Thea

Head Trainer

My journey with Albany All Breeds Dog Club started in 2018 when our fur kid Zeus joined our life at the age of 8 weeks.  I hadn’t trained a puppy before so I was passionate about doing the very best of EVERYTHING I could for the boy.  Zeus was an entire male Doberman and I remember one day Dan O’Connor, our then President saying to me “Thea you do realise his brain won’t kick in until he is 4”.  I feel like Zeus proved that theory wrong as he was incredibly smart, food orientated and a very eager learner.  He drove me to be better and I did a LOT of online training courses to improve my skills and our relationship.  I learnt that so much about dog training is about the human and us getting it right!  I joined the dog club committee and became actively involved in the Club.  Classes at dog club were getting busy and I recall Chantelle Hartney asking me if I would assist trainers in classes to help dog teams with their skills.  I was really enjoying participating as an assistant and seeing dog teams learn and develop their skills.  It gave me a great sense of satisfaction.  I enjoyed it so much that I had the epiphany that I would really love to be a dog trainer as a job one day and in May 2021 I qualified as an IMDT Dog Trainer and started my own business Dogs at Heart.  My niche is family dog training for the whole family only using scientifically proven, force free, positive reinforcement training methods.  I have a particular interest in “Bite Prevention” and am passionate about educating our community on how to manage respectful dog/child relationships. I also share my skills as a volunteer dog trainer for Albany All Breeds Dog Club.  Sadly, and very suddenly Zeus left us on the 7th September 2023 at the age of 5 ½ years young.  We were very broken and living life without him is incomplete.  We are a dog family and we love what dogs bring to our lives, so we decided to rehome another 4 year old Dobie boy - Felix.  So now the Adventures of Felix and his training begins.  

Chantelle

Trainer & President.

I’ve always had a love of animals. I started my career of Vet Nursing in 1999, I started running Puppy Preschool classes through my work in 2004 and the passion for dog training and behaviour grew from there. I joined the AABDC in 2003 to train my girl Nanook, and the rest of the tribe followed in time (Squiffles, Blaze, Phoenix, Shadow & Spritz).

I eventually became a Trainer with the Club, and in 2015 I became Head Trainer, nominated by Gerda Velvelt. I was also awarded Life Membership from the Club. 

In 2024 I became Vice President of the Club and in doing so needed to take off my Head Trainers "hat", we shall see how that all pans out.

While being a part of the Club I have also volunteered my time for our Show & Performance events held every February & November. Prior to competing I attended both days from start to finish, to help with the running of our Clubs events, from handing out competitor numbers, to stewarding performance, to emptying the bins and everything inbetween.

Over the years I have attended conferences & seminars either in person or online, to better my knowledge and skills in ‘all things Dogs’, from training & behaviour point of views.  Then in 2020 I became a Qualified Positive Reinforcement Trainer through the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (World recognised affiliation), passing my assessment with a distinction. Following this qualification, I reduced my Vet Nursing hours so I could start my own business, Yentrah Versatile Dogs, to further assist the dogs of Albany & surrounds on their training journey with their families.  Providing private 1 on 1 sessions and group training opportunities.

I actively compete with my dogs, Phoenix is the most Titled, we are the 2022 & 2023 back-to-back WA State Masters Jumping Champions and 2023 runner-up National Masters Agility Champions.
I have competed (and still actively compete) in Obedience, Rally, Tricks, Agility, Jumping & Conformation.

Vicki

Trainer

I have had dogs for as long as I can remember - GSDs as family pets then cattle dogs ever since then. We've also been co owned by a GSD and a GSP over the years and I would happily have more of these breeds. While I have no formal qualifications in teaching or dog training, I have been teaching and training since I was 16. 

I started taking sessions at pony club when we were short on instructors then started taking classes at the ACT Companion Dog Club when I was about 18, again because of a lack in trainers. This was back in the command, correction, praise days where we used check chains and no treats. My work life led me to delivering training courses and seminars then in 1998 I started my side job of teaching group fitness. I started taking classes at AABDC to help out and here I am, still teaching. 

My interest in dog training is to "have a nice dog" and my favourite tool is scatter feeding which is why I carry too many treats on walks - they come in very handy with other people's dogs who need a bit of calming and distraction.

I'm currently owned by Rosa who is very comfortable making her own decisions, a rat bag at the best of times but will show off and be well behaved when I least expect it.

Teaching has increased my knowledge about dogs and training immensely and I believe everyone in a class, no matter how new, has something to share that can help others and their understanding of their dogs.

Darren

Trainer

I’ve been training dogs for over 35 years, with a strong focus on real-life training and working with high-drive dogs. My background includes training security dogs and earning tracking certs with my American Bulldog, Bandit. Along with Bandit my previous dogs were Zeus and Molly, and I currently have a Rottweiler puppy, Buddy.

I hold three Diplomas in Training and Assessment and have completed extensive specialised education in dog behaviour and training. 
 

I have been involved with the club for just over 12 months on a casual basis. I volunteer because I believe every dog deserves a chance to succeed—and every owner deserves to feel confident. It’s incredibly rewarding to share what I’ve learned and help handlers find practical, compassionate ways to build trust, focus, and control—especially with reactive or misunderstood dogs.

Training a dog is about building a real relationship—not just having them follow a trail of treats. It’s about striking the right balance between rewarding the behaviours you want, setting clear goals, and providing consistent guidance. Step outside your comfort zone, stay calm and fair, and most importantly—make training fun.

 I have a real passion for helping dogs with reactivity or aggression issues and I like to focus on obedience, bitework, scentwork and tracking. While I respect competition-style training, it’s not my forte, I focus more on practical, real-world results that suit everyday dogs and owners. This is what my obedience class can help you with, I hope to see you there.

Kim 

Trainer, Committee Member & Show Secretary 

I joined the club after COVID as Secretary for 2 years, then became Vice President for another 2 years.  I currently have 6 dogs; 4 Rough Collies named Alister, Willow, Rip and Gracie, a Border Collie named Loki (who resides with my daughter) and a fabulous Afghan named Delilah.  I am kept busy woman, showing all my dogs at our Albany events and travelling to Perth each month to show. I have also competed in jumping with Willow, and more recently started entering Sprint Dog Trials with a plan to compete in Lure Coursing…as well as starting Scentwork! I have recently begun teaching the new Ringcraft lessons at the club too.

I have had dogs all my life and have been showing since 1986. I believe all dogs are individuals and should be trained to the best of their ability, and they all have different attitudes to like, just like people!

I’d like to raise more awareness within the community that there is more to owning a dog than just having it in the back yard, and that it can be so much more fun if you want to put a bit of training in. Dog sports are for everyone, no matter what age or fitness level you are. I have made some great friends within the show community and can thoroughly recommend getting involved.

Craig

Trainer's Assistant and Committee Member

I have been a part of the Club since 2018 when Cócó Shaé, my miniature dachshund, & I started our training adventures.

I am passionate about my dogs and strive to help them be the best they can be and represent the breed in the south coast.

Lorna

Trainer's Assistant

I have been involved with the club since 2020 when I adopted Mia, a KelpieX  at almost 2 years old. She  hadn’t been socialised much, hadn’t been taught to walk on a lead and was reactive on lead and around certain people. It was a steep learning curve, for all. We initially had some one-on-one training and then started Pet Dog Skills Level 1 training, making it all the way to pass the level 3.  Of course, one dog wasn’t enough! I got Kota as a puppy in Jan 2022. We completed the 3 Pet Dog Skills Levels and started Agility training in 2024.

I enjoy contributing by volunteering because I had such a great experience at AABDC training. I enjoy meeting and assisting other dog owners, as well as the training refresher it gives me. 

Sue

Trainer's Assistant

I enjoy assisting with the classes, though I am not a dog trainer.  I have been a part of the club since 2014 when Kit Whippet my 6 year old rescue dog began training.  I have recently adopted Dory, a 2 year Whippet, who’s training journey is just beginning.
I am a retired Registered Veterinary Nurse, and I was on the Board of the RSPCA for four years. Also, I was in charge of the welfare and health of 300 cats and 25 dogs at a refuge in Perth for some years.

Most importantly, I am passionate about showing dog owners how to become best mates with their dogs through positive reinforcement strategies.

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Lee

Trainer

I’ve been involved with the club for many years.
I have competed in Obedience and Rally, but my passion is in the Conformation ring. My Jack Russell Apollo has his Australian  Champion Title.

Mandi

Trainer's Assistant

 I have Molly, a 5-year-old female Chocolate Tri  Border Collie, who I currently train with in the Agility class. I just love doing different things with Molly, she enjoys the mental stimulation of Agility! I've  been with the club for about 4 years, completing the Beginners course (as it was then called) with Molly before moving on to graduate; she excelled in Intermediate and gained a 1st place rosette!

 I've lived in Albany since I was 7. I've  has always had dogs and other animals around growing up; and now I have 3 adult children and 2 grandchildren.  We lived on a property out the Kalgan River for the last 30 years and only recently moved into town. I love going SUP boarding with my doggy friends and getting in the ocean.

 I have been a volunteer Ambulance Officer for 13 years and now works for St John Ambulance looking after the first aid kits and Defibs in the Great Southern. 

Michelle

Trainer & Club Secretary 

I have been involved in the Club for a lot of years.
I joined the Club with my dog Lily, who was deaf, so training her was a bit more of a challenge as we used sign language for our cues.

Lily being def didn't stop us competing! We competed in Obedience, Rally and Agility. Gaining passes and Titles.

I have been the Clubs Treasurer and Secretary at different times over the years.
I was also lucky enough to be presented with Life Membership.

Lindsay

Trainer's Assistant

I have been a part of the Club for many years. I joined the club with Fly, my Irish Water Spaniel and Lucky my amazing $5 rescue boy.

Now Tashi, Pemma & Laddie are the current crew.   The Club has been a big part in the training of all my dogs. 

Now it is with gratitude and joy to offer my time as a trainers assistant for the Club. 

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