Which Instructor is Best?

At the beginning of a semester, it never fails that I will have new students come up to me and ask "which instructor is the best?" for a particular class. My response is always the same and is absolutely the truth: They are all "the best."

The instructors for CCSC are hand-picked by the owners. We invite these talented people to train for us and they represent us admirably. For over a decade, I have trained, traveled and rummaged around their training-technique toolboxes, all in the pursuit of consistently excellent performances of my dogs in obedience, agility, tracking, herding and conformation venues. The instructors of CCSC have not let me down.

If time permitted me the luxury, I would take a class from each and every one of them. As it is, you may see me drop in with one of my dogs in order to work on a particular skill...and to have that instructor give me some feedback. Individually, they have helped me hone my dogs' attention skills, perfected their heeling, contributed to straight go-outs, taught perfect contact zones, talking me through herding when I was rattled and listened to me as I worked through a training roadblock. Together, we have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles, shared hotel rooms, eaten crummy dog show food, helped pick out new puppies and held one another's hearts in our hands as our beloved dogs are ushered into the hereafter.

This group of instructors are not entertainers nor are they going to enter into any debate as to what is "best" for your dog. They will give you a range of suggestions and the typical results...then let you choose. They are serious about their passion: training you to train their dogs.

CCSC instructors are highly accomplished and no finer group of people will you find. Coming to class with an open mind and being open to the possibility of learning a new technique to an age-old problem is exciting. How lucky we are to be in the midst of such talent. I am blessed to call them friends.

Enjoy the journey,
Andrea Meinhart