See
Spot Run Doggy Daycare & Training Inc. has been
a dream for owner Anneli Hilton for quite some time.
Having had dogs as pets all her life, it wasn’t
until she became an adult and adopted her first
dog on her own that her life changed. In December
of 1995 she brought home Bailey, a Miniature American
Eskimo, as an 8 week old puppy. That little bundle
of fluff melted her heart from the very first moment
she laid eyes on him. Eleven years later, Bailey
and Anneli have achieved greatness in both agility
and flyball. They share a bond that is very difficult
to describe and it has only strengthened with every
new challenge they face together. Bailey has not
always been easy to train and Anneli has overcome
many obstacles in his training to be the successful
team they are today.
Always
up to a new challenge, four years ago Porter, a
White Shepard cross, came into Anneli’s life.
Rescuing Porter from NASAP as a stray that had been
running with a pack of dogs and having no history
lead to a whole new world of dog training. It wasn’t
long after Porter got settled in to his new home
that he started to display signs of severe separation
anxiety. The anxiety was so bad that Porter could
not be left alone at all. At the time daycare was
not an option because of where she worked. So graciously,
Porter was allowed to attend work with her for a
little while until she could find a babysitter.
This was only a temporary solution but it bought
Anneli time to find a new job at a daycare where
she could take Porter with her to work. Giving up
a career in Financial Planning to make Porter’s
life more comfortable and allow herself to fulfill
a passion of working with dogs seemed like the next
logical step. It was at this point people were still
telling Anneli that Porter’s anxiety could
never be cured and to give up her life for a dog
seemed rather silly. What they didn’t know
is that every day with Porter provided a reward
in itself. He became more confident, learned how
to play agility and flyball, and made many doggy
friends along the way. In his own way Porter thanks
Anneli everyday for saving his life and believing
in him.
In
the end, Porter was the inspiration and drive for
Anneli to open See Spot Run Doggy Daycare &
Training Inc. Knowing that all dogs have their own
personality and quirks, it is Anneli’s hope
that she can help give a rescue dog its best chance
at a new life. Most people get to pick the dogs
they own but sometimes the dogs pick the owners.
Every dog has the potential for greatness you just
have to believe you will find it.
2010 | Our daycare pack, as a whole, saw lots of growth in 2010. We welcomed many new puppies that spent the year growing up with us. There is nothing like the joy of a new puppy in daycare. We watch them grow, see their personality develop and have a few laughs at their expense when they do something funny. Along with all the puppies, we also added many new dogs that needed a place to spend the day. Some of these dogs were rescues while others were new to the city. Regardless of where they come from they all have a very special place in the See Spot Run family.
Of course, we have also had to say good bye to a few of our furry friends this past year as well. We had dogs that relocated to other parts of the city and in one case, all the way to Australia. Every now and then, an old familiar face pops their head in the door for a visit and it is like time hasn’t passed at all, we just say “welcome back”. They hardest goodbyes we have to say is to our friends that cross the Rainbow Bridge. Their warm hearts and wet noses touch us each in a different way but still leave and emptiness when they go. In May, we lost cute little Abby to an accident that shocked her family and the staff of See Spot Run. In August, instructor Kiersten Lloyd had to say good bye to her old girl, Kes. As adorable and reliable as they come, life caught up to Kes at the age of 12. A true champion until the end.
The summer brought out some great achievements for the staff, instructors and students of See Spot Run as they took on the Regional and National Championships. Looking across the podiums in each division at the Regional Championships, we beamed with pride as the dogs from See Spot Run were the cream of the crop. These dogs went on to put on a fabulous showing at our National Championships in Calgary in August. Again, the podiums told the tale of what a great training program we have at our facility. Congratulations to everyone on such a noteworthy achievement. On a personal note, following Nationals, Slice and I were invited to represent Canada at the World Agility Open. We will be travelling to England in May of 2011 to play on the world stage. We are very excited and would like to thank everyone who has been a part of our journey so far.
November marked the fourth anniversary of See Spot Run. There have been many changes over those four years that our customers have graciously supported but nothing was bigger than the relocation of our facility in October. Many of you volunteered your time or skills to help make the transition as smooth as possible. We closed the doors on Friday at the old location and opened on Monday at the new location. The effort by all was unbelievable. Thank you so very much for all your help.
2009 | An extremely busy and successful year. As in previous years, our instructors and training group did us proud at the Regional Championships. With just about every dog finishing on the podium and qualifying for the AAC National Agility Championships in Ottawa. The contingent heading out east from See Spot Run was small but again very well represented. Anneli ran three dogs at this year's Nationals and while earning individual placements with Porter and Bogey, her little girl Slice placed 10th overall in the 10" Regulars. Kiersten made the trip with both Zoom and Swift this year and placed 7th overall with Zoom.
Not only did we do well at Regionals and Nationals this year but we are very proud of Kiersten Lloyd and Zoom at being named to the 2009 Canadian National Agility Team that took part in the FCI World Agility Championships in Dornburn, Austria in September. Being chosen is a great honor but running and representing your country is what dreams are made of for many. Congratulations Kiersten!
While we celebrated many accomplishments this year we also had to say good-bye to a couple of our best friends. The decision was heart wrenching and the hearts are still healing but Anneli's Bailey, Kiersten's Quiggly as well as Jay and Cheryl's Andy are frolicking on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. Run free lads.
We are ending the year with an expansion in November that will make us the largest daycare in the city. We will be able to offer larger play space both indoor and outdoors as well as more classes to train your dogs.
2008 | Once again all of our instructors and many members of our training group qualified at the Alberta/NWT Regional Championships to attend the AAC National Agility Championships in New Brunswick. Only one member made the trip out east this year and was handsomely rewarded with a 1st place finish. Zoom and Kiersten Lloyd came out on top of the 26" Regular Division. Congratulations.
2007 | A fabulous year for our instructors and students. Every instructor and member of our training group qualified at the Alberta/NWT Regional Championships to attend the AAC National Agility Championships in Ontario. Most of the group made the long journey across Canada to compete in the event and were rewarded for their efforts with individual round podium finishes. Instructor, Kiersten Lloyd placed 3rd overall in the 10" veteran category with her 9 year old Labrador, Kes. Congratulations to all and keep up the great work.
CHAMPION
AGILITY | Premium Quality agility sports equipment
(link opens in a new window)
ANNELI
HILTON | Anneli teaches agility, flyball and obedience.
She is also available for private lessons.
>> Click here for Anneli's training biography
AINSLEY
SYKES
>>
Click Here for Ainsley's training biography
BETH
>>
Click Here for Beth's training biography
>>
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