photo ©Karyn L. Carpenter

Judith Bell, owner of BeauJes Dog Training & Boarding, has extensive background in virtually all aspects of the field of dogs and dog training. Judith has been engaged with dogs and dog training for over 30 years. She started in competition obedience in the 1970′s where she trained and showed dogs to various obedience titles.

For many years, Judith bred and showed Manchester Terriers winning both championships on her dogs and major awards at national shows. Judith pioneered agility training on Bainbridge Island in 2001 and has taught obedience classes on the island for the past 15 years.

Judith is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, (APDT), a professional organization of individual dog trainers who are committed to becoming better trainers through education and increasing public awareness of dog friendly training techniques.

Recently, Judith passed the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainer certification program and is now a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT). As a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, Judith earned her credentials by demonstrating her knowledge and experience in dog training by logging hundreds of hours as an apprentice trainer and then as Head Trainer in both group classes and individual lessons. A CPDT also has to pass a rigorous written testing program. Certified Pet Dog Trainers must stay informed of current knowledge in the field and be familiar with the latest, most effective training techniques and equipment. Continuing Ed Units are required each year to maintain certification. A Certified Pet Dog Trainer adheres to a strict Code of Ethics.

She is also a Certified Evaluator for the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen and a Certified Evaluator for Therapy Dogs International, Inc. (TDI), a volunteer organization dedicated to regulating, testing and registration of therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers for the purpose of visiting nursing homes, hospitals, other institutions and wherever else therapy dogs are needed.

Judith is dedicated to helping all dog owners develop a rewarding lifelong relationship with their dogs. Dog training is not about dominance, but about love and mutual respect. BeauJes is committed to using only gentle, positive methods to train all our dogs. These methods are based on the scientifically proven principles of learning theory and they work! When done in a positive manner, training is a fun and rewarding activity for the whole family! And your dog will love you for it!

Mary Hager began training dogs as a pre-teen when her parents sent her and their wild and crazy German Shepherd puppy to obedience classes. From there Mary and her dog, Misty, competed in obedience and junior showmanship competitions. Learning to train dogs at a young age became a lifelong skill. Since childhood, there have only been a few brief periods of time in her life that Mary hasn’t had a dog by her side.

Training as an adult really became a passion in 1997 when Mary got her first Shiba Inu puppy. Mary and Kishi performed dog tricks with the PetSmart demo team at local events, on television and at store openings. After that, many other dogs joined the Hager household and Mary trained and titled them in conformation, agility, flyball, disc dog, obedience and rally-o.

For 5 years, Mary taught classes at an Arizona dog training facility. She was also an agility instructor for Contact Zonies and Jumping Chollas Agility Clubs in Phoenix. Currently, Mary is an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator and a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). She is also a member of the National Shiba Club of America and the Australian Shepherd Club of America.