Executive and General Committees
Executive Committee
President - Sarah Campbell
After growing up on a farm surrounded by dogs, Sarah has always been on the path of dog training in one way or another. However, it was her Labrador cross called Seamus and his fear towards other dogs and small humans that lead Sarah towards learning more about dog behaviour and started her down path to become a dog trainer. After completing a Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services, she started Happy Tails Dog Training with a fellow positive trainer (Moire). She offers Puppy Preschool, Group Classes as well as a number of specialised classes such as Out and About Sessions and Adventure Courses and private consultations. She lives with her Red Heeler x Maxi and Border Collie Jack. Jack is fully deaf and the training journey with him has been a unique but rewarding process. Her aim as a dog trainer is to help dog owners form better bonds with their canine companions by giving owners the skills and knowledge they need and inspiring them to teach new behaviours, stimulate their dogs mind and enrich their dogs every day lives in a variety of ways. Happy Tails Training TasmaniaSarah’s professional qualifications and memberships include:
| Vice President - Heather Engel
Based at the foot of the Blue Mountains in NSW, Heather has been helping guardians and their dogs through her training business, Little Angels Dog Training, since 2018. Heather has a passion for training with deaf/hard of hearing and blind/visually impaired dogs and is owned by two of them. Brock, a bilaterally deaf Dannif, and Stan Doggo Lee, a unilaterally deaf and vision impaired Mastador. Heather discovered games-based training while looking for a positive reinforcement training method to help Brock with disengagement and reactivity and she hasn’t looked back. She teaches puppies, adolescent dogs, dogs with behaviour struggles. Heather’s professional qualifications and memberships include:
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Happy Tails Training Tasmania
Little Angels Dog TrainingMario Bassi, Secretary
Might Paws Dog Walking Northern Beaches NSW After more than 30 years in senior international banking roles across Switzerland, Singapore and Sydney, Mario Bassi decided to follow his lifelong passion for dogs and pursue a more meaningful, hands-on career. During COVID, he completed a Certificate II in Animal Care through TAFE Digital, which opened the door to volunteering and later working at Monica’s Dog Rescue in Ingleside NSW. Inspired by his experiences in rescue and animal welfare, Mario founded Mighty Paws Dog Walking, a professional service dedicated to providing safe, positive and enriching experiences for dogs. Specialising in solo walks, Mario focuses on building trust and confidence through calm, one-on-one attention tailored to each dog’s personality and needs. His approach is grounded in respect, patience and force-free handling, ensuring every dog feels secure and understood. Mario lives by the belief that “Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.” (Orhan Pamuk). As Secretary of the PPGA, he brings strong organisational skills and heartfelt dedication to supporting the guild’s mission of advancing compassionate, professional pet care. His journey reminds us it’s never too late to follow your heart and make a difference doing what you love. Mario’s professional qualifications and memberships include:
| Kerryn Martin, Treasurer
K9 Manners Kerryn started her career in the health and fitness industry, moving into the community not for profit sector overseeing aquatic and recreation centre contracts and then eventually heading up people, learning and culture for the YMCA in Victoria. After her 19 year old dog passed, she got a new pup and there began an interest in positive dog training. She started studying the Cert IV in Companion Animals while still working, and commenced working with her new dog in things like Flyball, Agility, Responsible Pet Education, Therapy work and then Instructing at Keilor Obedience Dog Training Centre (a very early adopter of positive training methods). This led to gaining more work teaching Puppy School (6-8 classes a week) at Caroline Springs Veterinary Hospital, and private behaviour consultations, working alongside Behaviour Vets at the clinic. Over the past 5 years she has continued to grow k9manners dog training, while juggling her other consulting business, doing people training. On going education is a key part of Kerryn’s current agenda and she has undertaken over 40 courses and webinars over the past few years (and there’s still plenty in the “to complete” pile). She shares her life with two spoodles, Bailey and Indy and two cats, Jax and Jaz. Kerryn’s professional qualifications and memberships include:
| Adriana Gonzalez, Membership Manager Paws and Claws AcademyAdriana's love for all animals developed at a very early age. She was one of those children who always came home with a stray. However, her life path took her into the medical field and during her many years working as a Registered Nurse Adriana continued to study anything to do with animals particularly dogs. This was her hobby. Finally in 2016, Adriana made the life jump from Registered Nurse to Veterinary Nurse. Today, Adriana runs her own bespoke doggy daycare facility and doggy hotel and animal training business. Adriana has trained canines of all breeds and sizes as well as cats, birds and exotics. Adriana is also the CEO of Forever Home Pet Rescue Inc; an animal rescue and rehoming charity. Adriana’s professional qualifications and memberships include:
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Mandy Hedderwick
Praise the Dog Canine Services Mandy is based in Adelaide, South Australia, where she runs her dog training business, Praise the Dog Canine Services. Mandy was born and raised in South Africa and grew up with both working and family dogs. Mandy moved to New Zealand in 2003 where she studied and worked in academia. Her love for science and enquiry grew in the years she researched and worked at Otago University in Dunedin. While in New Zealand, Mandy volunteered in Dog Rescue for 7 years where she received practical dog training education and experience, and discovered an aptitude for helping dogs through trauma. After moving to Australia in 2013, she got more involved in dog sports with her own dogs, and after experiencing changes in her personal life, she took the inevitable leap into the dog services industry and started her own dog training business in 2021. In addition to running her own dog training business, Mandy is a PhD candidate in the field of Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and teaches dog training and handling, and Principles of Animal Behaviour and Welfare at The University of Adelaide's School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. She is the guardian of 3 Clumber Spaniels, Belle, Rafferty, and Lily, and a Border Collie, Leo. Mandy adopted Leo when he was 15 months old, and he became her greatest teacher. While working through Leo’s anxiety, reactivity, and repetitive behaviours, they developed an incredible bond which fuelled Mandy’s passion and resolve to help other dogs and their people live better together using fear free/force free training methods. Mandy’s professional qualifications and memberships include:
| Louise Colombari
Positive Paws & People Dog Training Louise has been working with animals since 2000 and lives on the Northern Beaches of Sydney with her family and her Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bonnie. After completing degrees in Education and Music, Louise went on to teach and administrate in secondary schools for ten years, until leaving to pursue a career in animal care in 1999. While studying Veterinary Nursing, Louise discovered positive reinforcement training and completed a Certificate IV in Behaviour and Training with the Delta Institute in 2005. Between 2000-2022, Louise worked in veterinary hospitals as a nurse and trainer. During this time, she also trained junior nurses and vets, ran puppy school and teenage classes and assisted the vets with behaviour consultations. In 2020, Louise launched Positive Paws & People Dog Training, where she offers individual and in-home behaviour training. She is also a trainer for mindDog Australia. Louise frequently attends seminars, workshops and conferences both in person and on-line, to maintain and further develop her knowledge and skills to ensure best practice in behaviour and training. The aim of Louise’s training is to teach owners how to communicate effectively with their dog so that they end up with a calm and confident companion. Outside of work, Louise still enjoys participating in and making music and teaching her dog Bonnie. Louise’s professional qualifications and memberships include:
| Jess Sandstrom Howling Success Dog Training and Behaviour After leaving a job in Security Services, Jess began her career with animals in 2012 when she took up a role as a Kennel Hand at Monika’s Doggie Rescue. After attaining her first formal qualification in dog training in 2014 and being taken under the wing of another Professional Trainer Bobby McLachlan she hasn’t looked back. Jess lives with a 3 year old Rottweiler named Odin who is her pride and joy. Jess specialises in dog – dog reactivity and is extremely passionate about helping clients understand their anxious or fearful dog. Jess’s professional qualifications and memberships include:
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Vicki Conroy.png) I’m Vicki and I’ve been blessed with some great teachers. So many great smarty pants Cattle Dogs who started my R+ joke; you don’t have to be tougher than your dog anymore to train them – you have to be smarter! My journey started with a fear aggressive cattle dog that I sought help for; Lucky I found an accredited PPGA trainer, who was so knowledgeable and helpful and passionate it got me hooked. Enter learning and reading, progressing to teaching puppy preschool and pet dog manners classes 25yrs plus; and training and trialling my current Cattle Dogs R+. 50+ yrs horse ownership. 20yrs reward based; 10yrs force free First an amazing calm 1st pony; gave me confidence and joy in horses Next an Anglo who really tried but was SO scared, taught me good handling skills and the need to listen and not overface my horse. Then the kindest most obliging warmblood ever born. Ever! He carried me from beginner dressage to FEI small tour way faster than I could learn how to ride it. Rhythm and kindness. Forgave all my mistakes! Then Ian Dunbar at a dog conference said horse and negative reinforcement in the same sentence. Back to more learning, with my very obliging big ponies as test subjects! I've since done a lot of introducing new horses, and trying to introduce new people to force free training. I enjoy exploring the differences in learning between species and individuals. I like watching behaviour, learning about ethology, herd interactions and body language. I especially enjoy watching my horses’ affiliative behaviour as they coexist peacefully and cohesively with each other My goal is to help educate about good horse welfare, species specific housing and husbandry, equine body language and behaviour.
| Under constructionMore coming soon! |