therefore, its important that your dog be comfortable around other dogs. Select an age-appropriate basic class that works with your schedule. Designed for pit bulls and pit bull mixes age 6 months or older; must be spayed or neutered. Chad is the Behavior Coordinator at Marin Humane. and under as adults. He worked with a 39-dog kennel training them to pull a 350 pound rig on dirt at a winery in Sonoma. After a short break and course change, nested Jumpers courses (runs 3 & 4) will be run. $80.00 Requests for cancellations must be received via email at least 1 week prior to the event for a refund. Darlene Blackman has worked in animal welfare for nearly 40 years. She enjoys seeing dogs and their people become more confident and comfortable through training. 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd. Your instructor will be happy to recommend the next best step for your puppy or dog. In her off-time, Angela is an avid hiker and paddle boarder. She attended University of San Francisco and did an internship at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. ), to sit or lie down quietly (ahhhh), to come when called and to wait at doors (yay!). Class Trainer(s) She and her Beagle and Mini Aussie mix, Rookie, enjoy watching sunsets from the 40-foot Delta boat they call home. Christina empowers dog handlers to improve their execution of training techniques for optimal results. The Jumping for Joy animal-assisted therapy teams are specially-trained, and the classes are led by trained teen volunteers. Agility, and other advanced training, helps turn your relationship into a partnership. Dawns training specialty and passion is in sport dog training including building motivation and advanced obedience. She looks forward to giving back and helping people of all walks of life to play and have fun with their dogs on the agility field. Having grown up on a dairy farm in Ohio, she is also adept at addressing multi-species co-habitation issues. What she enjoys most is working personally with clients and their dogs so that both can live harmoniously together. Recently Sally won a spot representing Team USA at the World Agility Open (WAO) in the Netherlands in 2020. Novato California 94949, A Fun Match is intended for fun and to experience a trial-like atmosphere. Please do not use flexi-leashes for walking dogs on event grounds. Instructors will be available to act as a judge, but no scoring or prizes will be offered. An added benefit is the unconditional love a dog can offer their handler. She was fortunate to have learned from some wonderful mentors and teachers early on in her career and continues to improve and expand her dog training and behavior knowledge through seminars, online education courses, and reading respected authors in the field. Description: Novice Agility FunMatch, Saturday 2:30-6:30pm. Location:

Before joining the Marin Humane Behavior & Training team, she worked at an animal rescue organization in Walnut Creek as an Intake & Behavior Specialist and Kitten Kindergarten instructor. She has been a volunteer Dog Training Assistant at Marin Humane for nearly a decade. No matter the dog sport she is training, Joans primary focus is always to have a household of happy, healthy, well-mannered dogs. She has titled numerous dogs in flyball and obedience, done agility at the masters level and dabbled in schutzhund, dock diving and tracking. Prefer a class just for small dogs? Annette and her second Aussie, Sydney, discovered agility in 2001 and she was quickly bitten by the bug and has enjoyed being a student of the sport ever since. Passionate and inspiring, Nancy brings the skills she developed guiding people to reach their goals to the process of training dogs. Please do not use flexi-leashes for walking dogs on event grounds. The results spoke for themselves and launched a journey of continuous development that led her to Guide Dogs for the Blind where she is the leader of the Golden Gate Puppy Raising Club. Location: Teams coached by Heather have won multiple North American Flyball Association Regional Championships in both the Regular and Multibreed divisions. These races were held all over the Sierras, like Lake Davis Forest Hill and Diamond Lake Oregon and Chads fastest time was 28 minutes over 8 miles earning first place. Kathleen completed specialized training through the National Association of Canine Scent Work and earned her CNWI in 2018. Carrie Alongi attended the Marin Humane Canine Behavior Academy and volunteered as a dog training assistant prior to becoming an instructor. Please plan to crate in your car or bring your own crate to set-up on the grassy area in KD Park adjacent to the agility field. Rachel believes strongly in the power of positive reinforcement training methods and has seen with her own dog and others the importance of tailoring training to each specific dog. Currently, Nancy teaches Beginning Puppy and Family Dog 1 through Family Dog 4. Instructors will be available to act as a judge, but no scoring or prizes will be offered. Novato California 94949. Dogs will not be permitted to roam and must be crated when not running. Dawn lives with her daughter and houseful of dogs and cats and actively trains and competes in flyball. If youre new to Marin Humane, pleaseschedule an appointment to be approved for agility area rental. Most recently, Jeri has become a DTA at Marin Humane. Chad currently has two dogs, Rhea and Chance with an active, loud Bengal cat who runs the house. She currently lives with a quartet of cats and a violently affectionate Boston Terrier/Cairn Terrier named Rugby. Event Schedule:Nested Standard Courses (runs 1 & 2) will be run first.

Refreshed in body and spirit! While you can practice in your yard or at the park, its best to have a skilled trainer and a local facility. 7:30 AM To start off on the right paw, we encourage you to start at the beginning! She created the B Team, an internal behavior modification team, in response to the many behavioral needs seen in the shelter population, devised specialized kennel enrichment protocols for shelter dogs and personally performs behavior triage when needed in the case of natural disasters and emergencies. Annie lives with an adorable Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Scout and Dillon, a beautiful Border Collie. Jeri spent over a decade in fitness coaching, experience which she now utilizes with training dogs and their owners. As time went onVirginiajoined the staff and became an Instructor, Volunteer Coordinator, Evaluator, Consultant and a few more positions. Agility is an obstacle course for dogs whose handlers tell them which obstacles to take via visual and verbal cues. She actively trains and competes in K9 Nose Work with her Elite level dog, Mighty Casey. The Pen Pals Program is all about second chances.

Once you have completed some basic training, it opens up the opportunity to try a variety of fun dog sport classes including Nosework, Agility, Rally Obedience, Canine Freestyle, Canine Good Citizen, Tricks, Stunt Dog, Circus Dog, Flyball, Disc Dog, K9 Fitness for Fun, and Parkour. If this event is sold out, please contact Carrie atcalongi@MarinHumane.orgto be put on the wait list. They call it a splint, but it is a cast up to his rear thigh. She has also traveled to the Hungarian Open and trained with the famous Tamas Traj as well as USA World Team Coach Nancy Gyes. Refund Policy:To request a refund, please email ohbehave@marinhumane.org. No problem! Yuching specializes in training and working with fearful dogs using fun and confidence building activities such as tricks, games and nosework.