Our Instructors

 


Nancy Youngen

Nancy comes to Kanosak with 4 dogs of her own: Andie, a 4-year-old female Golden Retriever; Micah, Andie’s 1-year-old daughter; Storm, a 6-year-old Cardigan Welsh Corgy; and an 11-year-old Maltipoo named Tilly. Tilly is now retired and has a job as a watchdog.

Nancy YoungenNancy’s background, until 20 years ago, was riding and competing Dressage, up to the Grand Prix level.

Now, however, Nancy has turned from horses to dogs. She has trained a Sealyham Terrier to utility and tracking titles, and a Cesky Terrier to utility, rally and agility titles. More recently she trained a Cardigan Welsh Corgi to an OTCH (with the help of our own Ronnie Bizer) and to advanced titles in rally, barn hunt, dock diving and a MACH 2 in agility.

Nancy’s current Cardigan, Storm, is the #1 Cardigan in the country in Obedience and is working on his OTCH, as well as having titles in agility, barn hunt, Fast Cat, rally and Trick Dog. Andie is working on her advanced titles in obedience, Fast Cat, dock diving, barn hunt and competes in Rally at the national level, winning at the excellent level last year. Micah is just starting to complete.

Nancy says “Most of all, I love how working with your dog creates a connection and bond that works in everyday life and I have learned, that if you want to compete or just have a great companion dog, there has t be a goal to work towards.”

Ronnie Bizer

Ronnie Bizer

Ronnie

Ronnie’s Classes: Private Lessons, Attention & Handling, UD

Ronnie Bizer is president and head trainer for Kanosak.Ronnie comes to Kanosak after a career teaching science and health in junior high and managing West Suburban Humane Society for several years. She has been a professional trainer for the last 20 years.

Ronnie’s personal dogs have achieved national rankings in obedience, agility, conformation, as well as enjoying tracking, field, and herding. She has well over 200 titles to her name.

Ronnie has the unique ability to make training enjoyable for both the dog and the trainer.

Cathy Fleury

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Cathy’s Classes: Beginning Agilty, Advanced Agility, CD, CDX

Cathy Fleury has been training and showing dogs since the early nineties. Cathy has to her credit over 100 agility titles, including Master Agility Champion with Rottweilers, Papillion, Giant Schnauzer, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Cocker Spaniel, and others. Many of Cathy’s students have also gone on to be nationally ranked in agility.

But Cathy does more than agility with her own beloved Rottweilers. Her dogs have earned Utility Dog Excellent titles with multiple Dog World Awards and FFX awards. Her Rottweiler, Spirit, is the 1st Rottweiler in history to earn the coveted VCD4 (Versatility Companion dog Level 4) award. This requires all upper levels of obedience, agility, and tracking. To top it off, Spirit is also a breed Champion.

Connie Hillquist

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Connie’s Classes: Puppy Kindergarten, Rally, Conformation

Connie Hillquist has personally trained many breeds and mixes. Her dogs have been nationally ranked many times and she has 93 titles as of this moment. Connie has trained for Kanosak for over 13 years. She also has trained with the 4-H and Park District.

Connie trains and shows her own dogs in conformation, obedience, agility, rally and tracking. She has been a Canine Good Citizenship evaluator for 5 years and has been on the 4-H Dog Committee for over 7 years.

Ellen Ritt

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Ellen’s Classes: Beginning Obedience, CGC

Ellen Ritt has been participating in canine obedience for more than 20 years. In 1998 Ellen started working towards AKC obedience and agility titles with her family’s Giant Schnauzer; ranking them regularly in the top 10 in the United States by the Giant Schnauzer Club of America.

Before joining Kanosak, Ellen was a public school teacher for more than thirty years. This experience helps her be the intuitive teacher that she is.

Dot Wagner

Dot’s Classes: CGC, Beginning Obedience

dot_wagnerDot Wagner has owned dogs for 34 years of many breeds and mixes. For the last 20 years she has owned Rottweilers. Three are breed champions and have Companion Dog Excellent titles. She has trained multiple dogs to the utility level.

Dot has also owned and trained horses for many years