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Marge LineweberMarge Lineweber’s life has since childhood been filled with animals. She was raised with an assortment of animals from reptiles, rabbits, sheep and horses to dogs and cats. Marge’s love and respect for animals first lead her to work at a veterinary practice where she served as a veterinary technician for over 5 years. Then Marge’s passion for dog training was realized when her Gordon Setter “Java” helped her find positive reinforcement training. While fulfilling Java’s love for socializing through doggie daycare at My Dog’s Place Marge began to learn that dog training without force was possible, and the world of positive reinforcement training opened up to her and Java. Marge began to soak up all she could about positive training by reading books, taking classes, attending seminars and apprenticing with established trainers. She does believe that the greatest teachers of all have been her dogs, “they tell us everything we need to know about training, we just need to listen”.
Marge now shares her life with Java a Gordon Setter, Summit an English Setter, Ares an Australian Shepherd, Fyssher an Irish Red and White Setter, Derby a Red Irish Setter, and River an Australian Shepherd. Together they enjoy Agility, Water Sports, Frisbee, Pet Therapy, Rally Obedience and Field Training but most of all just the pleasure of each others company.
Today, Marge owns and manages My Dog’s Place. She is very closely involved in the day to day activities of the business, conducting daycare interviews, training and supervising staff, setting class schedules and curriculums and handling client communications. As one of the facilities instructors Marge enjoys all aspects of positive reward training with dogs, she teaches Puppy Kindergarten, Basic Manners, Beyond Basics, Canine Good Citizen class, Agility, Therapy dog and Canine Water Sports.
Marge is a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, a member of SNEAK (Southern New England Agility Klub), an AKC approved Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and a founding member of Canine Water Sports as well as a Canine Water Sports Judge.
Summit & Fyssher earn their APDT Level I Rally Obedience titles
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Derby gets his Canine Good Citizen Title
The Trainers
Beatrice DeGruttola
Otherwise known as Bea, instructor and owner of her own company, "I Am Dog", has been rescuing, teaching and rehabilitating dogs for more than ten years. Her work with dog aggression, socialization and other severe behavioral issues has helped to save hundreds of dogs over the years. Employed at various times by the four states, Bea began as a Canine Rescue Specialist and progressed to teaching where she felt she could be more effective in reaching people and saving more dogs. Her talent for teaching is evidence by her ability to modify a curriculum to best suit a client's needs. Her goal: to develop the best possible relationship between owner and dog through the understanding of canine behavior.
An Instructor for My Dog's Place since 2003, Bea teaches a variety of classes including Puppy Kindergarten, Basic Manners, Beyond Basics, Leash Walking, training and preparation for Canine Therapy work and three levels of Agility for Fun & Confidence building. She also provides Private Behavioral Consultations, Drop in Socials for My Dog's Place clients and is Captain of the My Dog's Place Flyball Team, "Seaside Sprinters".
Bea resides in Massachusetts and Connecticut with her many beloved rescue animals of all breeds and species, her husband, Adam, daughter, Xochitl and son Jared. For more information, she can be contacted at Bea.iamdog@Gmail.com .
Michael Bane, CPDT
Michael Bane’s training style focuses on understanding canine behavior, communication and aggression. Michael spent several years as an assistant instructor and currently teaches a full range of classes. He has been involved in teaching companion obedience, CGC, companion agility, Rally Obedience and Delta therapy dog training. His background also includes wildlife rehabilitation and Mastiff rescue. He is also a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT).
Michael wears many hats. In additional to dog training, he owns a pet food company franchise called The Pet Pantry. His company offers home delivery of naturally preserved pet food and supplies. Michael also works as a veterinary technician at Bolton Veterinary Hospital and as a software consultant. Michael’s passion lies with the giant breeds, especially Mastiffs.
He has four big dogs. Zandolph (5 yr, English Mastiff) is a Delta certified therapy dog and CGC cert. Sebastian (3 yr, Saint Bernard, long hair) and his brother Davenport (3 yr, Saint Bernard, short hair) have both passed the CGC. Both Zandolph and Sebastian have been competing in a Rally O competition since April of 2006. Dogs of the past: Ziphner (English Mastiff – Zandoph’s brother, who had the uncommon long hair recessive gene) and Zephren (English Mastiff).
Kristie Foss
Instructor Kristie Foss has owned and trained her own dogs for 23 years, and has been teaching at My Dog’s Place since 2002. Currently, she is owned by three Australian Shepherds, Kobi, Teka and Kemu. She is a proponent of positive training techniques, and uses clickers for both training and modifying behaviors. Her training interests include tricks, obedience, agility, and general manners.
Kristie also has experience and special interest regarding dogs with behavior problems, and has attended numerous training seminars and workshops on related topics. Her older aussie, who visits classrooms demonstrating obedience and tricks, has several agility titles and is a Canine Good Citizen.
Michele Longo
In the year 2000, after 15 years of working in the world of marketing, Michele Longo jumped off the corporate ladder and went straight to the dogs!
Michele first got her feet wet working with dogs in her position as the playtime manager at an area pet resort. Michele then did an intensive full-time internship at a strongly respected training center in central Connecticut; after which she was ready to launch her full-time career in reward-based dog training.
Michele currently trains at several different training centers and takes pride in having initiated a very popular small breed program. Ms. Longo happily provides private, in-home training throughout Connecticut.
As a trainer, Michele enjoys passing on what she has learned to her many training assistants and interns and is happy to offer her time as a mentor to those who are interested in exploring the world of dog training.
Michele enjoys working with people and finds it very rewarding to be able to pass along her skills and knowledge of positive reinforcement training methods to her many clients and their dogs.
Michele is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and an evaluator for the Canine Good Citizen Test. As a lifetime learner, Michele attends up-to- date training and behavioral seminars.
Michele spends her own playtime with her two beloved dogs; Coco, a 13 year old Dachshund and Gibson, a nine year old Golden Retriever.
Linda Caplan
Linda Caplan, owner of Freedom Hills Weimaraners and Dog Training, has been a part of the dog fancy since 1976 when she entered her first obedience competition. She currently shares her life with four Weimaraners and is very active in the breed ring showing her own, and clients dogs. Linda has been teaching with My Dog’s Place since 2006.
Linda's accomplishments include titles in obedience, breed, hunting, Top 10 status for obedience and show, Breed Register of Merits and a Dog World Award. Linda and her dogs have participated in pet therapy, TV commercials and public demonstrations. In 1991, she received an honorable mention from
the Dog Writers Association of America for the Motivational Agility Training Video co-produced with Suzanne Clothier. She founded Canine Companions Dog Training Center in Colchester, VT and fulfilled the role of training director for 16 years. Today, the center is still in operation.
Linda has trained thousands of dogs. She has worked with puppies, adolescents and adult dogs and has taught classes and privates in basic and advanced manners, competition obedience, breed handling , Canine Good Citizen, pre-agility and beginner agility. She has also trained several dogs to aide the physically challenged; including an epilepsy alert dog.
Linda is a member of the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.
Jeni Grant
Jeni Grant has recently moved to Virginia, we know all her two legged and four legged friends alike will miss her kind gentle way.
Jeni Grant specializes in training the family dog and dealing with canine behavior problems. Her training philosophy is based on positive training techniques. She is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Pet Sitters International as well as an AKC Canine Good Citizen Approved Evaluator. Jeni stays current by regularly attending seminars, courses, and conferences with some of the best positive trainers in the country and abroad.
Jeni has worked professionally with dogs for over 15 years. After earning her BA in clinical psychology, Jeni went on to manage a large nonprofit animal shelter for seven years. While at the shelter, Jeni received extensive training in animal welfare, health, and behavior. She became a New Jersey certified animal control officer and counseled thousands of people about resolving behavior problems with dogs and cats. Prior to working the shelter, Jeni worked as a professional pet sitter in high school and college. Today she works with many dogs and their owners through her pet care and dog training business here in Connecticut.
Jeni’s animal companions over the years have included horses, cats, guinea pigs, and small and large dogs. Her current dog, Jefferson was adopted as a senior citizen and he has proven that not only can old dogs learn new tricks but also they can have a great time doing it.
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"A Daycare, Training, & Activity Center for Dogs and Their Families." |
