The Instruction Team:
Theresa Richmond- Director
Since 1982, Theresa has titled her own and client dogs in Canada and the U.S. including a number of breed championships, group placements, and obedience, rally, and agility titles. Theresa has also collected a number of Canine Good Citizen Awards & Temperament Test Certificates.
In 1985, Theresa attended Jack and Wendy Volhard’s Instructor Training School in New Hampshire. Theresa adopted Volhard's motivational method as her mission at Mahogany Ridge and has never looked back.
Welcome to Camp 2023! I look forward to spending time with you and your dog(s)!
Wendy Volhard
Wendy Volhard is a consummate dog person, internationally recognized for her contributions to training, health, and nutrition. In print, in films, and in the field, she has helped thousands of people to better enjoy the experience of dog ownership and thousands of dogs to live better lives.
For the past 40 years, Wendy has taught dog owners how to communicate effectively with their pets. At the heart of her teaching is the "Motivational Method," a unique approach to training that is aimed at people who have dogs first and foremost as pets and companions. Wendy believes that positive reinforcement is the most effective tool for teaching any dog – a technique that is fundamental to her renowned training camps, workshops, and one-on-one training sessions.
Mary Ann Rombold Zeigenfuse
Mary Ann has been teaching people how to train their dogs since 1981. She has been training
dogs since 1978. She started as the training director for a small school in Lexington KY. Now
she owns and operates her own training school, in Lexington, which has 10 instructors. Best
Friends Obedience, Inc. offers Obedience, Rally, Scent Work, and Tricks everything at
all levels. On top of this, Mary Ann is a Licensed Veterinary Technician who graduated from
Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in Denver, Co. As a technician, she recently retired
from supervising 20 technicians at a 24-hour practice just outside of Lexington.
Mary Ann has authored a trick training book using the drives theory, which will be available at
camp. Most recently, Mary Ann and Wendy Volhard updated and edited the Dog Training for
Dummies book. Mary Ann also is a frequent lecturer for Humane Societies, Pet Sitting and
Home Care Services, as well as Veterinary Conferences in Kentucky. She is also certified
through NADOI (National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors).
Most of all, Mary Ann loves training and showing her youngest dog, a Papillion named Alex.
Alex has planned on attending camp this year in a supervisory role. Look for him around the
area and give him any feedback, he takes it all in stride.
Linda Pike
Linda is the proud mother of three wonder kids: Justin (29), Jacqueline (24), and Danielle (23) 19. She personally owns six dogs, four Mastiffs, and two German Shepherds. Her kids all have their own dogs which they care for themselves from buying food to paying their vet bills.
The family also has a small barn with four horses complete with three barn cats. Now, these are not your normal barn cats. These cats are a little spoiled :) When it is cold they sleep on the horses' backs and have been known to bring the mice home and keep as pets for themselves.
Linda continues to teach classes at home along with her full-time daycare for dogs. Linda is actively involved in K-9 sport. Linda is a certified Volhard Instructor.
Sherri Capp
Sherrie has been involved in the sport of dogs for 45 years. During that time, she bred, trained and showed Alaskan Malamutes with her mom.
In the desire to live peacefully with a powerful breed, obedience entered her life. Over the years, she completed 19 CDs in the US and Canada, proving to many that the breed could be both beautiful and well behaved.
Dawn Parson
Dawn lives in Newfoundland, Canada and enjoys all types of outdoor activities: Hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling, to name a few. Her interest in animals and how they work led to her studies in Biology at university, and a career in fish population science. She has been training her own dogs for over 15 years, and discovered the Volhard method 10 years ago when she met Linda Pike at Companion Dog Trainers. She competes in obedience trials with her Boxer, Copper, has attended the Volhard training camps, and has successfully completed the Volhard Instructor certification program.
Lee Swimm
Lee has spent, like many of us, a lifetime in dogs. She lives the method every day with her dogs and has been seen applying the VMM to her 8-year-old! Lee is a dear friend and is here to help you and me in any way she can. Thanks, and welcome my friend!