The winner of the 2000 California Instructor of the Year is Helen Marie Capps, Obedience Trainer for the Vallejo Dog Training Club. An Award Presentation took place at our 49^th obedience trial, held at Cal-State Hayward on June 24. Trial Secretary Pat Alvarez presented Helen Marie with a framed certificate, $100, and an engraved listing on the perpetual plaque maintained by Deep Peninsula to honor the award recipients. The purpose of this award, originally suggested by Pat Alvarez, is to acknowledge instructors who motivate and encourage their students to enter competitive obedience trials, starting with earning a Companion Dog title.

As the Trainer for the Vallejo Dog Training Club, Helen Marie teaches three days a week, covering classes in Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Open, Utility and Conformation. She also teaches a companion/pet class with the Fairfield Recreation Department. An impressive seven students of Helen Marie’s attained a Companion Dog title in the year 2000.

Although Helen Marie has lived with and loved dogs since childhood, it wasn’t until 1994 that she started in competition obedience. Debunking the adage that "you can’t teach an old dog new tricks", Helen Marie and her eight year old Brittany Spaniel Apache, achieved a Companion Dog title followed by a CDX when he was ten. Her current "pack" includes two more Brittany Spaniels. Abigail achieved her CD when she was five years old and has since earned a CDX and a Jr. Hunter title at the age of eight. Obviously bitten by the competition bug, Helen Marie worked on both obedience and conformation with her young male, Magnum, who earned his CD title at the age of one while working on his conformation championship. Magnum and Helen Marie received a CDX title when Magnum was two years old followed by his conformation championship (owner handling!) at age three. Helen Marie is currently working on Utility with Magnum.

Although well read on various training methods, Helen Marie’s approach to dog training is an "intuitive" one. She reads the dogs and the handlers to determine what method of training will work best for them. Helen Marie has worked with handicapped handlers as well as deaf dogs and successfully tailors her training methods for their special needs. She is not as concerned about "going for that high score" but rather that dog and handler are having fun. She advises, "don’t let your ego get between you and your dog training or the fun goes away." Helen Marie also has a theory that when you go to trials on Sundays instead of going to church, God still communicates with you by having your dog make you humble.