About Us
The Well-Mannered Dog Center
During our daytime hours we focus on canine
daycare and exercising our boarding dogs. Our nights, however are filled with competitive action. Our indoor areas are large enough to simultaneously handle three separate training classes and a regulation-sized agility course. This translates into plenty of indoor space so people can ‘drop in’ for a few hours in the evening for play, to practice, attend classes or even join a fly-ball league. Fly-ball is a furious relay sport for teams of four and their dogs. The competition is ‘ruff’ and is a great spectator sport as well.
Our Team
Kathryn Snyder
Kathryn decided to open The Well-Mannered Dog Center as an extension of her passion for dogs and as a second career after being bored in retirement. Having trained, shown and competed with dogs for several decades, Kathryn brought her vision of a center with space for dog day care, grooming, boarding, socialization, training and competition to the Grand Rapids area. She says, “Dog people love to talk dog — I’m looking to put dog people together.” Kathryn is a professional member of the International Association of Canine Professionals.
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Tracey Wade
Tracey began massaging clients in 1994 and received her certification in 1997. She has had additional schooling for pregnancy massage from first week right through delivery.
In 1999, Tracey received her certification for equine and canine massage from a world-renowned sports massage school for high performance horses and riders in Virginia. She has been massaging horses and dogs in the Southwestern Michigan area since 1996. Tracey's availability and contact information is posted in the Well-Mannered Dog Center office. She is ready to make you and/or your dog feel wonderful at most of our large events.
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Jill Moore
Jill Moore accepted her first post college position as an Animal Control Officer with the Kent County Animal Shelter in 1983. Since then she has raised and trained 16 foster puppies for Paws with a Cause, has successfully competed in CPE and AKC agility, AKC and UKC obedience, AKC rally, and, most recently AKC conformation. Her Boston terrier, Teapot, has been the top ranked Boston in obedience for 2008 and 2009 and this year received an invitation to Eukanuba Obedience Nationals - an honor only extended to the top three obedience competitors in each breed. She teaches competition obedience, beginning agility and beginning and advanced rally
at Dog Scouts of America in St. Helen, Michigan. She is a member at large of the Grand Rapids Agility Club, a member of PAWS and treasurer of the Obedience Training Club of Greater Lansing.
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Nancy Hibiske
Nancy Hibiske has been teaching and competing in Freestyle for two years. She has five freestyle titles on her two German Sheppards including Musical Freestyle, Heelwork to Music and Team Musical Freestyle. Her dogs are also titled in agility, tracking and have achieved 3 championships in weight pull. For 6 years she made weekly visits to nursing homes and hospitals with her certified Therapy Dog, Raider Bubba. She enjoys dog sledding and her German Sheppards have earned a 1st place finish in bikejoring.
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Kimm McDowell
Kimm McDowell is a professional dog trainer and handler with over 30 years experience exhibiting breeds from the smallest to the largest, achieving over 200 championship titles. From Point Winner to Best-In-Show, Kimm has the proven experience to teach obedience and conformation classes to successfully help others exhibit their dogs.
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Keri Fosburg
My name Keri Fosburg and I graduated from Lowell High in 2008. I was active in Kent County Youth Fair where I showed my two Border Collies and a Boston Terrier from 2004 - 2009. Throughout the years in 4-H I have won awards in showmanship, obedience, agility, and rally. I have also won awards in showing my two border collies in AKC. Now that I have aged out of 4-H I am acting as a co-leader in Kent County. I enjoy helping kids and adults with the dogs. I love seeing the process and watching the dog and owner grow as a team.
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Andrea Boucher
Andrea got her first dog in 2003, an Australian Shepherd, and because he was so fearful and shy she decided to take an agility class with him to increase his confidence. Now, MACH 6 Captain still loves the game, and competes almost every weekend! Added to the agility family are MACH Katie and MACH Leo, also Australian Shepherds. Andrea has been teaching in Kalamazoo for the past 3 years, and is now delighted to join the WMD team.
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Sally Guritz
Sally Guritz is a member of the Third Leg Club and the Kalamazoo Kennel Club. She trained her first Labrador Retriever in 1993, and started assisting Puppy Kindergarten in 1994. She has currently trained four Labs to Companion Dog, two to Companion Dog Excellent, and one of them to the second leg of Rally Advanced. Sally aspires to help people train their dogs so that they become cherished members of the family and reach their potential. She also serves as an AKC CGC Evalulator and an AKC STAR Puppy Evaluator.
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Juli Szymanski
Juli began her dog career at the ripe old age of 6 when her family purchased their 1st Afghan Hound. She was lucky in that several professional handlers were also neighbors. She went to dog shows with the professional handlers and got “hooked” on the dogs!
Juli has been showing all breeds on a selective basis since 1981. And while she is a professional handler she is also a firm believer in “Owner Handled” dogs. It is difficult for some owners to get out there and show. But Juli can assist by training and showing their dogs on a weekend basis, until the owner handles their dog themselves. Juli has had the opportunity to work with several All Breed judges by showing and conditioning their dogs. She knows what it takes to start a puppy out and get that "top dog" attitude in the ring.
As a professional handler, Juli has put SBIS on Poms, Pointers, English Cockers, and of course Afghans. She has taken Hounds, Sporting, Non-Sporting, Toys, Terriers, Herding and Working dogs to their Championship titles. Under her handling many of her clients were ranked in the top ten of their respective breeds. Juli also exhibits her own dogs at UKC shows.
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Chessa
I am a mostly German Shepherd dog. Mom is not certain that I am a purebred. She does not care. My temperament is what counts. I am the sweet, gentle giant she needed to help her. I am a Service Dog and I help my mom, Kaye Licata. You see, I was adopted from a shelter at age three. Mom happens to be a trainer with experience teaching many of my cousins the basics, manners and public relations. I also received special training for working dogs. Even though I was found wandering the streets and ended up at a shelter, I found a good home.
Now, I help out at the Well Mannered Dog Center. Part of my job is to help evaluate new clients and their owners coming in for assistance. I help young clients with no social skills learn manners and respect. The second part is to help staff members here at WMDC evaluate just what kind of training and education the owners need and skills the clients will need to learn to stay in their forever homes.
Never believe an older client cannot learn. I know better. Mom sure likes older clients too. It is helpful for owners to start with our clients while they are still young and continue while they mature (at around 2-3 years) because we are a special species with much to offer with the right guidance.
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Becky Jacobi
In 2006, a few months after getting married, Becky got her first dog. A miniature Australian Shepherd named Sydney. It was immediately clear that Sydney was going to need more than a daily walk to keep her happy. Becky had heard of agility, so she started surfing the internet and came across the webpage for Grand Rapids Agility Club. She contacted a few of the trainers, and began classes with Kelly Randall in Lowell in 2008. After a year of classes, Kelly encouraged Becky and Sydney to try CPE agility. She felt it was a nice introduction to agility and there were no teeters or weaves in level 1. They went to their first competition in Dexter in July of 2009 and were instantly hooked. Becky and Sydney have since earned their C-ATCH, ChFH, ChJU, ChCL, ChWC, and ChST. In September of 2010, Becky welcomed her first child, Curtis, who hopes to be a future agility handler someday - some of you may remember her running Sydney while 7 months pregnant at the GRAC trial. In addition to agility, Becky is enjoys biking and running. She also works full time at Metro Health Hospital.
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Mel Pellerito
Six and a half years ago, Mel brought her first Border Collie home, Shadow. Nothing has been the same since! Mel and her Border Collies have trained in obedience, rally obedience, sheep herding, agility and tracking. Different from many of the local handlers in West Michigan, Mel's agility handling style follows that of the Derrett system. Mel has earned titles in Rally and Agility, competing at the excellent level of AKC agility with Shadow and Skye. Mel is an active member of the Grand Rapids Agility Club and Paws Dog Club (aka Grand Rapids Area Canines). Mel's primary training area is agility at this time and she enjoys helping others improve their handling and help them ultimately achieve their goals in competition. Mel is also a full time college student pursuing a degree in Computer Science.
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