Jenny Adams
I manage Positively Pets and instruct the classes. As well as training dogs since 1980 something-or-other my qualifications include:
- Puppy Class Instruction, accredited by the Open College Network
- Understanding the Canine Human Interface (Distinction) from the Animal Care College
- Basic Counselling Skills
- International Dog Parkour Association Instructor
I have competed in obedience up to Class A/B and won through to Grade 7 (the highest) grade in agility. I was one of the original members of the APDT. As well as training in my main interests of agility and obedience, I have attended training courses in, among other things, gundog work, tracking, clicker training, heelwork to music and - no surprise - dog parkour.
I have two dogs, Beetle the sometimes-I-do-and-sometimes-I-don't working type Cocker Spaniel/Yorkie cross and Currant the can-I-do-it-I-mean-right-now-can-I?-I-really-want-to Pomeranian. Oh, and Currant has her own facebook page.
Dog Parkour is my new favourite thing, it ticks all my boxes and floats all my boats and I could do it all day and all night.
Emma Malcolm
Emma has trained dogs for all her adult life (and before!). February 2016 she welcomed Sprocker Sonnet into her home. Her family have Miniature Schnauzers, Jana and Katja. And she dog-sits for friends whenever she can.
She also does voluntary work with groups of young people and is working on her teaching skills for this and her doggy work. She has achieved Level 3 certificate in Counselling Skills and Theory. She's working towards a Level 3 qualification in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector and a Level 4 qualification in Youth Leadership and Training.
Emma on dog parkour: "I find parkour's a great way to get Sonnet's focus back into the real world when she's excited, frustrated or otherwise emotional."
Mo Poole
Mo has two dogs, Zeeba the Rhodesian Ridgeback and Hettie the Labrador/Wirehaired Hungarian Vizsla mix. She's owned dogs as long as she can remember, mainly rescues and bigger breeds. As well as pet obedience training, she's done quite a bit of agility with them. She's also a qualified Clinical Canine Massage Therapist. Canine Strides Massage Therapy will tell you more.
Zeeba and Hettie do their parkour in the beautiful countryside of Northumberland and Zeeba's favourite exercise is jumping.
She's worked with us as a class assistant since 2006 and we find her newly honed knowledge of canine anatomy and physiology comes in particularly handy.
Mary Harrison
Mary started training her Labradoodle, Poppy, at Posipets Puppy Classes September 2010. She was an enthusiastic and diligent student, she's come a long way at Positively Pets in a short time. Mary at first volunteered and now she's a fully fledged assistant, helping students with an understanding and kindness bred of being so recently in the shoes of a new-starter herself.
Poppy was her first dog and they turned out to be a perfect match from Day 1. Their partnership has been meteoric, Poppy was the top winning medium-size agility dog in the North of England 2014 and 2015. Mary became the proud owner-mum of Gracie the Yorkshire Terrier/Papillon in January 2016. Gracie has her own facebook page and is going to become a small dog agility champion and is not spoiled at all, not at all.
Mary says: I use my dog parkour to make walks more interesting and fun for Gracie who was born with a health issue which means she's sometimes a little delicate.
The Crew
Yes, we're definitely a crew. We each have different strengths and skills and a strong commitment to improving the lives of our students both canine and human.
And here's a good place to mention and thank the thousands of students who've been to classes with their dogs and taught us so much. And still are.
And to find out more
Type #posipets into your favourite search engine or social media, see what happens.
Oh, and there's tons on Positively Pets Website