Susan Harris, Chair
Susan first became involved in obedience in the late 80's. She had a dog that wouldn't come when she was called. The local college was offering an obedience class. Susan thought is would be fun, would help with her problem and might be a way to meet some new folks. How right she was! Now Susan is hooked and spends most of her free time either training or pretending to.

Susan has competed at all levels of obedience, has been an owner of a dog training school, taught private lessons, has been the facilitator of many different seminars, had held various positions with the local obedience club, was the (short lived) president of the Illini, the parent to all the Gaines Regionals and was the chair of the 1998 Eastern Gaines Regional.

Susan hopes that the ABTC membership will use this committee as a resource to help them succeed at obedience at whatever level they want to be involved. It is a great sport and one that Tervuren are particularly well adapted for. The Committee is here to help and welcomes any input, questions, etc. from you to make this committee a resource that will work for you.
email: samtrack@bellsouth.net

Barb VanEseltine
Barb first became involved with obedience in the early 1980's with her first dog, a Springer. One day at a show, she first saw Roberta Whiteside's Ryan (CH Winjammers One for the Road, CDX, TDX) and fell in love. Since that day, it has been Belgians for Barb! She has titled seven Belgians to CDs; four to CDXs and three to UDs and earned HITs on four different Belgians.

Barb is an instructor with the Kalamazoo Dog Training club in Kalamazoo, Michigan. For 10 years she served as their Trail Secretary and is currently the club web master.

In addition to obedience, Barb has titled dogs in herding, tracking, agility and conformation. She loves obedience best and hopes that the ABTC obedience committee will help other members enjoy and succeed at this wonderful sport.
email: kdtc@net-link.net

Melinda Wichmann
Melinda first started in dogs in 1975, when she began showing the family Beagle in 4-H and then AKC obedience and junior showmanship. Her Beagle was followed by her first Tervuren, Gypsy (Ch. Liberte's Gypsy Rose, CD) who was owner handled to her championship as well as her CD.

After graduating from college, Melinda got her first Sheltie -- a small dog because the landlord insisted. That was Jess (U-UD Hanson's Third Edition, UDX). He was followed by a second Sheltie, Connor (OTCh., U-OTCh. U-AGI Sunazie's Black Diamond, UDX, MX, MXJ). Connor was Melinda's first OTCh. and they participated in the AKC National Obedience Invitational in 2000 and 2001, finishing in the top 20 both years.

Melinda's dream of another Terv came true in 1999 when Jamie (U-CDX Ariel's Escape Through Time, CDX, TD, OA, AXJ) joined her family. Jamie is her soul-mate, a darling to live with and a riot to train. Melinda says going in the ring with him is always an adventure. He is enthusiastic about whatever Melinda asks him to do, from tracking to obedience to camping, and teaches her new things on a regular basis.

Melinda and her husband, Jeff, live on a farm near Homestead Iowa, where they raise cattle, corn, soybeans and hay. She works full-time as a department editor at Marengo Publishing Corporation in Marengo, Iowa. Melinda is a member of the Iowa City Dog Obedience Club, where she served as obedience training director for a number of years and is now club president. In addition, Melinda writes a column for the obedience magazine Front and Finish.
email: mwichmann1@hotmail.com

Lyn Kalinoski
 Lyn has been involved with dog sports since she got her first purebred dog in 1972. Her dog was an Alaskan Malamute and they took obedience classes at the local kennel club.  It was then Lyn learned the pleasures of owning a trained dog.

Lyn is a life member of her local AKC club and has been a member of ABTC since1978. Over the years she's taught various obedience classes, been show and trial chair for her all-breed club and is currently teaching Rally Obedience. Lyn finds it an ideal way to bring a young dog along for obedience and when Rally was proposed as a titling sport, she applied for a judge's license. Lyn finds that she loves judging and especially loves course design. She currently writes a monthly column for Front & Finish magazine called The Rally Station and still teaches Rally Obedience as well as competing and judging.  Lyn has two Tervuren at home; both have multiple Rally titles.
email:  tervsrus@buckeye-express.com