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2019 Phideaux Award Recipient

It is the club's special privilege and honor to recognize the 2019 Phideaux Award Recipients.

Phideaux Award Winner Karen Johnston
Phideaux Award Winner Linda Barenz

This year's recipient exemplifies the spirit of the Phideaux Award: a long record of making substantial contributions to a variety of club activities. For over a decade our recipient has been one of our most dependable course instructors, typically teaching anywhere from 6 to 9 classes per year. This member consistently helps with set up and tear down at a variety of different types of club events, is a frequent ring steward, and helps judge fun matches. We especially appreciate that this person is willing to help with club events even if she/he isn't entered in the event. Besides contributing valuable service to Spokane Dog Training Club, our recipient is active in educating others about his/her breed, and has sometimes played matchmaker between members and responsibly bred puppies or rescues in her/his breed.

If you are thinking, "Wow, how does this person manage to contribute so much to dog training and responsible dog ownership", perhaps this person's superpowers can be attributed to copious consumption of coffee, a beverage that the recipient ranks slightly above oxygen as a life necessity. Or perhaps it is because this year's Phideaux committee couldn't choose between two equally worthy recipients and so is recognizing two outstanding members this year.

Both of our recipients were described by members as "always kind and helpful". Both were described as always having a positive approach when working with both dogs and humans. In both cases, this thoughtful positive approach to dog training comes in part from prior experience working with non-canines in sometimes challenging situations – one recipient has worked with horses, and the other recipient has worked with children in difficult circumstances. Each of our recipients has been instrumental in revamping club functions – one of them took on the task of updating our Rally program, the other took on the task of updating our club financial records. One of our recipients has been a trial chair, trial secretary, and trial chief ring steward, the other has made sure that all our trial workers are well fed, taking particular care to make sure that dietary restrictions of judges and seminar presenters are accommodated.

Despite the many characteristics and contributions our two recipients have in common, it would probably be wise not to send the two of them to an event in a new location together. One of them is notorious for getting lost when going to new locations, and the other one had to enlist the help of another member's tracking dog to locate her lost car keys at tracking practice. So, while we appreciate their many virtues, we acknowledge that neither recipient would likely succeed as a guide dog.

It is our honor and privilege to recognize and thank our two

2019 Phideaux Award Winners

Karen Johnston and Linda Barenz

Past Phideaux Recipients

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