5/5
I showed up unannounced to Anna's conformation training class with my untrained 1-year old standard poodle boy hoping to show him in just a few months. I knew nothing about conformation besides what I'd seen in some YouTube videos. I didn't even have a proper show lead. She took the time to send me links to the brands she trusted so I could get the best equipment to help my dog and me achieve success.
After just a few classes with Anna, I learned all I needed to know to get started showing my poodle. I was impressed with the amount of time and care she took to work with both me and the dog, helping us to show our own best sides to the judge. Her keen eye and sharp attention to detail meant that I had specific homework to do over the week before our next class. My dog and I worked together at home in front of a mirror on free-stacking and as well as stacking, and in trotting on the show lead.
Fast forward to June where my poodle and I entered our first conformation event with the IABCA. He earned four V1 scores from each of the judges, one each from Mexico and Japan, and two from the US. This means he earned his International Champion title. It's no AKC conformation title but it'll do for us!
We did well in the ring! He stacked well and even did two pretty good free-stacks. I tried hard to stay aligned with the judges in my down-and-backs, and I took my time and space with the go-arounds, just as Anna recommended.
I know what to work on going forward, based on Anna's expert feedback and clear, easy instruction. I highly recommend Anna for her conformation classes. I could see that there were experts in the class with veteran dogs, experts with new dogs, expert dogs with new handlers, and then me and my dog -- both of us newbies. The dexterity and grace with which Anna moved between the different combinations of experience, giving increasingly detailed feedback to those who needed it was truly a wonder to watch. I've been teaching (English to speakers of other languages) for almost two decades, and her ability to so seamlessly teach a mixed-level class was truly astonishing.