Jack Volhard, internationally known as a "trainer of trainers," is the recipient of six awards from the Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA). He is senior author of Training Your Dog: The Step-by-Step Manual (Howell Book House, 1983), named Best Care and Training Book for 1983 by the DWAA; The Canine Good Citizen: Every Dog Can Be One (Howell Book House, 1994), named Best Care and Training Book for 1994 by the DWAA; Puppy Aptitude Testing, named Best Film on Dogs in 1981; and, among other books, Dog Training For Dummies (Wiley Publishing, 2005). His books have been translated into four languages. He has also written numerous articles for various dog publications, and together with his wife, Wendy, produced four training videos.
For forty years he has taught obedience classes and given lectures, weekend seminars, and five-day training camps, teaching dog owners how to communicate with their pets and how to make training fun for both owners and their dogs, thereby achieving a mutually rewarding relationship.
Jack was an American Kennel Club Obedience Trial Judge for thirty-three years and is now an Obedience Judge Emeritus. He is also a member of the Hall of Fame of the International Association of Canine Professionals.
Melissa Bartlett's animal artwork has won top prizes nationally and has been featured in magazines such as Sporting Classics and Just Labs. She has also been named Dog Cartoonist of the Year by the Dog Writers Association of America, and her first article, "A Novice Looks at Puppy Aptitude Testing," published by the AKC Gazette, appeared in 1979. Since then her numerous articles and delightful illustrations have been included in various publications. In addition to co-authoring What All Good Dogs Should Know, she has illustrated three other books on dog training.
Years ago, she trained her first obedience dog with Jack and Wendy Volhard. Since then she has gone on to successfully compete with her own dogs in conformation, obedience, and carting events, as well as instruct dog-training classes for the family pet. Melissa and her Bernese Mountain Dog are a familiar sight at local schools, nursing homes, and retirement centers doing dog-therapy work. She is also an active advocate for shelter dogs and rescue groups and owns a rescued Australian Shepherd.
