I’ve been a member of the Durham Kennel Club for 7 years but have taken classes here for over 15 years.

Growing up we had a dog briefly when I was about 12 years old but mostly we had hamsters as our pets.

My husband had a collie as a child and always loved him but didn’t want a dog that could “wag his tail and clear the coffee table” so we decided on shelties.

Our first sheltie, Breuer, came to us as a pet from Lynn Michael. Lynn was the person who got me involved in the sheltie club and ultimately obedience. Breu was my Novice A and sadly left us a year after earning our CD but I was hooked. I got Schatzie with a goal of earning a UD; I had no idea what I was getting into!

My proudest moment occurred outside the ring. On a walk in the neighborhood a young child spotted Schatzie and came running at us and threw her arms around her. I had put her in a sit when I saw the child and she never flinched. After reminding the child about approaching strange dogs, the child’s mother complimented me on how well behaved Schatzie was—all that obedience training paid off.

I’ve enjoyed the support and friendship of the many people I’ve met at DKC. There is always someone to help when dog issues pop up as well as to commiserate and laugh with you when you hit a rough patch. I still laugh when I think of Joyce McHenry telling a judge she wasn’t ready to start her obedience run because she had to watch her student in the next ring to see if she qualified (yes, we did).