Theresa Thompson
Head Trainer | Obedience, Agility, & Tricks
Dogs are my way of life. I have been training dogs for 35 years, since I was 12 years old.
In junior high I wrote a “How to Train Your Dog” column in the school newspaper. I helped neighbors train their dogs and did pet sitting. I had wanted since third grade to become a vet. I volunteered at the Ramsey County Animal Shelter as a high schooler walking shelter dogs. I earned the AKC CD title on my first dog, a Rough Collie named Muffin, in the late 80s and continued on into Open obedience training but had to stop due to getting a job at a veterinarian’s office in St. Paul, MN when I turned 16. I then worked for that vet until I left for the University of Wisconsin, River Falls except for filling in during breaks from college.
I next was called to work for a vet I had worked with that had left the St. Paul practice to start his own practice in Eagan, MN on Saturdays through most of the rest of college. This vet, whom I had known since I was 12, and the college’s pre-pharmacy advisor convinced me that I would have more time to train my dogs and other people’s dogs if I worked as a pharmacist part time rather than as a vet full time. It was true that dog training was my favorite thing to do.
So I applied to pharmacy school after 2 years of undergraduate classes and was accepted into the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy with my undergraduate pre-vet classes and vet work experience. I finally had to stop working at the vets after 5 years when Pharmacy School externships got in the way. In pharmacy school I traveled for the first time up the North Shore and across to Ely, MN one summer with my dog. I had no idea that such a place as beautiful as the Rocky Mountains, existed. I then planned to move to Ely after graduating to live in the woods with my dog.
Then I graduated. Due to becoming a central hospital pharmacist with varied shifts, I trained my next dogs first at a training school, and then at home as work made it difficult to attend classes.
Once my husband and I decided to have kids, I decided to pass on my love of dogs and training to my kids. I homeschooled our family while participating in dog training classes for years in Hugo, MN. 26 years after that first desire to move to Ely, we arrived. We were able to come to Ely when, after 2 1/2 years of unemployment, my husband was hired at Shopko. I realized that I now had a chance to do what I had dreamed of as a family business.
I have worked with many different sizes and types of dogs. Our family has owned German Shepherds, Rough Collies, a Papillon, a Golden Retriever, and Icelandic Sheepdogs. I have competed in AKC, UKC, and CPE events in agility, rally, obedience, and conformation. My current German Shepherd and I earned several agility titles, NAP and NJP before my husband lost his job. After that, I decided to let my kids enjoy competing with their own dogs. I continuously educate myself on new techniques and have completed the 2019 Pro Dog Training with Geek and Coaching programs and the 2018 and 2020 certificate programs in Veterinary Pharmacy. There is nothing close to the bond you get with your dog through learning together and I hope to inspire others to truly experience this type of bond with their dogs. Dog training is my life long passion that I enjoy sharing with others.
Max Thompson
Rally/Obedience, Conformation, & Juniors
I have been highly involved in the dog training and showing world since 2014. I started competing in Rally, Junior Showmanship, and Agility in 2015 with my Golden Retriever Stella. I was active in the Cambridge Minnesota Kennel Club for several years until we moved to Ely.
Since 2017, I have been training and showing with my Icelandic Sheepdog Perla in Conformation, Rally, Junior Showmanship, and Obedience. I have also shown over sixteen breeds of dogs in my time in the show world and assisted other exhibitors, including showing their dogs to group and Reserve Best In Show wins. I have additionally helped run Agility with other dogs to multiple qualifying scores and a High in Trial.
Accomplishments: My Golden Stella earned her United Rally Obedience 1, United Rally Obedience 2, United Rally Obedience 3, and AKC Rally Novice titles in 2016 and 2017. We received multiple national invites for Juniors, Rally, and Agility in Kalamazoo, MI. Highlights included a #11 ranking nationally in Juniors for 2016, #13 in Juniors Rally All Stars in 2017, and #24 in Juniors Agility All Stars in 2017.
My Icelandic Sheepdog Perla has earned eight titles. She has her AKC and UKC Championships, United Rally Obedience 1, United Rally Obedience 2, United Rally Obedience 3, AKC Rally Novice, AKC Rally Intermediate, and AKC Beginner Novice Obedience titles. We have been invited to the UKC Premier National Top Junior Competition for the last three years, for Junior Showmanship (rankings #43 (2017), #32 (2018), and #17 (2019)) and Rally Obedience (#13 (2017), #16 (2018), and #11 (2019)).
We have also won two Reserve Best-In-Shows. Perla has been the number one Icelandic Sheepdog in the United States in the United Kennel Club for the past two years (2018 and 2019), and we have also won two Reserve Best-In-Shows with multiple group wins in both AKC and UKC.
Perla stands at #3 for Icelandic Sheepdogs in the AKC National Owner Handled Series, #7 in our breed nationwide in AKC, #6 in the 2020 Grand Championship Point Rankings, and #6 in the National Owner Handled Series for lifetime points, across all Icies since the beginning of the competition over a decade ago. Previously, Perla has been #4 in the NOHS for 2019, and #7 in 2018.
For both 2019 and 2020 in Juniors for our breed in the American Kennel Club, I have been #2 nationally in Junior Showmanship. In the 2019-2020 qualifying period in AKC’s Junior Recognition Program, I am #1 across all competition types, #1 in Rally, #1 in Obedience, and #2 in Juniors. The previous qualifying period I was #3 in Juniors and #4 for all competition types added.
Success can be achieved in many cases, even with stubborn dogs and opinionated breeds, as I can attest to. While I am currently attending college at the other end of Minnesota, I hope to be able to give special classes when I am back in Ely at various times throughout the year.
Bethany Thompson
Juniors, Agility, and Conformation
I have been showing dogs since I was ten and have competed in Junior Showmanship,
Conformation, Agility, and Rally Obedience. I have shown multiple breeds and have
earned Best of Breed, Group placements, AKC Owner Handler Herding Group 3,
multiple Best in Shows, multiple Best Junior Handlers, multiple Reserve Best Junior
Handlers, multiple Best in Show Altered, multiple Reserve Best in Show Altered,
multiple Best in Show Veteran, multiple Reserve Best in Show Veteran, Best Puppy in
Show, Top Ten junior placement in the National Top Junior Semi-final, Award of Merit
in National Top Ten Junior Final and Best Junior Handler at Premier out of thirty junior
handlers. I have been invited to the UKC Premier Top Junior Invitational every year
since I started competing in 2015, Top Junior Rally Obedience for 2018 and Top Junior
Agility for 2018 and 2019. I have put the United Agility 1 title on our German Shepherd,
and United Rally Obedience 1 title and UKC Grand Champion on my Papillon. Showing
dogs in conformation and performance events is a great way to bond with your dog,
build relationships and good sportsmanship, have confidence, develop communication
skills and learn to be able to focus and handle various situations calmly.
In 2015 with the United Kennel Club, I was #4 in the country in Novice Junior and #9 in
the country in Open Junior. In 2016 with the United Kennel Club, I was #7 in the
country in Open Junior and earned Myah her Grand Show Champion. In 2017 with the
United Kennel Club, I was #2 in the country in Open Junior. In 2018 with the United
Kennel Club, I was #16 in Open Senior, #42 in Juniors Rally, #11 in Juniors Agility and
#18 in Total Junior. That same year I earned Petey his United Agility 1 title. In 2019
with the United Kennel Club, I was #10 in the country in Open Senior, #59 in Juniors
Rally, #38 in Juniors Agility and earned Myah her United Rally Obedience 1 title.
In the American Kennel Club under Canine Chronicle Statistics nationwide, I was #7 in
Papillon Juniors with one Best Junior in 2015, #8 in Papillon Juniors in 2016, #3 in
Papillon Juniors 2020 and Ali and I are #13 in the National Owner Handle Series.
In the American Kennel Club Juniors Program nationwide, I was #17 in Papillon
Juniors and #26 in Papillon Juniors across all Juniors competitions in 2017-2018, #17
in Papillon Juniors and #24 in Papillon Juniors across all Juniors competitions in
2018-2019, #5 in Papillon Juniors and #7 in Papillon Juniors across all Juniors
competitions in 2019-2020, #5 in Icelandic Sheepdog Juniors and #5 in Icelandic
Sheepdog Juniors across all Juniors competitions in 2019-2020, #13 with Ali in the
National Owner Handled Series 2019-2020 and #13 with Ali in the National Owner
Handled series 2020.
Shepard Thompson
Class Assistant
I have been showing dogs in Conformation and Juniors in the United Kennel Club and American Kennel Club since 2015. I have worked with and shown/competed with
Papillons, German Shepherds, and Icelandic Sheepdogs. I have shown my own dog and other people’s dogs.
I have earned Best Puppy in Show, Reserve Puppy in Show, Best Junior Handler, Best of Breed – Puppy, Best Novice Puppy in Show, and First Place in Juniors over 30 times. I have been a Total Junior Participant at the UKC Premier and been invited to Premier three times for Juniors and once for Rally.