HDDTS has some of the most experienced trainers in the country covering all
aspects of dog training, obedience and competition showing.
Carol Pearce
| Experience | 25 Years |
| Training | DTI Solo Trainer 1982, DTI Advance Trainer 1991 |
| Dogs | Duke – black Labrador (Deceased), Travis – Goldie (Deceased). Mitch – GSD (Deceased), Marley – GSD aged 10, Gabriel – black Labrador aged 4 |
| Comments | I have now been an active Trainer at HDDTS for some 26 years and I still enjoy my Thursday evenings. I can remember being asked to become a trainer back in 1981; whilst doing my training I gave birth to my daughter and in September 1982 promptly left my 9mth old baby and 2 yr old son with my Mum as I went off to Totness in Devon to complete my DTI training course and pass my Solo Trainer exam. I then waited almost 10 years before gaining my Advance grade.
Not much at HDDTS has changed over the years; trainers meetings are a little more relaxed now, and the Beginner Class format has changed very slightly. I am proud to say that we are the biggest and best training club in the country.
For just over 10 years David and I trained the clubs trainers, some 23 of them! As I always wanted to be a teacher but couldn’t quite get another 'A' level and always having a love of dogs training trainee trainers was a natural progression.
Passions in life - in no particular order: I love to socialise, I adore red wine (but not Australian), I like walking, swimming, I love to cook and really enjoy entertaining, I give blood on a very regular basis and so does Gabriel! My ideal Sunday afternoon is watching my favourite football team on the telly, sipping a nice bottle of red wine with my little black dog curled up by my feet - pure heaven. |
David Pearce
Has been obedience training since 1985 and qualified as a DTI Solo Trainer in 1987 and Advanced in 1991. David is our most experienced GSD handler and has
also trained Border Collies. David had competed in Obedience through all stages up to Open 'C' achieving a 1st, with too many 2nd, 3rds and 4ths to mention.
| Experience | 19 years obedience |
| Training | Dog Training Instructors Course, Solo and Advanced, 7 Obedience courses- 2 Day courses (Sandy Wadham) |
| Dogs | Jayne B/C 1972, lived 19 years (blind for 10), Lacie GSD 1982,lived 14 years, very dominant. Josh GSD 1986 lived 9 years, Very special. Josh B/C 1995 put to sleep 1997, very dominant, Jon GSD 1997, close to being special - put to sleep 2007 |
| Awards | Open 3 x 1st Beg, 4x1st Nov, 3x1st A Ring, 2x1st B ring, 1st C Ring (Too many 2nds, 3rd and 4ths to mention) |
| Comments | The lives and loves of all of the above dogs, good and bad experiences have made me a better human being for knowing them. The experience I have for pet dogs ranges from very dominant to very introverted. I get a great satisfaction from trainee trainers which started in 1992. |
Peter Sorrell
| Experience | 12 years |
| Training | Dog Training Instructors Course |
| Dogs | Mally - Weimaraner. Hugh - Weimaraner (Deceased), rescued at 14 months old and a much loved friend who will be greatly missed |
| Awards | Several 1st places and quite often placed in dog agility shows. |
| Comments | Have enjoyed training dogs and handlers and hopefully will continue to do so. We also compete in dog agility with some success. |
Phil Woodward
| Experience | Member of HDDTS since 1980. Member of management team for Harlaxton Dog Training Instructors Course for 3 years. Assisted with the setting up and running of Stratford Pet dog Club 1985 - 1988 |
| Training | Gained 1st Grade trainers certificate at All Britain Dog Training Instructors Course Totnes 1982,Gained advanced Grade trainers certificate at above course 1984. Examiner at United Kingdom Dog Trainers Instructors course 2001&2003. Judged at exemption shows. |
| Dogs | Past: Old English Sheep Dog, Shelties, GSD,Collie X. Present: Saluki X Lurcher. My Old English sheepdog appeared in a children's TV program called 'SEEING & DOING' in the early eighties. Filmed at Thames TV studios Teddington. |
| Comments | Have been involved with the training of breed show dogs and Obedience training for over twenty years. HDDTS is an extremely well run club. The trainers are in my opinion amongst the best in the country. I have met many people from all over the country and have asked them about the structure of their clubs. It still appears that we have probably the best venue and club structure of all. The standard of our trainee trainers attending courses is second to none. After gaining certificates of competence trainers go on to learn more training and class management skills. The club on a Thursday training night is friendly and productive. We have good support from both our committees and from the membership as a whole. |
Susie Cox
Susie, along with Jo Codd (below) has taken on the task of training the trainee trainers.
| Experience | 5 years training at HDDTS. |
| Training | Solo trainer DTI (2001), Advanced Trainer DTI (2004). |
| Dogs | Lily - Yellow Labrador (1998), Chloe - Black Labrador (1999) |
Andy Stebbeds
| Experience | 5 years HDDTS, rest of life clouded in a veil of secrecy. |
| Training | Solo trainer DTI, Advanced Trainer DTI. |
| Dogs | Jix - Border Collie Cross, Basil- English Setter(Deceased) |
| Comments | Having always had a love of dogs, being a trainer is a highly enjoyable and rewarding way of spending time. Helping like minded people with their pets and an unlikely change from the 'Pub' and other alcohol related activities. |
Jo Codd
Jo, along with Susie Cox (above) has taken on the task of training the trainee trainers.
| Experience | 5 years HDDTS. |
| Training | Solo trainer DTI, Advanced Trainer DTI (2004). |
| Dogs | Honey - Goldie; Raven - Black Labrador |
| Awards | HDDTS Internal awards |
| Comments | My time at HDDTS started when I came along with my first dog Honey as the club had been recommended to me by her breeders who had trained both their Goldies there. Never having had a dog before I was very keen to learn all I could, although I remember I had to wait six months before I got offered a place, so we were just as popular back then. I well remember how nervous I was in those classes, not because the trainers didn't do everything they could to put me at my ease, more that I wanted to do everything right and not let Honey down.
So here we are now and as you will see from the above photo I have got myself another little bundle of fun, a black Labrador bitch this time called Raven, who is a real pleasure to be with. I had been thinking for a while that I wanted to get another dog and eventually things worked out okay and Raven is now 9 months old and she and Honey, who is now 7, get on absolutely fine. I certainly made some mistakes when I was training Honey and I hope I won't make the same ones with Raven.
Honey has a very loving character although she can be aloof when she wants to be, we'll call it selective hearing shall we, and takes things at a very leisurely pace. Raven is also a very loving dog with an amazingly waggy tail, now she has two paces - stop and go, go, go, go! I love them both very much and cannot imagine being without them as they give me so much love and enjoyment.
Having been asked to become a trainer, I became more involved with the club and it's nice to feel that Honey has been with me every step of the way. I really get a great deal of pleasure out of helping people with their dogs, I find it especially rewarding when people come down to the club even before they have a place on a course, just to talk about their dog and get help with any problems they might have. |
Colin Cox
| Experience | Training at HDDTS since 2000. |
| Training | Solo trainer DTI (2002), Advanced trainer DTI (2005) |
| Dogs | Lily - Yellow Labrador (1998), Chloe - Black Labrador (1999) |
Sara Dyson
| Experience | 4 years training at HDDTS. |
| Training | Solo trainer DTI (2002). |
| Dogs | Sam: Rottweiller/Labrador Cross, Lucy(Lurcher/Doberman cross) and Midge (Parsons Jack Russell) |
| Comments | I can't remember a time I didn't have a dog, from the dogs my parents had (whippets) to the dogs I have now. The first dog that I had of my own was a stray who was in a very bad state and after no one claimed him, I decided to take him on, I was working at a stables at the time so he had a lot of animals to get used to but after a couple of days , he rarely left my side. He was one of those dogs who just seemed to know what you wanted of him. I was lucky to have him.
After he passed away I got Lucy (from Blue Cross) she chewed everything, chased everything and ran off when she saw another dog, etc, etc. I made mistakes with her but also learnt a lot, she still has some funny ways, but is a lovely dog now. Then when we moved to a small holding and had more room, I got Sam, he was 15 weeks old and had had 3 homes already, when we collected him he was tied up in the garden. He has is 8 now and a pleasure to have around.
About 3 years later , I got Midge the only pedigree, this is how I began at HDDTS, I started in beginners with her, in 2001 and after being promoted to Improvers 2 I was asked to become a trainer, I decided to take on the commitment, and haven't looked back since. |
Gill Simpson
| Experience | Training at HDDTS since 2001. |
| Training | Solo trainer DTI (2003). |
| Dogs | Minnie (Goldie) - 16 years deceased, Jess (Goldie), Polly (Goldie) & Piper (Goldie) (notice a pattern here, readers?!) |
| Comments | I was bought up always having a dog and I think people miss out on a lot if they have never experienced having a dog as part of their family. I have learnt so much from each of my dogs and continue to do so.
I do agility with Jess which we both enjoy - she has so much energy and is much better at it than me!
I really look forward to Thursday nights, it's great to see handlers enjoying training their dogs and progressing through the classes. |
Vince Edwards
| Experience | Owned dogs since 1987 when I met Sue. Have also competed in Breed Shows and Obedience competitions since then along with dog obedience schools. |
| Training | Solo Trainer DTI (2004). |
| Dogs | My first dog was Cindy. Cindy taught me a lot about dogs as she had behavioural problems and being my first dog we had to learn how to overcome this. She turned into a loving dog and we were incredibly sad to have lost her in 1997 when she died of Cancer. I didn't think I would ever have a dog again but my wife Sue talked me into it and in 1998 we got Lucy, our black Labrador Retriever (or as Sue says 'Daddy's girl'!). This was a new experience again for me as I had never had a puppy before so a new learning curve. Then in 2000 we got Rowan who was Lucy's sister. At school I take Lucy and Sue takes Rowan but they are still our dogs even though we joke with each other about 'your' dog! |
| Comments | My hobbies include being a member of ROSPA where I am a gold qualified advanced driver. I am also a qualified tree surgeon. I like cooking and make my own recipes rather than follow book recipes. My favourite tipple is Glenfiddich and my favourite food is Chinese. |
Richard Hallman
Having taken on the mantle of webmaster, you shouldn't believe too much that you read about him.
He would welcome any contributions to the website from HDDTS members - whether it's a photo or an article!
| Experience | All my "formal" dog training has been here at HDDTS (which I joined in 2002), whether as a member of a class, a trainee trainer or as a "proper" trainer. As we all do, I still have a lot to learn, but enjoy not only the contact with the dogs, but with the owners as well! |
| Training | Solo Trainer DTI (2004). |
| Dogs | Currently Tilly (English Springer x Collie) & Tifer (English Springer). |
| Comments | Having grown up with a Jack Russell, as well as my grandparents' 5 (yes, 5 - at the same time!!) English Springers, I suppose it was inevitable that I would at some stage own dogs. It took a while, but a few years back when I began working from home we decided the time had come! Working our dogs and helping others with theirs gives me a great break from my "usual" occupation - something everyone needs. |
Phill Montague
| Experience | Training at HDDTS since 2003. |
| Training | Solo Trainer DTI (2004). |
| Dogs | Geri, German Shepherd |
Wendy Webb
| Experience | I've been training Amy in obedience since Feb 2002 at HDDTS and I've been a trainer since 2004. I've been attending agility classes since Jan 2003 and started agility competitions in 2004 - we haven't been placed yet but we're hoping for a clear round in 2005! |
| Training | Solo Trainer DTI (2004). |
| Dogs | Kimber (deceased) very much a 'bitsa'. Jessie (deceased) Yorkshire Terrier, very much loved and missed. Amy - Jack Russell Terrier - named after the Amelia Jane books by Enid Blyton. |
| Comments | I've always had a love for animals so becoming a dog trainer was very exciting. I really enjoy Thursday nights at the club and learn something new each week. I also have a passion for herpetology and breed bearded dragons, I've also rescued the odd wild animal and hand-reared a few !
I enjoy riding motorbikes but just don't get enough time and I hate shopping (I know, very unusual for a woman to hate shopping) !! My favourite tipple is - anything alcoholic !! |
Karen Connolly
| Experience | Training at HDDTS since 2003. |
| Training | Solo Trainer DTI (2005). |
| Dogs | Kelly was a part of the family before I was even born. She was a Border collie cross and was around until I was about 15. Lady was a Jack Russell cross Whippet who we rescued when I was about 7, although she was a family pet I spent most of my spare time as a child with her. I took her just about everywhere I could. Max is my first official dog of my own. He is a border collie that we rescued at about 9 months. He is one of the most friendly and happy dogs you could wish for. Slightly hyper active and a bit mad but I think that's a collie thing. He keeps me on my toes. |
| Comments | I joined HDDTS in 2003 and was asked to be a trainer in 2004. I love training Max and thoroughly enjoy being a trainer. It is really gratifying to look in someone's face when you are offering them advice and to see them really listening and taking it all in. Hopefully they are going to practice and improve as the weeks go on and you can really start to see them enjoy their dogs. It is nice to think you may have had something to do with that. I look forward to a Thursday night and hope to continue training for a very long time. |
Jo Hart
| Experience | Training at HDDTS since Autumn 2001 |
| Training | Solo Trainer DTI (2005). |
| Dogs | Jake (black lab) & Izzy (Border Terrier) |
| Comments | My dad took part in field trials with his dogs when I was really young. He had a Springer Spaniel (Jessey), a Springer Spaniel cross Labrador (Rossy) and a Black Lab bitch (Asa). The Springers were only around when I was very young so I don't remember them much, but I can remember taking Asa out walking, she was highly obedient. Asa died when I was about six and that's when I started to pester my parents for my own dog. It took me seven years but in 2001 I got my first official dog, a black Labrador (Jake). Since then there's been the addition of Izzy the Border Terrier in 2004. They are complete opposites; Jake is very laid back and easy to work with but he can be hard to motivate. Izzy will do anything that is fun, but she doesn't think like Jake or read my body language, so she makes mistakes easily.
I started agility with Jake in October 2004 and with Izzy in April 2005. They are both doing well and Jake even managed to get a clear round in one of his first competitions! I have only been in one official obedience competition, in which Jake got a 2nd in the starters class.
I started training at the club in 2001 and was asked to become a trainer in 2004. Three things happened that night which made it so memorable; Jake and I got a progress trophy, we got promoted to the advance class and then was asked to become a trainer! Initially the thought of taking a class petrified me, however as my confidence has grown I thoroughly enjoy taking classes. When it comes to hobbies, dogs, school, work and the occasional party are enough to keep me busy!? |
