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A Click Above's
Instructors and Assistants

Our staff of instructors and assistants are completely dedicated to providing quality instruction for our students and their pets. All instructors are currently competing in the discipline they teach and attend many seminars each year to keep their skills current and competitive.

(Please click on an instructor's name for their training biography.)

Instructors:

Elsie Maylott (Partner)
Claudia Bates (Partner)
Nancy Hudson Walkins (Partner)
Paulena Renee Hope
Carrie Jones
Kirsten Anderson
Karen Allen

Assistant Instructors:

Yuko Hurt
Peny Lang
Beth Mathews-Bradshaw
Kris Eckard
Diann Gastley
Kristen Clarkson
Mary Iannelli

Elsie has been involved in dog training for over 20 years. She is a member of the APDT (Association for Pet Dog Trainers) and attends many educational workshops, seminars, and camps every year. In 1994, she discovered agility and the rest is history! She successfully competes with her dogs in UKC and AKC obedience and agility and in USDAA and NADAC agility. She is currently competing in agility and herding with her Border Collies, Tera and Prowler. Elsie owns Shelties and Border Collies and lives at the A Click Above Training Center in Leesburg. She devotes her spare time to friends and family.

Claudia is a former technical writer that has been training dogs and people with dogs since 1996. Her dogs have earned titles in tracking, obedience, herding, and agility. She successfully competes at the Excellent and/or Masters level of AKC and USDAA agility registries. She also competes in AHBA, ASCA, AKC, and USBHCA herding with her Border Collies. Their accomplishments include:  USDAA ADCh title and AKC MACH for Giddy Up!; AKC HXAS title for Max; AHBA HTCh and AKC HXAS for Jade; Bartleby: Top Winner (national ranking #1) for Novice A Standard Agility in 1997 and Top Winner (national ranking #1) for Novice B Jumpers with Weaves in 1999 by the Bernese Mt. Dog Club of America based on perfect qualifying scores of 100 and placements; Giddy Up!: 4th place cumulatively after 3 runs at the 2006 AKC National Championship competing in the Finals and finishing in the top 14 out of 300- 20” dogs; semifinalist in 2005, 2007, and 2008, and finalist in 2009 USDAA Grand Prix at the USDAA World Cynosport Games in Scottsdale, Arizona; sixth placement in the Dog Agility Masters Team Tournament in 2009 with “Cyclone” and “Ruthless” (run by fellow ACA instructor, Kristen Clarkson); Kestrel: USDAA ADCH title; semifinalist in the 2007 and 2008 USDAA Grand Prix, semifinalist  in the 2009 Performance Grand Prix, and finalist, finishing in 4th place in Performance Speed Jumping at the USDAA World Cynosport Games in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Nancy has been training dogs since 1984. She has a Masters degree in Education and teaches high school mathematics for Loudoun County Public Schools. She has competed with Australian Shepherds and Border Collies in the highest levels of agility, obedience, rally obedience, flyball, and herding, locally and nationally. Her dogs have earned titles in numerous registries: AKC agility (MX, MXJ), obedience (OTCH, UDX, and multiple HIT & HC awards), rally obedience (RAE), and herding; USDAA and NADAC: agility, including the championship titles, ADCH and NATCH, respectively; UKC obedience (U-UD) and agility (UAGII), ASCA obedience (UD), herding (STDs, STDd)), and agility; and NAFA flyball (30,000 point Grand Champion title). The majority of her dogs have also earned both the CGC and TDI titles. Special achievements for Nancy's dogs include: third national ranking for ASCA Utility in 1993 and fifth national ranking for ASCA Utility in 1995 (Annie); third national ranking for ASCA Novice in 2003 (Riley); USDAA Top Ten Snooker Master for 1996 (Skye); eighth place in 20” at the 1998 NADAC Nationals (Riley), and top thirty in 20” at the AKC Nationals in 2000 (Riley). She currently owns four Border Collies with whom she competes in agility, obedience, rally obedience, and flyball. In addition, she has put numerous agility titles on a Border Terrier who is presently working toward his AKC MACH title. Nancy's hobbies include gardening, sports, reading, and raising Katahdin sheep, pygmy goats, and chickens on her 16 acre farm in Waterford, VA.

Paulena Renee Hope teaches both advanced agility classes and private lessons at A Click Above. She has an extensive background in horse training and dog training. Her methods are positive and stress building drive, speed, and accuracy into every dog. She tailors her methods to fit each dog and handler, making her an excellent instructor.

Paulena has been competing in agility since 1996. In that time, she has achieved much success. In addition to earning multiple MACH and ADCH titles on her dogs, she has won the 20” division AKC National Agility Championship three times (1999 with Flurry; 2000 with Time Flys; and 2007 with Smart As).  She has also been a finalist at AKC Nationals with her dogs Never and Cloud 9.  In 2000, Paulena and Time Flys were members of the AKC/USA World Team placing 7th in Individual Jumpers and Time Flys was also named AKC’s MACH Dog of the Year.  In USDAA, Paulena has won the 1999 Steeplechase Finals with Flurry in the 30” division; 2000 Dog Agility Masters Team Champions with Time Flys; and with Never and Cloud 9 has placed in the Grand Prix Finals, Steeplechase Finals and DAM Team Finals.  Her youngest dog competing is two year old F5 Tornado and he has already earned his MX, MXJ, and XF.

Carrie Jones (Instructor):

Carrie Jones has been training and competing in agility since 1998. She is a creative and thorough handler, trainer, and instructor and teaches upper-level handling classes, as well as private lessons, seminars, and camps throughout the country.  Her goal is to help others create a successful working relationship with their dog through positive training and consistent handling. 
 
Carrie has successfully competed with three dogs -- Tango (JRT), Twist (JRT), and Jive (BC).  All of her dogs have earned their MACH and ADCH titles.  At USDAA Nationals, she has been a finalist in Steeplechase and/or Grand Prix (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010), as well as winning the Team Championship in 2007. At AKC Nationals, she and her dogs have made multiple appearances in the finals and/or challengers round (2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011), and was crowned the 2008 AKC 24” National Champion.  She is a three-time AKC/USA World Team member.  She and Jive won a silver medal at the FCI Agility World Championships in Norway on the US Large Dog Team, as well as finishing 6th overall in the Individual Large division.  She has represented the AKC at Crufts where she and Jive won the final agility round.  At present, Carrie is training her newest addition, Ruger, a one year old Border Collie in agility. 

Kirsten lives in Leesburg with her daughter Charlotte, 5 border collies and 2 cats and works full-time as a Vet Assistant/Tech at a small animal practice.  She is currently going back to school to become a licensed Vet Tech.  Kirsten and her dog Dare can be seen competing in USDAA Masters and AKC Excellent and her young dog Reckless is competing in USDAA advanced/starters classes and AKC Novice.  She finished an impressive third at the 2001 AKC Invitational (agility try outs for the US World Team) with her dog, Flurry, and also attended the 2001 AKC National Championships. Together, Kirsten and Flurry earned her MACH2 title, as well as placed 4th overall in USDAA's Dog Agility Masters team tournament in 2003. Dare is an Agility Dog Champion in USDAA and was 4th overall in team at USDAA Dog Agility Masters team tournament in 2004 and has placed in several classes at USDAA Nationals over the last 7 years.  Kirsten was also an accomplished three-day event rider as a junior and competed her horse at the upper levels until 2001.

Karen Allen is an internationally known animal artist who enjoys capturing the beauty and personality of her subject in a variety of mediums and surfaces. She has been successfully breeding, showing, and training German Shorthaired Pointers (GSPs) since 1977. Karen has put 38 obedience titles (from CD to OTCH), 20 Rally titles, 26 agility titles including a MACH on Flynn, three championship titles (CH), and two obedience trial championships (OTCH) on her own GSPs. She and her dogs have won over 60 high in trial awards (HIT), and a National Specialty Best of Breed (beating almost 1,000 other GSP's) at the 1992 GSP National Specialty, while a littermate took HIT at the same specialty. Karen has the distinct honor of being the only person showing a GSP who placed at the Gaines Classic (a very prestigious obedience competition). Her dog, Linn, was a four time winner of the Obedience Dog of the Year - an award given by the GSP Club of America. Karen has been teaching all levels of obedience since 1992 and has a loyal following of students. Karen is currently trialing her GSP's in agility, obedience, tracking, hunt tests and conformation.  She loves seeing many students achieve there goals. She has two grown married children and three Grandchildren who she loves to visit them in Arizona, enjoys doing my art, reading and photography in her spare time.

Yuko came to this country from Japan in 1970. She grew up with German Shepherds and Akita’s. She’s been teaching dog obedience for more than 20 years, including in-home private lessons. She has dealt with many dogs with dog/people aggression issues as well as basic obedience, CGC and helping with the fine-tuning of assistance dogs for the physically challenged, including children.

She’s been owned by Golden Retrievers, German Shorthaired Pointers, Vizsla and numerous Boston Terriers in the last 25 years. They all compete(d) in various venues, including obedience, rally, agility, hunting, conformation and tracking. She has competed at the highest level of agility in USDAA, AKC and NADAC, including a one-eyed Boston Terrier in AKC ExB. She put 3 CDX's on 2 Goldens and a Shorthair, and an almost a MAD on a Shorthair Klair.

Yuko is active in Boston Terrier Rescue, and she also worked with GSP and Vizsla Rescue in the past. She prides herself in working with “troubled” dogs and giving them the second chance, to become both great family pets and performance dogs. She truly believes in “the journey” even though she loves ribbons as well!

She and her husband Tom have two grown children and live currently with two Boston Terriers Elliott and Murphie, both 7-8 years old, and her first herding- breed puppy, an Australian Shepherd “Venture” with a tail!

Peny has been training dogs for many years, beginning with a miniature poodle that she got when she was 11 years old. Since then she has owned and trained terriers, retrievers, a collie-mix, and Italian Greyhounds (IGs). She adopted her first IG (8 years old) from IG Rescue in 1993; Sprite became her first titled obedience dog, earning her AKC Companion Dog title at 10 1/2 years old. Since then her love of IGs and her joy in training and competing with them has expanded to become a passion for learning and teaching, sharing her excitement with others. Peny is committed to using positive reinforcement and clicker training, to enhance and strengthen dog and handler relationships. Peny is both a student and an instructor at ACA and loves the moments when she or her students "get it!

Peny's dogs are currently competing very successfully in agility, obedience, rally obedience, and AKC breed conformation. Her very talented IGs include:  Sprite, aka. Ch. Klassic Koke of Sundowner CD; Twig, aka. UAGI Fantasia Spritely Ramoschella; Chia, aka. UCD UAGI Marchwind Spritely Lucia CD RA NA NAJ NAP NJP; Lili, aka. UCD UAGI Infiniti Fantasia Spritely Lili CDX RE OA OAJ; Brez, aka. Spritely Brezza d'Estate CD RE; Kyss, aka. Suez Spritely Eco del Cuore RN; Aura, aka. PHF One Wink At A Time At Spritely; PJ, aka. Swiftess Vision Poetic Justice CD.

Beth began training dogs for competition seven years ago when she and her 10 year old Cattledog, Sydney, earned a CD title. A year later she started training her Doberman, Tessa, in agility, competing through the Excellent level in AKC. Beth currently competes in USDAA and AKC agility at the Masters and Excellent Level with her dogs Dixie, Bounce, and Diesel. Dixie is currently one of the top rated Manchesters competing in AKC agility, and one of the first Manchester Terriers to achieve a USDAA MAD title. Dixie placed 10th overall in the 16" division at the 2005 AKC National Championship. Beth lives in Leesburg with her husband James, Tessa, Dixie, Bounce, Ping Pong, Kramer, and Miss Kit.

Kris began training and showing dogs in 1979. She was also active in raising and showing cattle, horses, swine, sheep, and rabbits.  She is a member of the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America, the English Foxhound Club of America and the Professional Handlers Association.  Kris is very active in AKC events such as Breed Conformation Shows, Obedience, Rally-Obedience, Agility, and Hunt Test.  She handles both client and her own dogs professionally in the AKC conformation ring.  Kris has owned, trained and shown many different breeds of dogs.  She trained and handled CH Rivrwray Mavrick Marco's Polo JH, CDX, MX, MXJ, RE (German Shorthaired Pointer) to all his points and titles and is still competing with him today. Kris’s English Foxhound, CH Sunups Flirtnaround at Stilpt NA, NAJ, RE is the first English Foxhound to trial and title in AKC agility and Rally-Obedience Advanced and Excellent levels.  Flirt was a top 10 breed contender in the show ring during her conformation career with multiple group placements and has 2 consecutive Obedience High in Trials at the EFCA National Specialties in 2006 and 2007.  Traveller, CH White Acers Road To Sunups RN was also a top 10 Breed contender and Obedience High in Trial winner at the NSS in 2005.  “I believe in happy versatile dogs, high drive training and titling dogs on both ends of their registered name!”

Diann grew up with dogs and became involved with her own dogs when she got her first Jack Russell Terrier, Cayenne, over 10 years ago.  She was active with the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America's Russell Rescue and participated in their terrier trials.  Before her retirement, Cayenne participated in earthdog and visited local nursing homes as a therapy dog.  Diann rescued her second JRT, Winston, in 1998 and together they have earned numerous agility and obedience titles, including the AKC MACH title.  Winston was named the Parson Russell Terrier Association of America's 2006 Agility Dog of the Year.  Winston is now retired and enjoys his new job as Squirrel Patrol.  Diann is an AKC Earthdog Judge and has served as Trial Chairman for the PRTAA's National Obedience and Agility events.  Border Collie, Reddi, is now competing in AKC and USDAA agility.

Kristen is 24 years old and has been training dogs since she was 13 years old. She used to compete in horseback riding; mostly in dressage. She started agility with her first dog, Puppy, a fourteen year old Shetland Sheepdog she purchased from a breeder ad in a newspaper in Canada. Before that, she did a lot of obedience practice, but never competed. Puppy is now retired, but competed strongly for 10 years earning his MACH in AKC and his ADCH is USDAA. At the USDAA Nationals in 2003, Puppy placed 5th in the Steeplechase Finals and his team placed 4th overall in the DAM Team Finals. In USDAA in 2004, Puppy won a Grand Prix Regional Championship and placed fifth in the Grand Prix Finals at Nationals. Puppy was ranked 3rd in Tournament Top Ten in USDAA for 2004.

In 2004, Kristen got her next dog which was an Australian Kelpie she imported from Australia. Her name is Ruthless and she is very smart and a lot of fun. She's been competing with her in USDAA for 3 years. Ruthless earned her ADCH in early 2009 at the age of 4. They attended their first Nationals in 2009, and her team placed 6th overall.  Recently, she got a new addition to the family, another Kelpie who is a half brother to Ruthless and also imported from Australia, whose name is Caellum. He is a sweet boy who is always looking to have fun!

Mary comes from a strong horse back ground. Starting with jumpers at the age of 8. Then a career of 18 years with race horses. Mary holds both a professional License, as a Jockey and Trainer in two counties. Mary always had a dog at her side as a girl growing up on Cape Code and through her race horse days. Mary and her dogs have always had a special connection this led the way to her getting involved with Search and Rescue (SAR). Mary and her dogs, Zen and Teco, hold many awards and citations from local, state and federal agencies for their work in the rescue an recovery of people over the 8 years they where in SAR. Mary started doing agility to assist with her skills for SAR. With the enhanced team building Mary and her dogs found with agility lead them into the sport of Agility. Mary and her dogs, Teco, Yuki and Wasabi compete in excellent/masters divisions of AKC and USDAA.  Teco was top ten in USDAA Jumpers and Yuki was top ten USDAA Gamblers in 2008. Yuki was national ranked 7th in Jumpers by ASCA in Excellent A in 2008.

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