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  Mystic, CT
  (860) 572-7755

  Niantic, CT
  (860) 691-0078

 
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About Us
The Owners
Marge Lineweber

Marge 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 Scent work 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, Retrieving, Scent work 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


 

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

ichael 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.  As an instructor for My Dog's Place Michael has been educating client and their dogs since 2005. He is 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 (English Mastiff) is a Delta certified therapy dog and CGC cert. Sebastian (Saint Bernard, long hair) and his brother Davenport (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, Teka, Kemu.and Kiri. 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.  Dogs of the past: Beloved Kobi - pictured above often visited classrooms demonstrating obedience and tricks, she accumulated many agility titles and was a Canine Good Citizen.

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

 


Linda Caplan

Linda and Serina

 

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 Linda and Serinathe 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.