My first experience with dogs started around the of age 10 when my family owned a series of beagles, Missy, Peanut and Elvis. When I was in college I inherited my own dog, a gordon setter named Boone.

Once I settled down and started a family we always had a golden retriever in the house. I currently own a golden doodle named Callie. I joined Durham Kennel Club in 2022 when Callie was a puppy. I decided to undertake formal training for her with puppy training and eventually with therapy dog training.

Callie was certified as a therapy dog in 2023. My proudest moment so far is sharing Callie in therapy setting in schools, rehabilitation centers and she will soon debut at the Duke Cancer Institute.

I find the members of DKC to be friendly, supportive and knowledgeable. I have also enjoyed volunteering as a steward. One of the benefits of volunteering is I have been exposed to the host of programs that are available for dog training.

Callie seems to enjoy agility with activities more than any other. We are currently progressing through formal agility training classes. My goal is to eventually compete in events this year and moving forward.