Instructor Bios

Virginia Anziani (Ginny), Puppy K and Obedience Teacher

In 1986 Ginny entered the world of Obedience training. She attended many educational seminars with the leaders in the field and earned obedience titles as well as CGC titles on her dogs.

Ginny enjoys and appreciates the strong bond that develops between owner and dog through training. She has pursued this enthusiasm by teaching the puppy and beginning levels of obedience. There is no greater feeling then seeing the excitement of accomplishment in the eyes of the dogs and owners. Ginny believes that keeping training fun and challenging results in long lasting success.

Ginny has been teaching Puppy K and Beginner/ Novice Obedience/CGC classes at Doggie U since June 2005. She continues to share her enthusiasm for the sport of Obedience through her teaching efforts at the Dog Obedience Club of South Nassau. Ginny has also served as a Judge for the Pre-Novice/Novice classes at local match shows and stewarded in all levels of obedience competition.

As a member of the ADPT, Ginny continues to learn different ways to bring the concept of positive training and success to all in need.

Deb has been involved with animals her whole life. She trained and competed with horses for 29 years. Therefore, it was a seamless transition when she began training her Maltese, Brittany, in competition obedience in 2000. Since then, she has earned a CDX on both Brittany and her daughter, Avalon. They were the only two Maltese in the country to earn a CDX in 2006.

She began training in Rally with Pat Johnson at Doggie U, and went on to earn an RAE with Brit in just seven months; only the second Maltese with an obedience title to do so. Following in her mother's footsteps, Avalon has earned her RE and is half way to getting her RAE. Although Brit is retiring from obedience, Avalon is currently showing in utility, and has earned her first leg. Deb has also begun training Avalon's daughter, Miss Winkie, for the rally ring.

Louise discovered the sport of Dog Agility in 1990 became addicted and has been teaching it now for over 24 years. She also has been teaching agility at Doggie U since the facility opened in June of 2005.

She has experience training and working with all different breeds from Newfoundlands to Yorkies.

Louise believes all dogs are individuals, no one method of training works for every dog or every person; so she tries to find the

right way to motivate every dog/handler team. Her students have accomplished so much with their dogs; many are multi-titled in various venues. Many are working at the higher levels of the different venues. All students whether or not they compete in agility trials are having a good time playing, training, teaching and enriching their relationship with their dog. Louise has recently attended these seminars, lessons and classes with top class instructors to add to her base of knowledge for her students and her own dogs, Barb DeMascio, Stacy Peardot Goudy, Sue Sternberg, Rosann Demascio to name a few.

Louise's Papillons past and current have high level titles in all venues, USDAA, NADAC and AKC. Her BMD Sophie was the first USDAA titled Bernese Mountain Dog in the USA. Devin, the Border Collie is also multi-titled in the high levels of all venues.

Louise has also titled dogs in obedience, flyball and conformation. Devin, her Border Collie had legs in ATBA herding and the Kelpie, Kane.

Louise now has aAustralian Kelpie, Raven. She is also training and showing in agility and shows great promise and aptitude in that sport. And she has added a new dog to the family, Errol the Papillon. Last dog in the house is TJ a rescue Papillon.

Dawn grew up on a farm and was always around animals, but her love was for dogs and horses. As a child she would jump the horses over the jump course then run the dogs around the same jump course. Little did she know that she would be still doing that 30 years later in agility. Dawn has always shared her house with many different breeds of dogs and worked in three different animal shelters on Long Island.

In 1988 Dawn got her first Rottweiler "Yauser" were she put a SCH 1 and a CDX with the help of John Brown and Scott Smith. At that time Dawn became an employee of Scott Smith and worked for Smitty's guard dog service, where she trained protection dogs and did obedience in-house for pet people. During that time Dawn discovered agility and was training Yauser to compete, when he was diagnosed with autoimmune disease. At age 4 his career as a working dog was over. Having a house full of rescues she waited for the right time to get another pup and in 1996 she got a new Rottweiler "OZ" V2 rated U-CDX, UDX, MX 2, MXJ 2, MXP2, MXJP2, PD111, EAC, EGC, EJC, V-EAC, V-EGC, V-EJC.. In obedience Oz has many high in trials and high in combined. Three years in a row at the Rottweiler National Specialty he was high in trial and high in combined. Oz's has finish second place two years in a row at the All Star competition in the Ultimate dog challenge 24"

division, were he did utility obedience and agility together and finished 8th place over all other jump height divisions and breeds. In agility Oz competed in AKC, NADAC and USDAA. He has shown to the highest levels with many placements. He is now competing at the preferred and veteran level due to old age (10 years old!!!!) and arthritic. Oz has dabbled in herding and is pointed in the breed ring with Dawn as handler.

Dawn has trained with many top trainers in both obedience and agility and has attended many seminars. The newest addition to her family is her 21 month border collie "LOUD". Loud has her AKC NOVICE STANDARD and NOVICE JUMPER titles at her first AKC show with 3 straight legs in each with 100 score and all first places. Loud has also shown in her first NADAC trial at the novice level and Q'd in standard and all the games, with first places. Loud has also shown at her first USDAA trial and Q'd in standard and all the games, with all first places and one second. Loud has received 4 Platinum Awards for agility from Front and Finish. She will be ready for obedience as soon as Dawn has the time.

Both OZ and LOUD now share Dawn's house with her 15 year old shihtzu and 16 year old shepherd mix. Also living with them are 6 cats, 2 ducks, 9 chickens and 1 horse, and they all have one big-big Rottie looking over them all and his name is OZ.

Kathy Adams, Puppy Kindergarten, Adv Puppy K, Beginner Obedience, Adv Beginners, Specialty Classes, Behavioral Issues

Since 1985, Kathy Adams has been training dogs professionally. Her goal has always been to educate both the owner and the dog. By transferring her training knowledge, she helps them establish a mutually beneficial relationship. She prefers to use positive motivational techniques of training, and will modify those methods to fit the dog’s needs and the owner’s training capabilities.

During the early years she sought apprenticeship under trainers with diversified training methods in an effort to obtain a well rounded knowledge of training. She keeps current with the changes by continuing her education thru reading, attending seminars and participating in training camps whenever possible. She has appeared in Court as an expert witness in dog behavior. During the summer, she teaches dog obedience classes for the Town of Babylon under the Parks and Recreation Department.

On a personal note, she has been active in rescuing and rehabilitating Belgian Shepherds. She has trained her personal dogs to AKC certified titles in both breed and obedience. She is a charter member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com)and a certified instructor/evaluator for the APDTC. L. A. S. S. (www.mydoghasclass.com)program. She is also a certified AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen (CGC) evaluator.