Niagara Falls, Ontario
Steve Dainard comes from a second-generation dog show family. He began showing dogs in the late 1970’s. His family started with Flat Coated Retrievers and later found their breed of choice - the English Springer Spaniel.
Steve, and his wife Kelly, bred under the ‘KAS’ prefix. He has shown Springers to the top winning male in Canadian history, as well number one all breed status. ‘KAS’ also bred and exhibited the top winning Springer female in Canadian history. In 2014, he had the honour of judging the ESSFTA National Specialty and in 2018 he judged the flushing spaniel breeds at the Westminster Kennel Club.
Steve was an all-breed handler specializing in Sporting and Herding dogs. He has also owned and bred Australian Shepherds. Steve has a passion for continuing education. He has served terms on the executive of the Canadian Dog Judges Association and is currently the Vice President - Administration. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Entrepreneurial Management.
Steve is a licenced as an All-Breed judge with the Canadian Kennel Club and has judged in Canada, the U.S.A., Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Ireland, Australia, South Korea, China, and the Philippines.
In his professional life he is a retired Manager with the Toronto Transit Commission in Administration and Financial Control and started his second career as a Mortgage Broker in 2014 with the professional designation of Accredited Mortgage Professional. In his personal life, Steve and his wife Kelly have three grown children and two grandsons and live in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
Ft. Lauderdale Florida
My involvement with purebred dogs and shows began in 1967 while I was in college and showing my first dog in obedience and I would stay all day at the shows and watch conformation. In 1968 I purchased my first conformation dog, a Pembroke Corgi, and things took off from there. In the ensuing years I began breeding Corgis and a few Whippets. Starting in the mid 70s I began handling for others also, operated a boarding and grooming kennel until 1985 when I began a 25yr career in the airline industry.
My introduction to PWDs began when I met Bev Rafferty (Pinehaven PWDs) at the 1987 Westminster KC show. The rest is history. Over the years I have judged PWD Sweeps at the first Canadian National in Vancouver BC 1999, Southern California Specialty in 2000, USSPWDC supported entry in 2002, the PWDCA National in 2012 and Futurity at the PWDCA National in 2019.
In addition I have judged sweeps at the Golden Retriever Club of America in 1999, at three different Corgi Specialties and two Whippet Specialties, Also at a regional Brittany Specialty and even a Poodle Specialty in Colorado and I'm looking forward to coming up north again to Canada this time.
Beamsville, Ontario
Jane has been teaching dog training in Beamsville, ON since ‘89 using positive reinforcement training for family pets. Jane’s students have accomplished multiple titles in many disciplines which include obedience, rally, tracking, agility and scent detection.
Dieppe, New Brunswick
I grew up in the English countryside and was lucky to own many pets ranging from hamsters to donkeys. As a young adult, I emigrated from England to Canada with my husband Mike and settled in Toronto. Our first Portuguese Water Dog joined our family in 1990 a pet for our then 9-year-old daughter. As I drove that bundle of fluff and boundless energy home, I could never have imagined the adventures we would have together for the next 14 years.
I discovered water work in 1992 at the first PWDCA National Specialty where I watched a demonstration of the Courier level. I knew that this was what my intelligent, energetic, driven dog needed to do and in that moment my passion for water work was born.
Over the years I met other like-minded PWD enthusiasts. We trained together and trialed every summer in the USA. In 2004, our big dream came true and due to hard work, support and approval from the PWDCA our first water trial was held in Ontario. The program grew and trials are now also held in Alberta and British Columbia.
I have titled six PWDs to CWD or higher. My current dog Bria decided to retire from water work after WWD. She finds being a therapy dog much more to her liking! I became a water trial judge in 2008 which added a new and exciting dimension to my hobby. In my non dog life, I am a retired Registered Nurse specializing in critical care for more than 40 years. The summer prior to the Pandemic, my husband, dogs and I moved from Ontario to New Brunswick to be close to family. In my retirement I am now a temporary Mary Poppins to my 4-year-old grandson aided by Bria and Darcy, my daughter's miniature Poodle.
I am delighted to be heading back to Ontario and honoured to be judging our National Specialty water trial. I would like to thank the PWDCOntario Branch and trial Committee for inviting me.
I would also like to wish everyone a wonderful, fun, and successful Specialty both in and out of the water.