OUR TRAINERS

Kathy Shea's experience as a pet dog trainer was preceded by a long history of training and showing horses and her own dogs, as well educating people in emergency medicine for the last twenty years.  A member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers since 1996, Kathy was in the first group of trainers nationwide to successfully complete the national certification exam for pet dog trainers in September of 2001.  Her commitment to animal welfare and well-being is a constant theme in her life.  She serves as a Humane Commissioner for the City of New Haven, a volunteer trainer at the New Haven Animal Shelter, and is a graduate of the Humane Society of the United States Pets for Foundation.  Kathy is also certified by the American Red Cross in Pet CPR and First Aid.  She shares her life with husband Gerry ( an extraordinary dog dad) and her beloved earthdogs, Bud and Otis, who have had cameo appearances in various music videos and feature films and are crazed about agility.     (Private Sessions available)

Michelle Douglas CPDT - is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT # 3010110) and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC # 308). She studied Veterinary Technology and Canine Science at Mount Ida College, and graduated from The Connecticut K-9 Education Center with honors in January 1997. Michelle owns and operates The Refined Canine, LLC and runs classes for the Stratford Recreation Department in Stratford CT. and works with dogs at all levels of obedience, offering group classes, private lessons and behavior modification counseling. Michelle is a Professional Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and an Certified Member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.

Michelle Douglas and The Refined Canine have been featured in The New Haven Register and The Connecticut Post newspapers, and Michelle has also been a guest on Pet Talk on Southern Connecticut Cablevision's channel 12, and most recently, the Chaz and AJ morning show on 99.1 FM WPLR.

Karen Drumm believes that she is always learning from her canine friends.  She started showing dogs at the age of 12 as a junior handler and member of the Onondaga Junior Kennel Club in upstate, NY.  In her career, she has owned and shown numerous dogs to their championship as well as, taught handling skills to adults and juniors.  In 1997, Karen started training and competing in agility and helped her 10 yr. old Golden (Teton) achieve his AX in 2004.  Currently, she is working to complete her Pet Dog Trainers certification as well as training and competing in agility with two Goldens, Moran and Jackson and preparing her pointer, Parker, for a specials career in conformation.  Karen is supported by a wonderful husband, two pointers (Parker and Allegro) and three golden retrievers (Teton, Jackson and Moran).  Karen has studied dog training and handling with Ray & Ginger Scott, George Alston, Monique Plinck, Melody Lynn and Kathy Shea.  She is a member of the Trap Falls Kennel Club, Pointer Associates of New England, American Pointer Club and the Southern Connecticut Agility Team.

Tim Garrison:  has been actively involved in purebred dogs, beginning with collies, since 1963.  Under the kennel name of Eaglehill he has successfully bred and shown Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs and Poodles.  Since that time, Eaglehill has produced approximately 50 AKC champions from a limited breeding program including breeder/owned Award of Merit winners at the Collie Club of America and the Poodle Club of America as well as Best in Specialty and Best in Show winners.   In 1974, after receiving his BS in Animal Science from Purdue University and while pursuing a MS in genetics at the Ind. University School of Medicine, Tim received his handler’s “card” for collies and Shetland sheepdogs (at that time handlers were approved on a breed by breed basis).  He later became an all breed professional handler, finishing championships on breeds in the toy, terrier, non-sporting, working, herding and sporting groups.  The AKC currently licenses Tim to judge collies, Shetland sheepdogs, poodles and junior showmanship. He has judged confirmation and Jr. Showmanship at both the Collie Club of America and Canadian Collie Club national specialties.  Tim served as the chairman of the first Collie Club of America Breed Health Committee in 1978 and has served on the CCA Genetic Health Committee since its inception in 1990.  He is also an invited member of the President's Council to the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation.   Since entering “semi-retirement” in 2006, Tim has pursued multiple avenues.  These include providing grooming and coat care on a limited basis to a select clientele and offering “presentation enhancement” training for owner handlers and junior handlers.  He is also a cold laser therapist and Level II Reiki practitioner working towards Reiki master status.

Angie Genovese has been training and competing with dogs since 1965.  She is an obedience competitor in both the U.S. and Canada and she competed at the 1st ever AKC Companion Dog Events Tournament where she finished first in Utility, and at the National Obedience Invitational.  She has put every level of obedience titles on her own dogs and has had multiple High in Trial awards to her credit. Angie has worked with and put obedience titles on several different breeds.  Most recently she has put Agility, Tracking, and Herding titles on her Belgian Tervuren.

Melody Lynn's love of dogs began as a child. Throughout her life she has trained and instructed dogs of all types to titles in obedience and agility.  She is now entering the challenges of conformation and herding.  Melody is a co-owner of Paws 'N Effect and currently is owned by a rescue Dalmatian and 4 Shetland Sheepdogs. Her daughter, Stephanie, is an avid handler in junior showmanship, conformation, agility and obedience.  Her son Aaron is getting started with his 10 week-old Sheltie!  Melody started training with the Cheshire Dog Training Club and continued with the Waterbury Dog Training Club.  She now teaches Puppy Kindergarten, Attention All Dogs and Ready-Set-Go Agility at Paws 'N Effect.  Her classes are based on positive motivation. using food and toys which in turn creates a dog with a strong work ethic. She believes in creating teams between humans and their canine companions.

Cara Mulqueen's love of teaching is evident by the dedication and diversity of her educational experience.  Cara's talents lie not only with teaching dogs and their human families.  She has taught acting, directing, dance, stagecraft and English to scores of secondary school students throughout her thirteen year career.  In addition to being a a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, Cara was in the first group of trainers in the country to pass a national exam to become a Certified Pet Dog Trainer.  Her devotion to animal welfare is demonstrated by her appointment to the Humane Commission of the City of New Haven.  Cara shares her home, love and time with Chewie, Mike TV and Benigni, the Italian Greyhound who she adopted from the New Haven Animal Shelter.  An avid student of canine behavior and the dog/human relationship, Cara is an enthusiastic and regular participant at professional dog training conferences.  She was recently awarded the coveted "Inspiration Award" by her peers at the August 2002 Advanced Instructor Training Course in New York.  When not training dogs and their people, Cara is a voracious reader, collector of antique dog books, president of the Connecticut Drama Association and a varsity member of her trivia team, Fair Haven United. (Private Sessions available)

Lynn Spagnesi: Lynn brings a diverse background in behavioral education to her learning sessions. She has accumulated 31+ years of experience in the field of special education, working with extremely challenging populations. Additional learning experiences have included 7 years of coaching, and 8 years of work with Connecticut Valley Dog Training under Martha Bailey.
Lynn began working with dogs in 1978 when she was coaching women's college basketball and one of her players arrived at practice carrying a puppy in every pocket of her jacket. The puppies were abandoned during the largest winter storm in the Northeast! From that venture, she sought to increase her skills in the canine world. She was gifted to share 17.5 years with "GEORGE" a behaviorally creative "mix" from that rescued litter.
Lynn regularly attends behavioral seminars, and has attended canine seminars and workshops with John Rogerson, Steve White, Patricia McConnell, Debbie Hutchinson, Terri Cesarak, Brenda Aloff, Judy Reilly, Pat Miller and Mary Jo Lavin. She credits most of her hands on learning to Martha Bailey, Monique Plinck, Kathy Shea, and Sue Sternberg.  She also teaches with CT Valley Dog Training at the North Haven Recreation Department and at Candlewick Kennels Training Center in Glastonbury, CT. Lynn spends the majority of her time enjoying life and "Cross-Training" her dogs, a method which integrates confidence and obedience work with various movement activities. Lynn places the human canine "TEAM" connection above all other skills.  She has enjoyed "playing" agility since 2000 with Buddy, a robust rescue Labrador retriever, who has been one of her greatest agility instructors. More recently, Billy Joe has joined the family and also loves to "play" agility. (Email Lynn)