The Underdog Show would be nothing without the trainers, so we thought we'd tell you a bit about them. Afterall without them the dogs would be running rings around the contestants!
Russell Becque
Dog Trainer and Obedience Judge, has been training his own dogs for Competition Obedience since 1981 and has been instructing Obedience Dog Training Classes since 1983. He founded and is currently running and taking classes at Portsmouth District Dog Training Club.
He is also a regular fully Qualified Championship Obedience Show Judge, who can train in agility and heelwork and has worked with rescue dogs throughout his training life.
Russell is a devout dog lover through and through, his methods are based entirely on building confidence and 'the want to do it factor' in the dog. He deplores the use of any 'brutal' methods whatsoever.
He says that he possibly likes dogs more than people and much prefers his career in dog training than his previous career as an entertainment agent.
Julie Hindle
Dog Trainer and Tricks Specialist, has been training dogs and practicing in behavioural therapy for the past eighteen years and has spent many years specialising in the canine-human interface. She has trained dogs for a number of television appearances including Blue Peter, S Club TV, Animals Do The Funniest Things, and BBC Crufts Series.
Julie is an expert at teaching ‘tricks’, although tricks may calls controversy as some people say dogs shouldn’t perform, Julie reassures that in fact they are just a fun and creative way of interacting with the dog and stimulating a dog’s brain.
Julie runs Ace K9 Training and Behaviour Practice in Leigh-on-Sea. She has a vast selection of clients of all ages. She runs one to one sessions with male dog owners and mixed groups.
Julie owns Tibetan Terriers and a German Shepherd Northern Inuit crossbreed.
Darren James
Obedience Trainer, llate parents, Roy and Yvonne James, were successful, award winning dog breeders who founded Royvon Boarding Kennels on a hilltop setting in Merthyr Tydfil in 1959. Being surrounded by dogs left its mark on Darren who dedicated much of his early life to learning all the aspects of working trials, including protection and training. He passed his first working trail qualification, Utility Dog at Bridgend Police Headquarters, at the age of 9.
He regularly competed in this field for the next 5 years before becoming a professional, top level dog handler of German Shepherds at age 14, campaigning successfully throughout the UK.
Darren judged his first German Shepherd Dog Show (with record entries) at just 16 years of age, and went on to judge nationwide.
When Darren and his sister Sarah took over the ownership of Royvon in 1994, they focused on developing new methods of dog training leading to the unique and highly successful Royvon Dog Training Programme. One of these is a residential training course for dogs where members of the public leave their dogs to be trained for three weeks. At the end of the course the owner then returns and has a 15 hr session learning to nurture the techniques that the dog has learnt.
Darren set up another school and now works between both, residing primarily in Surrey during early operations of the new school.
Gina Pink
Trainer and Heelwork to Music Expert has been training dogs in obedience, agility and heelwork to music since she was 16. She was once a dog warden re-homing stray dogs but now is well known in the doggy-dancing world as a heelwork to music expert. She is Vice Chairman of the Paws N Music Association with Mary Ray as President.
Gina is also on the Kennel Club committee and enjoys competing in the Kennel Club Heelwork to Music competition where she has come second. She also competes in Obedience with her German Spitz.
Appearing in the last series of The Underdog show Gina performed heelwork to music with her Collie to the song “Ain’t that a kick in the head”
She runs classes in Hampshire every week and frequently judges at Canine Freestyle events.
Pat Watson
Dog Trainer and Obedience Champion, has been working as a dog behaviourist for ten years, regularly working with rescue dogs. She trains in obedience, agility and heelwork to music.
Pat has competed at Crufts every year since 1989 and represented England in the World Cup last year.
She has trained seven Obedience Champions, one of which was a German Shepherd and is currently working with Obedience Champion Forever Magic Moonshine (Freddie) and OB CH Danesway Double Delight at Forever Magic (Dizzy) in ticket.
Pat owns around eight dogs herself but there are more around the house as some belong to her husband Herbie who is also a dog trainer. Between Pat and Herbie they have won a total of one hundred and ninety obedience certificates.
