Archie’s 1st. major
Joan Gardner
My name is Joan Gardner. I have been involved with dogs for 40+ years. I started in conformation with Saint Bernards and also had a few Cocker Spaniels.
I had to leave the doggy world for a few years and raise my kids as a single parent but just as soon as I was able, I was back.
My breed then was Gordon Setters and one Bernese Mountain Dog. Life got in the way again and I had to leave the conformation world. When we moved from California to Missouri in 2000, it was so I could get back into dogs. My breed now is Cairn Terriers.
I am passionate about responsible dog ownership and Tri State Kennel Club is also.
I have been teaching conformation at Tri State for several years now. I have also served several terms as president, been on the board and worked as a show chair. I have done pet therapy, obedience, rally and barn hunt with my cairns along with conformation.
I have bred 13 Champions, 9 of which I finished myself, the other 4 being finished by their owners. I have finished a total of 17 champions, three of which I took to their Grand Championships and one who is 8 points away from his Bronze Grand Championship. I have also put several performance titles on my cairns.
Cathy Stanley Paith
Cathy has been involved with Tri-State Kennel Club since 2004 when she got a golden retriever puppy and wanted to train her for obedience. Before that time, she did Beginner Home manners training with two Samoyeds with this same kennel club before they had their current training building. With her golden retriever puppy, Maggie, she got the fever to go on into AKC competition mainly through the encouragement and mentoring of several members of the club at that time. Since then, she achieved an AKC Utility Dog title (UD) on Maggie (her Novice A dog) plus another golden retriever 6 months younger, Honey, within 2 weeks of each other in Fall of 2010. After losing Honey and her home in the tornado of May 2011, she rebuilt and went on to finish Maggie with her Utility Dog Excellent (UDX) in Fall of 2012. Maggie was also the first Delta certified therapy “Complex” dog in the club and loved interacting with people and mainly children at the Joplin Public Library in the “Read with a Dog” program as well as other activities such as Third Thursdays in Joplin and the Humane Society’s Paws in the Park.
Currently Cathy is showing her third golden retriever, Suni, in AKC obedience. They earned their Rally Advanced Excellent title (RAE) plus competed in Rally Nationals in Excellent in Tulsa in 2015. Since then, they have achieved AKC Utility Dog title (UD) and working on Utility Dog Excellence (UDX) as well as starting another golden retriever in the continued endeavor to move forward. They were invited to the National Obedience Championship for Open Competition for 2018.
Cathy assisted classes at TSKC 2-3 days a week through most of 2004 through 2010 in Beginner Home Manners, CGC, and Rally. Cathy has attended numerous seminars throughout the region to further herself in training plus has competed in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. She is currently teaching the Advanced Obedience class along with Kayte Dunaway. Cathy has served on the Board of Directors for TSKC plus Public Education Officer for several years. Cathy was also the Obedience Chairman of the Tri-State Kennel Club dog show in Joplin for 6 years which brought over 1000 dogs to our area to enjoy the sport of showing dogs for both obedience and conformation.
Lisa Brown
I first came to Tri-State Kennel Club in 2000, with my young Rottweiler-German Shepherd rescue mix, Toby. Toby’s veterinarian told me that, with those two mixes, he would need some serious training and socialization. She was right, and I took a number of classes after she recommended TSKC: Beginner Home Manners, Canine Good Citizen, multiple agility classes, clicker training and attention. Encouraged by my mentor teachers, I soon joined the club as a member and not long thereafter was recruited to assist with classes. I learned so much as an assistant in Puppy Head Start (now known as S.T.A.R. Puppy), Beginner Home Manners and Canine Good Citizen and was eventually, in 2001 given the opportunity to teach my own classes. I jumped at the chance and haven’t looked back. Although my primary focus is S.T.A.R. Puppy, I have taught or assisted in Beginner Home Manners and Canine Good Citizen classes.
Sadly, Toby passed away in 2011. Nine months later I met a new dog through a friend and fellow club member. She and her uncle had rescued Buster, a German Shepherd-Welsh Pembroke Corgi mix. I saw his picture and fell in love. A couple weeks later, I had a new best friend and a demo dog for my classes. Buster and I make a great team and all he asks in return is the occasional treat or string cheese or chicken, belly rubs, and the chance to socialize with the puppies in S.T.A.R. Puppy class.
When I’m not teaching, I volunteer for Tri-State Kennel Club in other capacities. I’ve represented the club at Joplin Humane Society events, served multiple terms on the Board of Directors, often as an officer, and worked at the annual all-breed and rally/obedience, and agility shows running the health clinics, working the auction and trophy tables, helping with hospitality, and generally just being a go-fer. I also am currently responsible for enrollments, communicating with students and setting up rosters for the classes.
I’m proud of Tri-State Kennel Club’s work promoting the sport of dogs and responsible dog ownership, and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to teach dogs and puppies and their people.
Ronda Murphy
I became a member of TSKC in 2009. Since that time, I have taught Beginner Home Manners, S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen, AKC Community Canine (CGCA), Urban Canine Good Citizen (CGCU), Trick Dog & Competition Rally Obedience. I’ve served on the Board of Directors in several positions including President.
My passion for showing animals started at a young age while in 4-H. My love for dogs, whether it was training them or raising them, has continued throughout my life.
I started showing my dogs in performance events in 2009 and since then have earned 101 titles on my dogs.
Bailey, my standard poodle, had 33 titles between AKC and UKC. He was the 2013 AKC Rally Obedience Excellent National Champion and finished in the top 20 at Nationals in the Rally Advanced Excellent Classes for several years. Bailey made the UKC National All Star Rankings every year since 2011 for the top 50 dogs in the nation until retiring.
Jake, another standard poodle earned 10 titles between AKC & UKC. He made the UKC National All Star Rankings the first two years I showed him. He obtained numerous perfect scores in the ring. He retired due to health reasons and passed away due to that.
I showed a longhaired piebald dachshund named Bandit, who earned 8 titles between AKC & UKC and he also made the UKC National All Star Rankings for top 50 dogs in the nation. He has since passed away. I showed Chase, a miniature poodle, who earned 6 AKC titles. He was forced into retirement due to health reasons. Teddy, a standard poodle, earned several titles including his CGC, CGCA and CGCU titles.
My newest dogs are standard poodle siblings, Tucker and Skye. Skye has her CGC, CGCA & CGCU titles. Tucker at 2 years of age has earned 38 titles so far in a wide variety and sports and is my main competition dog.
My passion for dogs and training them has inspired me to put my skills to use at TSKC teaching classes. I truly enjoy seeing new handlers and their dogs excel and become a great working team whether it is at home or whether they go on to competition!
An obedient dog makes a happy dog and this in return makes a very happy owner!
Debbie Markman
Has loved dogs forever! started training my first dog at 14 years old, a Doberman Pinscher, “Luke.”
Worked with the following breeds: Airedales, Doberman Pinschers, Malamutes, Old English Mastiffs and mixed breeds
A Tri-State Kennel member since 1990 with my first English Mastiff confirmation dog, Lord Ashley, Earl of Shattebury, “Alex.” I have had five Old English Mastiffs that were involved with confirmation. English Mastiff, Beowulf’s Nordic Traveler, “Kaine” receive his AKC Tracking Dog (TD) title at 12 months old.
I love working agility, confirmation, tracking, trick dog, therapy team and obedience training with all my dogs for over 25 years. Working breeds need to be working and it is healthy for them. I began assisting with TSKC’s training instructors in 2011 in the Home Manners I, II and Puppy Head Start. Teaching my first Canine Good Citizen class in May 2012. I enjoy the opportunity to give back to all the past TSKC confirmation and training instructors who guided me on my training journey from Tri-State Kennel Club during the last 40 years of my learning about dog behavior.
Rescue and Volunteer Activities: the Great Plains Mastiff Rescue (GPMR) organization in Oklahoma City, OK for several years. I currently have one rescued English Mastiff and a mixed breed rescue. I was a Delta Pet Partner and Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Inc. member for about six years.
As part of a therapy team, English Mastiff, Pura Vida loved the Joplin Public Library’s children’s monthly reading program and going to local assisted living residence.
Working the TSKC’s AKC Dog Shows, helping as a ring steward.
My current demonstration dogs, Darby, a beautiful brindle boxer/pit bull mix that was dumped along a desolate road in Neosho. She had puppy parvo and we almost lost this beautiful spirit. She loves being at training classes to demonstrate her good listening, attention skills that she has learned at the TSKC classes.
Lynn Simmons
and other Scentwork Excellent level titles. Sasha was also awarded an AKC Achiever Dog!