Sharon Wendelgass, CPDT
Rally Instructor

“I met Marsh Smith at a local dog food distributor many moons ago when I overheard her talking about obedience training. I was the match show chairman of the Siberian Husky Club of Delaware Valley and desperately needed an obedience judge. I was new to the club and to the world of confirmation and obedience. Marsha agreed to judge our match with the only condition being that when she got married and moved to PA that my Siberian Husky, Kimba, and I take an obedience class with her. I became Marsha’s first student in PA and thus began a long relationship with Marsha becoming not only my instructor, but also my mentor and good friend.

In the 19 or so years that I have known Marsha, I have put championships on six of my Siberians, CDs on nine, CDXs on two, and one leg towards a UD. In addition, my husband and I would do dog sled training on the weekends in the winter. Throughout all of these activities, each of my dogs has taught me at least as much as I have taught them. But more importantly, the bond that I have developed because of my working with them is something very unique and special.

Although Marsha has been my mentor and driving force through the years, when I finally became interested about ten years ago in teaching, I started going to other instructors’ courses and to conferences, seminars, and workshops. I became a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and passed their first certification exam in September 2001.

In addition to teaching and working in obedience, over the past year I have started working two of my dogs in agility and canine freestyle dance. I am writing this after just returning from a weekend workshop with Diane Kowalski who is a very prominent freestyle competitor and instructor. Canine freestyle is my current passion, and I hope to learn enough in the next year or so to be offering beginner freestyle classes. So, see you on the dance floor………”

~Sharon Wendelgass, November 2004