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Susan Greenholt began training in 1989 with her first German Shepherd puppy, Grendl. Quickly bitten by the obedience bug, she went on to advanced levels with Grendl and then with her next German Shepherd pup, Zak. Although Grendl was happier at home, Zak loved the work and excelled in the obedience ring. Susan led him to his CD, CDX, and 2 of the needed 3 "legs" required for his UD before elbow arthritis earned his early retirement. Both Zak and Grendl earned their CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certificates, as well. Susan's next German Shepherd, Falkner, was clicker trained from the age of 7 weeks (he's now 11 yrs old) and earned five agility titles before retiring due to an injury. Susan is now competing with Ika (8 yrs) and Vista (5yrs), both beautiful German Shepherd bitches. Ika has earned the coveted Agility Dog Champion title (ADCh) through the USDAA! Vista now has several titles of her own, as well. Ika and Vista are therapy dogs with PAWS for People and are visiting elementary schools with the READ program.
Susan is committed to keeping abreast of the most humane and effective training techniques available. She and her dogs attended the Volhard's Instructors Training Camp three times and attended Camp Gone to the Dogs. Thrilled with what she learned about positive reinforcement training at the 1998 Association of Pet Dog Trainers conference, Susan reads everything she can get on the subject and has attended seminars given by noted trainers Leslie Nelson, Jean Donaldson, Sheila Booth, and Pat Miller (among others.)
Susan has enjoyed teaching at Greenwood so much that she has gone back to school herself. She is working on her Master's of Education degree and plans to teach high school social studies classes.
Susan brings a special touch to her classes. She cares for each and every dog, whether it is destined for the show ring or is a beloved pet. Students are always commenting on how much they love seeing Ika and Vista when she uses them for demonstrations. Watching the excitement and love in their eyes - you know they have a great trainer!
Mary Woodward began training at the same time as Susan, owning two Rottweilers at the time (5 yr old Bear and 6 mos old Teddy). Both Bear and Teddy earned their CD titles, and did the groundwork for their CDX's before Mary became too busy with motherhood to continue training. They did make a brief re-appearance in 1995, both earning their CGC certificates. The Woodward family now enjoys their current dog, 9 yr old Sugar Bear, who is a long-coated Rottie. They have clicker trained her since getting her at 8 weeks of age. Sugar Bear has earned her CGC certificate & served as a therapy dog with PAWS for People, where Mary trains and tests the new therapy dog teams and serves on the advisory board. Mary is also an CGC evaluator for the AKC. The Woodward family is also enjoying their newest dog, Déjà Vu, a 4 year old Borzoi, and are looking into opportunities to take her lure coursing. Both Sugar Bear & Déjà Vu love to serve as demonstration dogs at Greenwood. The Woodward family enjoys the company of two cats, Tao and Sirus Black, who keep the dogs in line.
Also inspired by the APDT conference, Mary was thrilled with what she learned at Leslie Nelson seminars, Camp Gone to the Dogs, and seminars by such noted trainers as Sheila Booth and Pat Miller. Among her favorite books on the subject are Reaching the Animal Mind and Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor, The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller, The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson, Clicker Training for Obedience by Morgan Spector, The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell, and Purely Positive Training - Companion to Competition by Sheila Booth.
Mary brings plenty of teaching experience to her classes at Greenwood. She taught various subjects at Conrad Middle School for 7 years before moving to Wilmington Friends School to teach high school computer classes for 11 years. She is now working with technology in the library at Friends. She frequently brings Sugar Bear to school to teach the younger children about how to act (and not act) around dogs and gives training tips. Sugar Bear now has a pretty nice routine of tricks (such as "lick your chops" and "high five"), which the kids find quite entertaining. Mary's own children love their sweet, furry Rottie and their lighting-fast Borzoi.
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Page last updated 07/11/10
Site created & maintained by Mary Woodward
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