Featured InstructorBetsy Blackford began training with Best Friends Obedience in 1988 when her Labrador retriever pup had re-landscaped her yard, chewed up any number of pairs of shoes and eyeglasses, and eaten the drywall of her house - hoping to find a way to get the dog under control. What she found was she had a delightful dog who just needed a job and a channel for her energy and intelligence - which obedience work provided. The dog needed to understand the rules of the house, and Betsy needed to know how to teach her those rules.
The Lab became a lovely companion. Obedience competition followed. So did training dogs from the humane society so they would have enough manners to be placed. One of the humane society dogs was an Australian Shepherd. Betsy fell in love with that dog, and through her with the breed. She has participated in rescue and placement work with Australian Shepherds.
Betsy became an instructor on the staff of Best Friends Obedience in 1990. She was accepted for membership in the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors in 1996. She also became an instructor on the staff of Volhard's Top Dog Training Instructor camp in New York state in 1996. Top Dog Training offers two annual one week camps which are devoted to teaching dog obedience and agility trainers the art of instructing others.
In her non-dog life, Betsy is a lawyer - but try not to hold that against her.
