ABOUT ME
Hi. I am Ann Kenny and I am the owner and trainer at Blue Ash Dog Training. Based in Whangarei, I have 20 years’ experience owning and training dogs. I have competed in Agility, Obedience, Heelwork to Music, RallyO and Flygility – and have the ribbons and placings to prove it!
Currently I own several dogs and regularly compete in Agility, Jumpers, Flygility and dabble in RallyO. I am a member of the APDTNZ (Association of Pet Dog Trainers, NZ) and PPG (Pet Professional Guild) and continue to keep up to date with the latest scientific principles of dog training by studying, attending seminars and conferences and also by taking on-line courses.
I hold a National Certificate in Animal Care (Lvl 3) which I gained in 2000.
I have spent at least 15 years (on and off) on the Whangarei Dog Training Association committee, holding a number of positions not limited to Treasurer, Secretary, President, Show Secretary – not to mention instructing classes from time to time, organising enrolments and being the newsletter editor! I was again the Secretary for this organisation and am in charge of memberships and in 2016-2017 swapped to Treasurer. I finally retired from the WDTA committee in 2017, but have continued to support the club and am still in charge of the Memberships. I have been a committee member for the Association of Pet Dog Trainers NZ (APDT NZ) since June 2016.
Over and above what I have been involved with on a club level, I also devoted time to my Zone which covers an area from Cambridge to Cape Reinga.
My philosophy is to train using scientifically proven methods of reward and reinforcement. Dogs, just like children, learn better where there is no stress put on them and the learning is fun. This does not mean there are no consequences for bad or rude behaviour, but those consequences are not based on intimidation and fear.
Training & Education
Seminars:
Kay Lawrence (UK – Clicker Training, NZ seminar 2003)
Greg Derrett (UK – Agility, NZ seminar 2009 and an on-line seminar in 2012)
Dr. Ian Dunbar (UK, now living in USA – behaviour and training, NZ seminar 2008 & 2013)
Suzanne Clothier (USA – behaviour and psychology of canines, NZ seminar 2003)
Edie Thompson (Canada – TTouch practitioner, two NZ Seminars 2005 & 2008)
Susan Garrett (Canada – Agility and Domestic Obedience, two on-line seminars 2011 & 2012)
Steve White (USA – behaviour and training, NZ seminar 2012)
Kim Moeller (USA—behaviour and training, APDT NZ Seminar, 2012)
Sue Walsh (Ireland, now living in NZ —behaviour and training, APDT NZ Seminar, 2012)
Sophia Yin (USA – behaviour and training, focusing on aggression, NZ Seminar, 2012)
Debra Millikan AABP-CABC (Australia – CAP1&2 – Competency Assessment Programme for Clicker Trainers) Assessment Advisory clinic to get us started on how to put our video submission together
Grisha Stewart MA, CPDT-KA (Alaska, USA – Behaviour and Adjustment Training for Aggression, Frustration and Fear in Dogs – November 2014)
Veronica Boutelle (USA – Making your Business Work) ADPT NZ Conference, June 2015.
Pat Miller CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA (USA – Body Talk, Personality Profiles and Behaviour Assessments, Copy That, Bite Me, Nose Games, B.A.T. & C.A.T.) APDT NZ Conference, June 2016
Dr. Liza Schneider (NZ, Holistic Vet Care) APDT NZ Conference, June 2016
Bob Bailey – (USA – getting the best in the quickest time, clicker training) Learning About Dogs 3 day Workshop, April 2017
Nando Brown – (UK) APDT NZ 3-day Conference, June 2017
Jo-Rosie Haffenden – (UK) APDT NZ 3-day Conference, APDT NZ, June 2017
Sarah Stremming – (USA – Worked up & Freaked Out) Workshop, Wellington, NZ February, 2018
Lesley McDevitt – (USA – Jumping Gymnastics) Workshop, Matamata, NZ, March 2018
Kay Attwood – (UK – Platform Workshop, Brain Games), APDT NZ Conference, June 2018
Cristine Dahl – (USA – Leadership Program – Training with Regard), APDT NZ 3- day Conference, June 2018
Coming up:
Ken Ramirez – APDTNZ Conference 2019
Chirag Patel – (UK) – Clicker Training Camp with Learning About Dogs, 2019 (possibility)
A Proud Member of
and
Ann Kenny
Blue Ash Dog Training