Martha Ballenger is a retired 1st grade teacher who has a long history with dogs. She has competed with her Cocker Spaniel in obedience and also trained her dogs in agility. Martha taught obedience classes with Tri-County Dog Training for many years and also taught classes with the local Humane Society.
When not at Canine Bliss, she presently volunteers her time with North Coast Greyhounds, a local Greyhound rescue group. She also visits area nursing homes with her Therapy Dog "Wren", who is a rescued Greyhound. Wren also does therapy work listening to children read at Fremont's Stamm Elemenary School. Martha started Wren in class at Canine Bliss, LLC and within a year had Wren certified to do Therapy Work. Martha shares her home with 5 Greyhounds, a Labrador, and a Golden Retreiver.
Don Stull has recently retired as a college instructor and also has a long history with dogs. He has competed with his Newfoundlands in obedience and also trained his dogs in CGC. Don taught obedience classes with Tri-County Dog Training for many years and also taught classes with Terra’s Kids College.
When not at Canine Bliss, Don volunteers his time with a local Boy Scout troop , golfing and is starting a new experience as a foster family training a dog for the Assistance Dogs of America, Incorporated (ADAI). Don currently has 4 cats in addition to the Assistance dog.
Jill Otermat has been around dogs her whole life and enjoys training them. She has taken many classes from Kris and currently has 2 dogs CGC certified. She is working towards registering her rescued mixed breed as a therapy dog with hopes of volunteering in local schools and nursing homes. Jill has also attended multiple seminars dealing with dog behavior and learning to recognize a dog's body language and its meaning.
Jill and her husband, Matt, have 3 children and a cat in addition to their 2 rescued mixed breed dogs. She stays busy with her own faux painting business and enjoys camping and running in her free time.
You may meet Jill, Martha, and/or Don, when coming to Canine Bliss. They run the retail area while Kris is teaching class or not here and also may assist in classes when needed. All three have a history with dogs and training and are a great asset to Canine Bliss.
