INSTRUCTORS (note:
Yvonne Ferguson
Loose leash walking, Reliable recalls, Obedience, Freestyle rally,
Tricks & games
Yvonne is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge & Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA) with the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT). She is a Certified Trick Dog Instructor (CTDI) and Certified Stunt Dog Judge with Do More With Your Dog, as well as a Scent Detection judge and Canine Good Neighbour (CGN) Evaluator for the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC).
Yvonne participates in and teaches a variety of dog sports including obedience, rally, tricks and scent detection. She has trained hundreds of dogs in both group and private classes, and has helped countless dogs successfully complete comprehensive science-based behaviour modification programs.
Speaking locally, throughout Ontario and internationally, Yvonne’s ability to infuse fun into dog training is of great importance to both the dogs and owners she assists. Yvonne brings smiles to her students' faces, while helping to build confidence on both ends of the leash. Over ten years experience as a social worker has given Yvonne the experience to work with all dog owners, regardless of abilities.
Yvonne holds canine and behaviour certificates from the Universities of Minnesota, Edinburgh and Melbourne, as well as from Georgian College. She is an active volunteer for numerous not-for-profit canine organizations, using her knowledge and skills for the betterment of dogs and the people who love them.
Shauna Slobodian
Educational seminar
Shauna is teaching "Keeping your dog in the game."
She'll be covering...
- the basics of canine conditioning;
- signs of fatigue and pain in dogs;
- knowing when to stop and give
your dog a rest to avoid injury;
- scanning your dog for problems to
avoid chronic issues.
Shauna graduated from Queen's University in 2010 with her physiotherapy degree, and in 2016 began her certification through the Animal Rehab Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association to become a canine rehab therapist.
She owns Pawsitively Fit Canine Rehabilitation & Wellness in Kingston.
Ed Granger
Chase Ability (Lure coursing)
Ed has been a CKC All Breed Lure Coursing judge since 1996 and is a Zone 5 Lure Coursing Council Rep. He owns Afghan Hounds that are both show & Field Champions. He has judged the AKC National Lure Coursing Championship, the first Canadian to do so, and judged the American Afghan Hound National Lure Coursing Trials, the second Canadian to do so.
Ed first judged Lure Coursing when he lived in Europe (1987 - 1995). He's also been involved in Canadian Large Gazehound Racing. While in Germany, he attended racing, coursing & shows in eleven different countries, a tremendous learning experience.
Danièle Pichette
K9-disc, freestyle
Danièle Pichette is a bilingual dog trainer, SuperDogs performer and animal wrangler, and above all a crazy Jack Russell Terriers mom!
She lives near Montreal but travels with the Toronto SuperDogs cast to the Maritimes and the U.S.
Danièle teaches tricks, freestyle, disc, barn hunt and animal acting, always using positive training methods. She learned from professional wranglers and performers, and has a big toolbox of training skills.
Training Terriers has stretched her imagination, and having them featured on television stretched her creativity! Her dogs have appeared in ads for Fido, Chewy, Mazda, and tv series including Helix and Catastrophe. She worked with Dreamworks on the animated movie Sgt Stubby, and just finished filming the movie “My Spy” starring Dave Bautista with her terrier Spade. She’s tried, trained, competed and/or titled in more than 15 dog sports, but her focus is on freestyle disc, agility and acting. She’s also active in dock diving and “ratting” sports (she founded RATS! Canada) and trick training.
Danièle adjusts training to the different needs of the dogs and makes sure everyone leaves with new skills while having fun and staying safe.
Alexis Maskell
Rally Obedience, Agility, Obedience
With nearly 20 years of training and competition under her belt, Alexis Maskell is passionate about all things dog. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers and working towards the Certified Canine Fitness Trainer (CCFT) through the University of Tennessee. She is the Director of Training Programs at Canadian Canine College (Vanessa, ON) and owner at Kinetic Canine (Norfolk County, Ontario). Through these two avenues, Alexis offers group classes and private consultations in puppy foundations, basic through advanced obedience/manners, recreational sports and behaviour modification, specifically reactivity.
Alexis is actively competing in disc, flyball and rally obedience but has experience in agility, basic scent work, tricks, dock diving, canicross and is an active member of the Flying Furballs performance team based near London, Ontario.
Alexis believes in building human canine relationships through fun and motivational ways.
Melissa Grace
Show handling/conformation
Melissa Grace was born into the show dog world! Her parents were breeders of Rough Collies under the “Graceful Collies” kennel name. She started handling Rough Collies and Shetland Sheep Dogs outside the show ring at the age of 5, and as a CKC junior handler three years later. Melissa got a third place win her first time out with a Rough Collie, beating out junior competitors that were older and more experienced.
Melissa is Mr Spot Dog Camp’s show handling instructor. She comes with 18 years of experience training and handling a variety of breeds. In addition to Rough Collies and Shetland Sheep Dogs, she’s worked with Norwegian Elkhounds, Hungarian Vizslas, English Mastiffs and Shelties.
She has multiple Best of Winners and Best of Breed wins, and has recently been particularly successful showing Braemars Rose Hungarian Vizlas this past year: Winners Bitch at the Erie Shores Kennel Club Vizla Society of Ontario Specialty (June 2018), Best of Winners at the Belleville & District KC shows (October 2018) and Best of Breed at the Ottawa KC shows (May 2018). In 2018, she also was awarded two BOB wins with two different Shelties at the Kingston & District KC and the Limestone City KC shows.
Melissa has now taken over Graceful Collies Kennel and continues their successful breeding program. At 6 months old, her foundation bitch Crishmal Legacy of Graceful was awarded Best Puppy in Breed at the 2018 Belleville & District KC show under respected judge Michael Hill.
Mikki Bradford
Rally, Obedience
Mikki first competed in rally obedience with her German shepherd Eli in 2011 and has been active in rally ever since. In 2016, she was the owner/trainer/handler of the #2 and #9 German Shepherds in Canada for CKC Rally Obedience. She’s proud of the successes her students have achieved, and pleased that they are doing well and loving the sport!
Mikki has trained and earned titles in agility, scent detection, tracking, obedience, tricks, lure coursing and herding.
Mikki lives on a hobby farm where animals are an integral part of her life. Although she is known for her Shepherds, she has a soft spot for many breeds and always has an oddball or two. She currently shares her home with a Saint Bernard, an Australian Cattle Dog and a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, as well as a variety of farm animals --- chickens, turkeys and goats.
Mikki is a Canadian Kennel Club Canine Good Neighbour evaluator and loves promoting responsible pet ownership with this program. She’s been testing at Mr Spot Dog Camp since its first year, and is always impressed with the graduating class!
Mikki is an enthusiastic, positive and motivating teacher and enjoys teaching a variety of dog-sports. She’s been in the pet industry professionally for over fifteen years and has gained a broad and versatile knowledge base and skill set. Her love and enthusiasm is evident when you see her standing ringside and cheering her students on. Mikki brings knowledge, passion, common sense and most of all FUN to her training style.