Leighton Oosthuisen
Training Director
Leighton is the Training Director of Partners, and has been training dogs for over thirty years. A former law enforcement officer, military explosive detector canine instructor and Captain of Search and Rescue, Leighton specialized in patrol, explosive and narcotic detection and canine handler instruction. Leighton over sees all Partners training, selection of dogs, staff and programs.
Monika Walec
Head Trainer
Monika is the Head Trainer and Kennel Manager of Partners, and has been training with Partners for fourteen years. She has extensive behavioral, training and handling experience, and has a background in personal and sport protection, detection, tracking and search and rescue. Monika is responsible for all training and instruction, behavior sessions and rescue dog programs.
Julie Banfill
Behaviorist / Senior Instructor
Julie is a full-time Behaviorist and Senior Instructor with Partners. She has been training for Partners for five years. She serves as a Lead Instructor, manages canine training and staff. She trains in personal and sport protection, handicap service canines and working dogs.
Loni Tyler
Marketing / Senior Instructor
Loni is the Marketing Manager, Working Dog Program Manager and Client Liason with vets and groomers. She is a and is a full-time employee and Senior Instructor, and has been working for Partners for 8 years. She has worked with puppies extensively, and is responsible for procurement and selection of dogs for the working dog division.
Kalina
Personal Assistant to Leighton
Kalina has been working with Leighton for more than 12 years. She also assists people with their dogs and schedules classes for clients.
B.J.
Office
BJ joined Partners four years ago as a trainer, worked her way up to Instructor, and then moved to the administration side of the school. BJ is responsible for checking in dogs, assisting clients and also works with classes.
Leolin
Movie Production Manager
Leo has been with Partners for 16 years and is a full-time employee. He has managed the Video / Movie Production facility for 12 years. Leo is responsible for filming, editing and producing many of the training movies. He has also worked in the movie industry, training and handling animals for international productions.
Chad
Behaviorist/Senior Instructor/Decoy
Chad has been training with Partners for 14 years. He is a senior instructor in agility, French Ring training, personal protection and working dogs. He also manages his own breeding facility, producing high drive working dogs for our school.
Lynn
Senior Instructor
Lynn has been training for Partners for two years and is a full-time trainer. She is a Senior Instructor in the behavioral division. She is responsible for working with the resident camp program dogs, and also teaches the camp classes.
Stephanie
Senior Instructor
Stephanie has been training with Partners for 13 years (since she was 11) and is a full-time trainer. Stephanie works in the behavioral division, and teaches classes for dogs that have graduated from our resident camp program. She also trains with the working dogs, and recently started training in search dogs.
Ray
Trainer / Decoy
Ray has been training with Partners for four years and is a full-time trainer. He is a Resident Camp trainer in the behavioral division and assists with camp classes and private lessons. He is an experienced decoy, and works with the protection dog training, French Ring sport training, and working dogs.
Amy
Instructor
Amy has been training with Partners for three years and is a full-time trainer. She instructs resident camp dogs, camp training classes and agility classes. She works with the assistance dog program and is also involved with the working dog division.
Danielle
Instructor
Danielle has been training with Partners for two years and is a full-time trainer. She instructs resident camp dogs, camp training classes and agility classes. She works with the assistance dog program and is also involved with the working dog division.
Cindy
Marketing and Public Relations
Cindy has been with Partners for five years. She is also a past client, and joined our team to assist with marketing, event planning and promotions.
Christopher
Senior Instructor
Christopher is Leighton's son, and has been training dogs his entire life. He teaches classes, trains dogs in the kennel and assists clients.
Nancy
Senior Instructor
Nancy has been working with Partners for about 14 years. She is a Search & Rescue instructor, member of the Sherriffs department and has rescued dogs her entire life. Nancy is the Lead Instructor in Level 1 Obedeience, and also teaches agility and tracking.
Larry
Senior Instructor
Larry has been training with Partners for 5 years. He is a past client, and joined our assistant program to futher his training knoweldge. Larry is now a Senior Instructor with the working dog program and also runs Snake avoidance training on Saturday mornings.
Jeff
Instructor
Jeff has been training with Partners for five years. He is a past client, and has trained two dogs with Partners. Jeff assists with snakeproofing, obedience and working dog training.
Anita
Senior Instructor
Anita has been with Partners for eight years. She is an experienced Agility competitor, instructor and handler, and has trained a number of dogs in agility.
Betsy
Instructor
Betsy has been with Partners for 10 years. She is an experienced agility instructor, and a lover of dobermans. She has a PHD in Psychology, and in an instructor in agility at Partners.
Cindy
Senior Instructor
Cindy ha sbeen training with Partners for eight years. She is an experienced agility competitor, instructor and handler. She has been competiting in agility for years.
TC
Instructor
TC has been with Partners for three years. She is a past client, and joined Partners to help others with their dogs. She assists in classes and also at seminars and in the kennels.
Kerstin
Instructor
Kerstin has been training with Partners for about two years. She is a past client and assists in many of the obedience and advanced obedience classes. She and her daughters also work with their dogs in public events.
Jennifer
Instructor
Jennifer has been training with Partners for about three years. She assists in obedience and agility classes, and also competes with her small dogs in agility trials.
Karen
Instructor
Karen has been training with Partners for about three years. She assists in the resident camp program, and also assists with classes and working dogs.
Helene
Instructor
Helene has been training with Partners for about two years, She assists in classes and in snakeproofing on Saturdays.
Kerry
Instructor
Kerry has been training with Partners for about four years. She is a past client and assists with the obedience classes and in snakeproofing. Kerry also has been a huge contributor to our Food Drive for Dogs event.
Tyson
Instructor
Tyson joined Partners four years ago, and became an instructor. He is an amazing graphic artist, and left a year ago to pursue that dream. However he still helps out when the school gets busy.
Bill
Instructor
Bill has been training with Partners for four years. He is a former client and now assists with classes and with snakeproofing clinics.
Lauren
Instructor
Lauren joined Partners four years ago. She is a past client and now assists with basic and intermediate classes.
Eric
Instructor
Eric joined Partners about four years ago as an assistant to the kennel training program.
Jeff
Instructor
Jeff has been training with Partners for five years. He is a past client, and has trained two dogs with Partners. Jeff assists with snakeproofing, obedience and working dog training.
Jodi
Senior Instructor
Jodi joined Partners about five years ago. She is a past client and now assists with classes. Jodi is also an AKC Evaluator and has taught basic and intermediate classes in obedience.
Julie
Instructor
Julie joined Partners about two years ago, and is an instructor, competitor and handler in agility.