Tracey Baxter Dog Training Instructor

From a young age Tracey grew up with dogs, always a Border Collie or Border Collie type. Tracey was given her own Collie by her parents in 1979, she was a tri-colour called Jade and born on a farm. As a pair they started to attend local training classes which naturally led to them entering various competitions. Eventually, at the age of 17, Tracey was given the opportunity to take her own class at the training club.

Having left Somerset and moved up to Derbyshire in 1985, Tracey joined a training club in Lichfield. Whilst unable to devote too much time to training due to studying and work commitments Tracey kept up her attendance, particularly for the social side. After getting married in 1988 Tracey had to let Jade live with her parents and their dog during the working week, that is, until Tracey became self employed in 1983 when Jade came back to live with her permanently.

Whilst at Lichfield DTC Tracey heard about a Belgian Shepherd Dog needing a new home so, in May 1993 she re-homed Harvey, a beautiful BIG Tervueren aged 21 months. Harvey taught her a lot!! They tried to compete at Obedience and actually won out of Beginners in 1995.

Tracey met Chris Briggs at a show in the spring of 1997 when, having given birth to her oldest son a few months earlier, she was looking for a dog club nearer to home. Chris invited Tracey to join Derwent Valley Dog Club where, within 6 months, she was on the committee and helping to take the beginner's class. Sadly, Tracey lost Jade in May 1994 due to cancer. On a happy note, however, she rescued a small (very noisy) tri-coloured Border Collie called Shandi from Border Collie Rescue - she was just 11 months old. Tracey stopped competing with Harvey in 1998, mainly due to lack of time, but still took him to the competition class at Derwent Valley, the class that she now helps out in.

Tracey began to work with Chris Briggs after her second son was born in 2000, which lead to her taking one of Chris’s courses for him. Her life changed again in February 2004 when she lost Harvey after he suffered a massive stroke - he was 12.

Tracey made her mind up that she wouldn't have any more dogs since she had Shandi and her dads dog Moss (both aged 11) living with her. But things change. Tracey noticed on a Belgian Shepherd Dog website that a litter of puppies had been born - with one red bitch left. After studying the pedigree (the puppies Granddad was Harvey's brother) it was meant to be that in May 2004 Tracey travelled to Aylesbury to pick up a 7 week old Tervueren who she named Maisie.

Maisie is a character, to say the least. She is very small in the same way that Harvey was very tall, and Chris keeps calling her a Sheltie! Tracey has started to train her, hopefully to work her way up the obedience classes, but we shall see. Maisie accompanies Tracey when she takes her Wednesday morning classes and behaves impeccably - although she sometimes tells her off when she handles a different dog!

Tracey has always loved animals and has grown up with many different pets (currently having three dogs and three guinea pigs at home) – but just loves dogs. She enjoys teaching as much as competing, and nothing pleases her more than seeing the smiles on handler's faces once they have reached week 6 and reflected on the changes that have occurred since week 1 - small miracles she calls them. A lady on Tracey’s latest class commented that she was very laid back and relaxed when she was teaching and handling dogs. If only they could see her at home!

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