Managing Member, Marcia Welch has been teaching people to train their dogs for over 20 years and is dedicated to helping people strengthen and maintain the bond they share with their dogs. She is passionate about Training and Learning (through continuing education in Learning Theory, Classroom Instruction, Ethology, and Animal Husbandry and in all of the areas of interest in which she teaches and competes) and enthusiastically shares that joy with her students. She says "It is a particular pleasure to help to shape well behaved, cherished family companions as well as competition-ready teams."
She is the former President and Training Coordinator for Casco Bay Dog Training Club (CBDTC). She is a member of the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA), the United States Australian Shepherd Association (USASA), the Australian Shepherd Club of New England (ASCNE), Northeast Stockdog Association (NESA), she has been a member of Therapy Dogs International (TDI), served as New England co-coordinator for ASCNE Rescue. She is a Member (#148) of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). Marcia is an AKC Certified Evaluator for the CGC, Tricks, and ACT Programs.
Marcia has trained her own dogs in obedience, agility, herding, rally, tracking, K9 NoseWork, and musical canine freestyle. She has enjoyed national and regional recognition and multiple high-in-trials in various venues with her dogs in the areas in which she trains and competes and is grateful to her dogs as teachers, partners, and friends. She credits her dogs and their joy in learning through reward based training for her successes. She says, "It is a privilege to partner with such wonderful, unique beings. I love the bond that is forged through training. It is a natural outgrowth of my lifelong love of animals in general, and dogs in particular."
Email Marcia marcia@positivelybestfriends.com
Member, Pam Parker
After a childhood filled with cherished but very poorly behaved dogs, Pam enrolled a pet dog obedience class with her first Australian Shepherd puppy in 1996. Pam began teaching in 2001, since then she has taught countless puppy, beginner, beyond beginner, Mind Your Manners, and CGC preparation classes for Casco Bay Dog Training Club and subsequently PBF. Pam is fascinated by animal behavior and loves to watch dogs and handlers interact. She strives to understand the challenges they face and the different ways they learn. This helps determine what tools might best to assist them reaching their goals. Pam believes strongly that we must always have a "beginner's mind" and continually be open to what every new experience can teach us.
She continues her own learning in animal behavior, obedience, conformation, agility, stock, and canine nosework. She does this by taking many classes, attending seminars and clinics, plus training and competing with her own dogs and a very large horse.
Email Pam pam@positivelybestfriends.com
Ann Walko, CPDT-KA*
Ann’s dog training education originates in the guide dog world. She began as a volunteer puppy raiser in 2004 but was soon mentoring other raisers. Several years later she was employed at Guiding Eyes for the Blind as a Puppy Program Regional Manager. While there, she evaluated eight week old puppies for the temperament and confidence needed for guide dog work along with teaching group classes of volunteer raisers. She continues to help with the pups being raised in Maine after leaving Guiding Eyes. Ann is also a volunteer Tester/Observer for Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
She enjoys helping owners create great canine companions – having a dog that is enjoyable to be with and comfortable in many situations. Ann says, “It’s wonderful to watch the developing relationship between owners and their dogs.” Ann has shared her life with several Labradors. Her current teammate is Willy, a male black Lab. Willy enjoys sniffing (nosework), running and jumping (agility), walking with signs (rally), picking up anything Ann drops (tricks), and people visiting (therapy work).
Email Ann ann@positivelybestfriends.com
Maya Robinson, CPDT-KA*
Maya's love of dog training started when she volunteered at the ASPCA in NYC. While she was there, she helped take care of the shelter dogs and took them to the basic obedience classes to help them become more adoptable. She later started working at another shelter, Animal Haven where she worked for 9 years. At Animal Haven, she was the Behavior and Enrichment manager for the dogs. She developed the enrichment program for the shelter dogs and was responsible for setting up behavior modification programs for the dogs that needed a little bit of help getting adopted. She would also help newly adopted dogs settle into their new homes. She moved back to Maine in the summer of 2017.
Maya's dog, Pips, is moving up to the higher levels of AKC and CPE Agility, has his CGCA and is a registered Therapy dog with Therapy Dog International. Her other dog, Charlotte, is starting her Agility career and has her CGC and Novice Tricks title. Maya is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), the Pet's Professional Guild (PPG) and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC).
Gail Stone
Gail grew up on a small farm with the responsibility of caring for a wide variety of animals from a very young age. She worked for veterinarians where among other duties she groomed the dogs that the professional groomers would not accept. Using decreasing doses of tranquilizers administered by the vet, patience, and kindness, most of these dogs were able to accept grooming and return to the professionals. For 37 years Gail started very green horses and then went on to compete them usually in eventing or dressage. In 2015, she left that world and told her horsey friends “I’m going to the dogs!” Two rather ancient horses remain with her as her pets.
Gail began competing with her first Aussie, Abbie, in 2016 in Agility. Her two older dogs have both competed at the Excellent level. In 2017 she discovered Rally. Gail and her three dogs have earned 4 AKC Rally Championships and qualified numerous times for nationals, attending twice in Ohio. In ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America), Abbie has her championship and both Webstah and Anna are well on their way to achieving theirs. In 2022 Gail became an ASCA Rally Judge.
In 2018 Gail started offering study groups for those competing in Rally. She provided the course information (from research, classes and competitions she had attended). “We all helped each other to improve. I love to teach and share the joy of Rally. It is truly a fun sport with great people participating. Teaching also makes me a better judge and competitor.”
Member, Nell Tharpe
* Certified through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), the first national certification for dog trainers.