Instructors

Instructors

Robin Crocker is the Owner and Manager of Telling Tails and also of Yellow Snow Dog Gear. Prior to Telling Tails, Robin owned a pet friendly Inn for 20 years. She has been teaching dog obedience for 8 years. Most of Robin's experience comes from raising and training service dogs which she has done for over 12 years. Robin attended the Volhard Training Camp and Instructors Course and has had training in a wide variety of clinics and seminars. She is a volunteer for NEADS, Dogs For Disabled Americans, and she is a trainer and member of the Board for ACTS, Assistance Canine Training Services. She is a member of APDT as well as the Carroll County Kennel Club. She is also a CGC tester and serves as a Mentor Trainer for Animal Behavior College. Robin has competed in AKC Rally Obedience and her CD (Companion Dog) title with her own dog and is currently training for Open Obedience. She lives with three dogs, three horses, and one cat. Robin will be teaching pet dog classes including Puppy Head Start.

Marianne Finney is a graduate of Animal Behavior College which is an extensive program focusing on animal behavior and problem solving. She helps people through private lessons on topics ranging from basic obedience to aggression and fearful dogs. She is an active volunteer at the Conway Area Humane Society where she helps to train the less adoptable dogs to become more adoptable. She is a board member and a volunteer at Loki Clan Wolf refuge, which rescues abused, unwanted, neglected and abandoned wolf and wolf dogs. She also works for a German Sheppard Rescue Organization that rescues dogs that would otherwise be euthanized due to behavioral problems. She helps to rehab them and find them new homes. Marianne will be teaching Clicker Training 101 and Reactive Dog Class.

Mallory Hattie has been training people to train their dogs since 1999. A Maine native, she learned her trade in New York, assisting classes at Happy Tails in Brooklyn, and at St. Hubert's Dog Training School in Madison, NJ while attending numerous seminars with Patricia McConnell, Jean Donaldson, and many more experts in the field. From 2000 to 2002 Mallory and her dog, Fender, were a therapy dog team at Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. Mallory became a certified, professional dog trainer in 2003. She gave in-home lessons in New York City until 2004, when she returned to Maine. Since then she continues to give in-home lessons to clients in southern Maine and teaches classes at the Planet Dog store in Portland and in Gorham through the Recreation Department. Mallory is dedicated to positive reinforcement training. Mallory will be teaching Pet Dog 101 and 102.

Dawn Osmond: Dawn has been involved with dogs since 1987. She began competing with her Sheltie, Kelly and earned a CD. Dawn competed briefly with her next Sheltie, Jesse, until he was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. In 2000, a Rough Collie, named Madeline, came into Dawn's life and they both found out what Agility was all about! Dawn trained under Leslie Whitney in Falmouth, ME for many years and was introduced to strong foundation skills as well as obedience work and positive training methods. This training helped bring out the best in Kelly, Jesse and Madeline. In 2006, Madeline earned her AKC Masters titles in agility and has since been semi-retired. Her most recent Sheltie, Bugg, came into Dawn's life and they have been on a high-speed trip ever since. Bugg obtained his AKC MACH title (which involves earning a minimum of 750 championship points, also called speed points, and 20 double qualifying scores obtained from the Excellent B Standard Agility class and the Excellent B Jumpers With Weaves class). In addition Bugg is competing in USDAA at the Masters level when there is time. Dawn has worked with many well known agility handlers including Linda Mecklenburg, Anne Andrle, Nancy Gyes, Leslie Whitney, Mary Ellen Barry, Wendy Pape, Dana Pike, Julie Daniels, Terry Smorch, Kathy Keats, Stuart and Pati Mah, Jen Pinder, Rhonda Carter, Alicia Calhoun, Rachel Sanders and Erin Schaefer. Dawn continues to train under Anne Andrle, 2008 IFCS/USA World Team Member and 2008 IFCS/USA Agility World Championship Bronze Medalist year round. Dawn belongs to the SMARRT Agility Club of So. Maine as well as serving on the Board of the AWSS, Association of Working Shetland Sheepdogs, a national organization. Positive training methods, clickers, toys and treats are primary tools used in Dawn's agility foundation classes and loads of fun sequences, games and skills are introduced in the advanced classes. Dawn wants handlers and their dogs to have fun, learn how to work as a team and create a strong working bond. Whether you plan to compete or just see what agility is all about, Dawn will give you a good foundation as well as help you get out and run with the big dogs if that???s your desire.

Nanci Hayes: Nanci has always had Dalmatians. Influenced by her grandparents who had a Dalmatian, she got her first in 1976. In 1992 she got her second Dalmatian, Max, and became involved in competitive obedience. Max and Nanci earned their CD in 1994. In 2000 Nanci purchased her third Dalmatian, Lucky. Lucky and Nanci competed and earned their CD in 2003. Lucky was working toward her CDX when her life tragically ended. Fortunately, Lucky's first litter of puppies included two Dalmatians that Nanci kept. Blizzard and Dancer started their training immediately and were competing in Rally Obedience by the age of one. Both Blizzard and Dancer have received their CD's, and both have their Rally RAE titles. When Dancer received her Rally RAE title she was one of only ten Dalmatians in the country to finish that title. Four of her Dalmatians received their Therapy Dog certifications and did therapy work. Nanci trains under Pat Scribner, Sherry Briton, Kris Thober, and Judge Donna Cassista. Nanci has been teaching Rally Obedience for three years and has attended several Rally-O seminars. Nanci is a member of Saccappa Obedience Club, The Dalmatian Club of America, The Dalmatian Club of Southern New England, and The Carroll County Kennel Club. Nanci is the owner of Yankee Appraisals and enjoys skiing, snowmobiling, and time on Sebago Lake. Nanci will be teaching AKC Rally Obedience and Intro to Competitive Obedience.

Kathy Cossette: Kathy started dog training over 10 years ago with her Bloodhound, Windsor. Kathy trained in Breed Handling and Competition Obedience at that time with a number of different trainers. She and Windsor competed in obedience and completed his CD with 2 placements out of three legs. Kathy competed with Windsor in Breed and received his championship as well as several group placements, including a Group 1. Kathy has also done tracking and mantrailing with both her Bloodhound and Basset Hound. Windsor has his Mantrailing Title and her Basset Hound, Sally, has just started to do some tracking. Both Windsor and Sally are TDI certified Therapy Dogs. Kathy has also raised and trained 5 service dogs for NEADS, Dogs For Disabled Americans and 1 service dog for ACTS, Assistance Canine Training Services. Most recently, she has been competing in Rally Obedience with her Basset Hound, Sally and her Black Lab, Moxie. Sally has completed her RE (Rally Excellent) title, and Moxie has completed her RE title as well. Moxie is now working on her CD (Companion Dog title).. and has just started to do a little work in a new area for Kathy, duck retrieving. In addition, Moxie is a Demonstration Dog for ACTS, Assistance Canine Training Services. Kathy is a member of the American Bloodhound Club, has assisted in a number of obedience classes, has done some private consultations, and has attended a variety of clinics and seminars. Kathy lives with her husband, four dogs, two cats, and two rescued rats. She will be teaching our Old Wise Tails class and assisting in our Pet Dog 101 and 102 classes.

Marie Gagnon: Marie is the owner of Lazy L Kennel and Wizard Service Dogs. She has been training and competing for over 20 years. Her competition experience includes Obedience, Agility, and Rally. She is a long time member of N.A.D.O.I. (National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors) Marie has owned and competed with a wide variety of breeds including Standard Poodles, Poi Dog, Bouvier, Hounds, and Beagles. In addition to working with her own dogs, she also works with problem dogs and trains mobility and hearing service dogs. She also enjoys the challenge of training other species and has had cats that wave, ducks that retrieve, horses touching targets, and a rat that ran agility courses. Marie will be teaching Open and Utility, Control Unleashed, and Clicker Training For Kids.

Gay Freeborn: Gay Freeborn has been working with dogs and horses for over 10 years. She has attended horseback riding clinics from Natural Horsemanship instructors Buck Brannaman, Joe Wolters and Greg Eliel and has applied her study of movement in the horse to canine agility. She has trained with agility instructor Dawn Osmond for the past 2 years at Telling Tails Training Center and hosts the outdoor agility summer sessions for advanced agility at her home in Brownfield, using the horse field as the training course. She has also trained under Nanci Hayes doing rally obedience and is presently competing with one dog in rally excellent and beginning another in rally novice. She has shown in the conformation ring as well. Gay has trained her Labrador, Rainy as a therapy dog receiving her certification from Therapy Dog International. Gay visits nursing homes with Rainy, breeds Labrador Retrievers, and has worked as a veterinary assistant. For fun she enjoys oil painting and of course, agility.

Amy Herbert: Amy is an ABC Certified Dog Trainer who has been training dogs since she was a child. She has trained dogs for Obedience, Rally, Agility, Canine Good Citizen, and Conformation. Amy is currently studying to train dogs in the sport of Shutzhund, Tracking, and Herding. She has a long background in equine sports including dressage, show jumping, cross country, english pleasure, and showmanship. She is able to use a lot of her horse background with training dogs. Amy loves all types of animals and truly enjoys working with them and seeing them learn things that will make their lives more enjoyable. She has many animals on her farm and raises all her own meat for her family. The variety of livestock include pigs, turkeys, laying hens, broiler chickens, meat rabbits, and of course her horse Rhythm. Amy has a gift for connecting with all types of animals. They respond to and bond with her almost immediately. Her teaching style is very laid back and casual which makes her clients feel comfortable and allows for easy learning. She runs her kennel with the same casual, inviting atmosphere. Most mornings you find Amy, still in her pajamas, outside doing chores with her dogs following in her tracks.

Carolyn Ross is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and Certified Tellington Touch Practitioner who teaches classes in the greater Portland area and is also available for private consultations, in home private training, and behavioral counseling. She is a Professional Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, an organization that promotes positive reinforcement methods. Her goal is to help her students better understand and communicate with their dog, so that they can share an active and happy life together. Carolyn enjoys agility, rally-o, hiking & swimming with her own dogs. Carolyn will be teaching Pet Dog 101, Pet Dog 102, Small Dogs Rock!, and APDT Rally.

Jeanne Charest: Jeanne has been involved in purebred dogs for nearly 25 years. It all started with a Rottweiller named "Fille". Her vet said big dog, big responsibility. So Jeanne searched for a trainer and found Peggy McFarland who, at the time, was holding training session at the Grange Hall in Center Conway, NH. The training turned into a great pastime, and Peggy asked Jeanne to go to a match once. The rest was history. Jeanne was hooked on competition obedience. Jeanne completed her CD title on "Fille" both in the US and in Canada when "Fille" had to be prematurely retired, due to injury, after getting one CDX leg. Within 6 months, Jeanne acquired a Chocolate Lab named Frankie . Frankie was a trainer's delight and went on to get her CD, CDX and the highest level in Utility in both AKC and CKC (Canada). She also had a UKC CD and CDX and was training for the Utility title in her third registry when she had a cruciate ligament injury and had to be retired. Frankie continued to compete until cancer took her life at 11 1/2 having won the Canadian National just a few months earlier. Jeanne has taught obedience in Berlin and North Conway for many years. Jeanne is also an obedience judge and now judges all 3 levels of obedience. She has judged at many local trials, and has been invited to judge in NY, Michigan, Florida as well as Canada. Jeanne is currently owned by 10 Labrador and 1 Rottweiler. She has added conformation showing to her activities and has 3 AKC breed champions. Two owner handled and 4 Canadian champions, also owner handled. To afford her hobby, Jeanne is employed as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Jeanne will be teaching Open and Utility.