Instructors

Adele Yunck
	Adele began teaching obedience for the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club in 1987 while still working as a Software Engineer. She left the world of computers to start Northfield Dog Training in 1990. She teaches group classes and private lessons at her training facility in Ann Arbor. Her main passion is teaching competition obedience classes. She also teaches popular obedience seminars for clubs around the US. She is NDT's head obedience instructor. Adele earned her first CD in 1986 on her little Austrlian Terrier Casey. Her dog's and titles: Australian Terrier Casey (U-CD Hott Pursuitt on the Farm Am/Can UD) 1984-1997 Flat-Coated Retriever Tramp (Am/Can Ch. OTCh. U-CD Grousemoor Some Like It Hot TD WC) 1985-1994 Australian Terrier Rio (Ch. OTCh. U-CD Free For All on the Farm UDX TD; Can CDX) 1989-1996 Flat-Coated Retriever Treasure (Ch. OTCh. U-UD Grousemoor Forget Me Not UDX RN OA OAJ WC; Can UD; RL-2; 1 leg on her JH earned at 11.5) 1993-2006 Border Terrier Java (OTCh. U-CDX Riversides Magen’s Starbucks UDX2 RE AX AXJ; Can CD; RL3) 1997- Border Terrier Joker (Kandu’s The Joker Is Wild CDX RA; RL2) 2001– Flat-Coated Retriever Gryffin (Ch. OTCh. Grousemoor Gryffindor UDX OM1 RE SH WCX; RL3) 2003- Flat-Coated Retriever Ty (Ch Grousemoor Timeless CDX RE JH WCX; RL2) 2004- You can learn more about her training methods from the book she co-wrote with Judy Byron, Competition Obedience: A Balancing Act, or the video on retrieving, Totally Fetching. Her newest book, The Art of Proofing: Preparing Your Dog For Obedience Trials, is new for 2008.
Denise Tarby
Denise has held the position of head agility instructor at NDT since 1999. She has been certified to teach agility through the Julie Daniel’s Agility Instructor Certification program in 2003. To maintain a high level of knowledge of current techniques, throughout the year she attends camps, private lessons, and seminars in agility, obedience, dog behavior, and field. Her training has included many of the top competitors in their respective dog sport. Denise started training in agility in 1996 with her English Springer Spaniel, Mojo. As a team they competed in AKC, USDAA, UKC, and NADAC, obtaining advanced or higher titles in all venues. Boomer, her golden, competed in both CPE, AAC, and AKC. He earned his MX and MXJ before retiring from AKC. Her current agility dog is Trill, a Shetland sheepdog. They have competed in CPE, AAC, and AKC. In 2005 Trill qualified at the AAC regionals to go onto the Nationals. Trill and Denise are presently working towards their MACH in AKC. In addition to agility, Denise has competed in AKC obedience with her golden retrievers, Boomer and Jubi. They completed Jubi’s CD in three trials, averaging 196 points and first place each time. Both dogs have also earned Rally titles. In addition, Boomer completed his Utility Dog (UD)this past fall of 2009 in 5 trials. An all-around canine athlete, Boomer also competes in the field. He completed his WC in 2005, and finished his Junior Hunter (JH) in the fall of 2009. Boomer is presently training in tracking so look for future updates on his progress. Also in 2008 Trill starting training in herding. She went on to earn her HT in two trials. Denise has worked with a wide variety of breeds over the course of her agility teaching at NDT. She has helped individuals and their dogs to accomplish their personal goals in agility, including 5 AKC MACH dogs and 9 CPE C-ATCH dogs.
Marcia Cavan
	Marcia Cavan has been actively training and competing with multiple breeds of dogs since 1980 when she completed the requirements for an AKC Companion Dog (CD) titles on her first Pharaoh Hound, Rohirrm's Kestrel. Kestrel was one of the first of her breed to achieve this obedience title. Since then Marcia has completed multiple obedience titles on 4 different Pharaoh Hounds along with a Whippet, a rescued mix breed and a German Shepherd Dog. Marcia and her Pharaoh Hound "Bristol" (Ch. Galadrial's Dream Weaver UD SC FCh CGC) became the first in her breed in AKC history to obtain a Utility Dog (UD) title. To this date Bristol is still the only Pharaoh Hound with a UD. Marcia also competed at the 2001 World Series of Dog Obedience with her rescued mixed breed, Jazzabelle, who went on to get her UKC CDX and multiple agility titles. "Jazz" is now retired from competition but still works as a demonstration dog for the PK classes Marcia teaches. Over the years Marcia has also competed and titled a number of dogs in many other areas of dog training including tracking, conformation, and has had multiple nationally ranked lure coursing dogs. Marcia currently is training in Schutzhund (tracking, obedience and protection ) with her German Shepherd, Navarre, (B'Navarre zu Treuen Händen BH JJ) and looks forward to many wonderful years competing with him in Schutzhund along with AKC obedience and agility. Navarre also completed his national Dock Dog Junior Jumper title. Marcia and Navarre also enjoy skijoring during the winter and have done some herding as well. Marcia has dogs certified as Therapy dogs that made frequent visits to local nursing homes she and very much enjoys helping people get off to a wonderful start with their puppies in teaching the PK classes and now a newly added CGC (Canine Good Citizen) class will help carry that training forward.
Gail Dapogny
Gail was Adele's first puppy class instructor in 1985. She was training director for the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club for 5 years and has taught everything from puppy kindergarten through Utility. She has put advanced obedience titles on her own Border Collies - most notably her OTCh. Nell TD - and a neighbor's Golden Retriever. Her current dog training passion is for sheep herding. She is a potter by trade and is a long-time member of the Ann Arbor Potter's Guild and the Clay Gallery.
Raissa Hinman
Raissa began her life in dogs with a mixed breed sled dog named Oreo, twenty-five years ago. She taught him to pull her on cross country skis. It was such wonderful fun that before too long, she added another sled dog to her household, an Alaskan Malamute, and the rest is their training history. As Cody, her second dog, was not a great pulling dog, she ended up showing him in obedience. That is how she came to meet Adele and Northfield Dog Training. For the last 15 years, she has been training her Malamutes at Northfield Dog training in Agility and Obedience. Between them they hold 3 MACHs, 3 UDXs, 1 UD and various other obedience and Rally titles. When they are not training obedience and agility, they are on the trail, on their sled, cart or scooter. They also like to occasionally compete in weight pull competitions.