Sally Chambers

Registrar ( former Senior Instructor )

My husband Mike Kaffka and I plus ‘v12 Merlin” form a pack of three. ‘Merlin’  is a sixty pound marvellous monster – comprised of Blue Heeler, Blue Tick Hound and Lab.  The head honcho of our pack can change according to the situation! I have had a lifelong love for animals which began as a child growing up on the North Shore and in the Okanagan on Skaha Lake.  In the past twenty five years my passion led to a much loved career working with dogs and their people.  I have been very fortunate to work under the noble tutelage of Ann Jackson for years and have taken many courses to enhance my knowledge and understanding of dogs and their behaviour. I am a Certified Practitioner of Tellington Ttouch, a gentle approach for influencing the behaviour, health and performance of animals.  As of 2019, Powell River is our new home … two ferries up the Sunshine Coast. I now have the job of Registrar for Ann Jackson’s Puppy Perfect Start Do Classes in North and West Vancouver. Keeping in touch with my former teacher friends, plus speaking with many past , present and new class members, is a joy.

My motto remains:

Keep a sense of humour

Have fun

Keep Dog Training in perspective

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Caroline Gheseger

Senior Instructor

My love of dogs goes back for as long as I can remember.  I can't imagine my home without a dog or two, or three!  I have worked with Ann since 2003 and have learned a lot of invaluable information from her on dog behaviour in that time.  I am also a certified canine good neighbour evaluator and am pleased to be able to teach this class to help you prepare for the twelve test exam that we host at least twice per year.

Since those early years I have also discovered a passion for competitive dog showing.  We have titled our dog in obedience, rally obedience, draft, water rescue, and conformation.  Both of my children have competed in junior handling successfully.  My son has decided that hockey and his dirt bike are more his kind of activities now, but my daughter has excelled in dog sport with our Newfoundland dog.  she has put many obedience titles on him herself.  As well as showing him to his Grand Championship in conformation, she has been the best overall junior handler in BC for the past four years.  This has become a family hobby I hope will continue for some time yet.

I really enjoy teaching and assisting in the classes, it is an opportunity to meet many wonderful families and their dogs, and do what I can to help support a good relationship between the two.  Whether its your goal to have a well mannered family pet, or advanced training with the possibility of competing, I am thrilled to help with both.

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ALISON CRADDOCK

Senior Instructor

I am married with 3 children: Jack, Joey and Ella. Both my husband and I grew up with dogs and have had 1 or 2 dogs in the house since we were married. I have been training with Ann for 24 years and consider myself extremely lucky to learn from her and benefit from her 40 years of experience working with dogs. I teach Kindergarten, Beginners and Advanced Beginners and have experience teaching and evaluating the "Canine Good Citizen Program". I also do in home new puppy consultations, private obedience training and go on walks with clients and their dogs to help with issues encountered out in the world.

I have a BA in Psychology from UBC and an LLB from Cambridge University. I have attended seminars to continue my education in dog training and also read as much as I can on the subject to keep up to date. I have always loved animals, especially dogs, and my family and I have a 5 year old English Mastiff/Lab X called Tyson and a 3 year old Newfoundland called Scout.

I understand well the challenges of raising a family at the same time as training a dog and feel my strength lies in this understanding. I can help over scheduled families give their dogs the training they need. 

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Rosemary Carter

Assistant

I’m married to Mike and we have three daughters and four granddaughters.

I have owned dogs since childhood ranging from Jack Russell terrier, Cairn terrier, Dalmatian, Border Collie, border collie cross and we’re now on our fourth Belgian Shepherd.

I met Ann when I started classes with our Border Collie. I loved the classes and eventually volunteered to assist. I became an official member of Ann‘s team and taught classes which was such fun. I learned so much from Ann and we all continued to take various courses to improve our skills. After 10 years working with her, life intervened and I had to stop for a number of years. Life intervened once again in the form of Covid 19 and the opportunity arose to come back to the team.

After all these years I’m still fascinated by dogs and their people and love interacting with both.

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Nancy Hourston

Volunteer Assistant

I love animals and have always had a dog in my life. I met Ann 23 years ago when I took my second german shepherd Diaz to her obedience classes. I later, with Diaz, went on to do beginners and intermediate tracking classes with "Human dog leadership". My third german shepherd, Mae turned out to be a difficult dog, and I learned a lot about managing an aggressive dog. I have ten years of experience with this type of behavior. I especially enjoy working with young dogs, teaching the basic obedience skills. I have started working as an assistant in Sally and Caroline's classes, and find it interesting and rewarding. The progress that the dogs make is remarkable. The puppies that get a good start are so much further ahead. I am now the proud owner of a five year old black field lab named Casey, who is currently assisting at the classes.

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EMMA O’BRIEN

Assistant

My parents found Ann’s classes 17 years ago when they got our first dog Jack. In 2018, when we got a handful of a rescue dog named Ruby, we knew Ann was the best person to help us learn to manage our pup. After taking several rounds of classes with Sally, Caroline and Alison I knew working with dogs was something I wanted to continue doing. Watching you and your dogs learn and grow is so amazing! I can’t wait to learn even more about the dog and human connection!

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PENNY LIDSTONE MILLER

Assistant

As a life long dog enthusiast I am excited to be part of the Ann Jackson team. I am married and have two young children and we love to spend time with our family dog on the beautiful North Shore trails. I am originally from the Interior of B.C., where I grew up on a farm, and have always loved animals and been curious to learn more about them.  I have a Bachelor of Science and am the owner/operator of a dog hiking company where we encourage exercise, socialization and good canine behaviour thru communication and leadership. I look forward to meeting all of you and your dogs in class for some learning and laughter!

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Kris Hutton

Assistant

I was born and raised on the North Shore and have always had a profound love for animals. This is where I met Chelsea, who shares the same passion that I do! I first met Ann when my family (finally) got our first dog, and again when Chelsea and I added Hugo to our family. I am so excited to be a part of Ann's team and have the opportunity to learn from her!

I've worked with dogs on the North Shore in other ways over the years, starting with grooming and now in a Veterinary setting for over 5 years. I've taken Fear Free courses which focus on reducing a dog's anxiety in stressful situations. I find the bond between dogs and owners beautiful, and am excited to help people create stronger bonds through Ann's classes.

I love to be out exploring the trails on the North Shore and throughout BC. Hugo, our Australian Cattle Dog, has inspired me to pursue obedience training and I hope to compete with him in Rally and Agility when we aren't out hiking. Hugo, Chelsea and I share our home with Hunter (a sweet old Labrador) and our kitties Kirk and Spock. I look forward to meeting everyone and their dogs in class!

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Chelsea Young

Assistant

There is not a day in my life that I have not had a dog by my side. My family breeds and shows beautiful Newfoundlands and I have adored helping raise the babies. When my family gets together for family events, you can only imagine all the fun we have with all the dogs together! I wouldn't have it any other way. Hunter is my sweet old beast and is a yellow Labrador. He is the first dog that I have owned by myself and is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me. When I met my partner Kris, we added to our family with two kitties and recently a beautiful Australian Cattle Dog, Hugo.

I have known Ann since I was very young, she helped us with the first family dog I remember, and I learned so much! I am so happy to be a part of the team and to meet people who love dogs as much as I do..

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