| Karl Blakely: President
Karl Blakely became involved in dog training almost 11 years ago when hiswife Camay decided that thier new sheltie "Joe" was going to have better manners than our last sheltie. He helped Camay with her obedience training until he got his own sheltie, "Abe." For the past seven years, Abe and Karl have competed in both agility and obedience. In November of 2006 they earned thier MACH at the Fall St.Paul Dog Training Agility Trial. In January 2006, they attended the AKC Agility National Championships in Tampa, Florida. In the spring of 2008, Abe and Karl won the 16" division at the ASSA nationals.At the present time, they are working on thier MACH 3 and hope to have their Utility Title completed in Obedience soon. Karl is an AKC Agility Judge. He has been been a member of the Board of Directors at SPDTC for almost 3 years. He also teaches the SPDTC Advanced Agility Classes.
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Phil Rustad: Vice President
Phil Rustad has been involved in the Sport of Dogs for 30 years. His first dog was an Irish Setter named Gretchen, which he trained himself for hunting. His first formal Obedience training starting back in 1986 with a Brittany named Pepper. One thing lead to another and he wound up showing in formal AKC Trials with Pepper. Over the years he has taught Obedience for the St. Paul Dog Training Club and for the Animal Inn Training School, and Agility for St. Paul Dog Training Club. Phil currently has two Shetland Sheepdogs that are showing. His older Dog, Nike, (OTCH Hobi’s Walking On Heir UDX8 MX MXJ Can CD U-CD), a 4 time invitee to the National Obedience Invitational and competitor in the 2006 National Agility Championship, recently retired in Agility at the age of 12. Nike. His new dog Trip, (U-Ch Hobi’s Xtrem Trip Bluebanner CD RN U-CD), has just begun his AKC Obedience career. Phil has been an AKC and ASCA Obedience Judge for over 10 years. He has judged Obedience outside the U.S. in the Bahamas and Canada. He is a member of many local dog training clubs and AKC Clubs. He is a past board member of the Minnesota Agility Club, the Anoka County Minnesota Kennel Club and has served as a trial chair, trial committee member and steward for numerous local Obedience, Agility and Conformation events.
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Marcia Koukkari: Treasurer
Marcia Koukkari is a retired nurse practitioner and has been involved with Belgian Tervuren for over 35 years. She has been a member of the St Paul Dog Training Club for several years, and besides being the Treasurer, she has served on Agility Trial Committees and Chaired Obedience trials. Her dogs participate in conformation, tracking, herding, agility and obedience. Her husband, Will and she have had wonderful dogs who have achieved high levels in performance and breed.
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Ann Decker: Board Member, Director of Training
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Ron Halling: Board Member, Director of Obedience
My name is Ron Halling, in the early 70’s I took my first step into obedience at Twin City Obedience and got to know an instructor for the Mpls. K-9 unit. He helped me work through the terribly aggressive behavior and control of my own dog that was my best friend and challenge for 14 years until his death.
I now have three white German Shepherd Dogs that I have brought up to the Utility level. Sadly I had to retire my oldest at nine, due to gracilis myopathy but I currently am showing my female Addie and their off-spring Riley. Besides showing in obedience we also have performed demonstrations working two or three dogs that included the Children’s Museum of St. Paul showing multiple uses for obedience rather than just in the ring.
I began teaching a monthly workshop at Judy Grumdahl’s school on the Iron Range for over two years. I now hold a monthly GSD Workshop in cooperation with the German Shepherd Club of Minneapolis & St. Paul. In addition I write a nationally published column for another GSD club dealing with obedience questions and answers along with a new training tip each issue.
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Ginny Hayes: Board Member
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Greg Kirmeier: Board Member, Seminar Coordinator
Greg Kirmeier began his fun and games with dogs in 1986, doing breed ring and obedience with his English Cockers, while living overseas. There was a break when he returned to the States, and he began working with dogs again nine years ago, when he got an Airedale (Tully). Tully has her CDX and her MACH. Greg now also run a 3year old Border Collie, Robbie. Robbie began competing in Agility is working on his MACH.
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Mary Phelps: Board Member, Rental Coordinator
Mary has been involved with dogs for as long as shecan remember ... she always had a dog at home when she was growing up. As a pre-schooler she played dog school with the family lab for what seemed like hours to her. After high school, she went to school to become a veterinary technician. She has worked in the veterinary field for over 30 years and loves going to work!
Many years ago, she was at the Minneapolis Kennel Club Show in downtown and watched Dick Wood show his dog in obedience and was hooked. She trained her first golden in obedience and entered her first show (Duluth Kennel Club). IShe ran her dog and scored a 198 ½! While packing up to leave, someone asked if she was staying around for high in trial. Well, she had no idea what that was, but was encouraged to stay and find out. She won a High in Trial at her first show and can say that she would certainly have appreciated it more later in her obedience career. She has been involved in confirmation, hunting test and agility since her first dip into the dog show world. She now enjoys showing my French Bulldogs in both Confirmation and Agility.
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Kristi Portugue: Board Member
Kristi Portugue got her first dog, a Portuguese Water Dog named Neptune, in 1999, and then got him a little sister named Ocea in 2001. She quickly realized that smart, athletic, working breed dogs are happiest when engaged in many different types of training to keep them busy and challenged. She also discovered that she loved working with her dogs, building a strong relationship, and at the same time setting and meeting goals. After taking the usual puppy class and basic obedience they expanded into water work, which is a field event for Portuguese Water Dogs that involves swimming, retrieving, and skills to simulate the breed's historical role as a fisherman's helper. Kristi joined SPDTC in 2000 to take the club's first agility class with Neptune and has been hooked ever since. Neptune, Ocea and Kristi also participated in the first Rally Obedience class offered by SPDTC. Over the past nine years she has trained and trialed dogs in obedience, agility, rally and PWD water work and has enjoyed the fun and the challenges. Kristi is currently serving as SPDTC Director of Training, is a board member, and also has been an instructor for rally obedience. In addition, she also a member of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of the Twin Cities and is serving as Water Trial Chair.
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Camay Blakely: Director of Agility
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Marge Peters: Board Member Emeritus
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