Karen Bailey Cooper
Karen’s first obedience training was with a Bichon Frise that she owned while raising her children. She started seriously training dogs in 2008 when she got her first Miniature American Shepherd, named “Bailey.” When Karen took Bailey to her first training class, the teacher encouraged Karen to continue training Bailey. Karen researched dog sports online and was soon hooked. The two activities Karen loved watching the most on the internet were Rally and Tricks—and now, eleven years later, she mainly teaches those two classes. Karen has also taught obedience classes, Beginner Novice Obedience, and a brief introduction to Agility.
Karen has always liked working with animals. She had a Cocker Spaniel while growing up and showed horses in high school and college. Karen currently has five Miniature American Shepherds at home. “My dogs make me laugh and give me a full life.”
Karen and her dogs have trained, competed, and titled in Agility, Barn Hunt, Lure Coursing Ability, Canine Good Companion, Conformation, Dock Diving, Farm Dog, Herding, Nose Work/Scent Work, Obedience, Puppy Training, Rally, Therapy and Trick Dog. She is certified to evaluate AKC Canine Good Citizen, Trick Dog, and Farm Dog tests. Karen is also a UKC SPOT evaluator. In addition to training with OTCB, she trains with clubs in Tulsa and Broken Arrow, and still belongs to a Houston training club.
What Karen enjoys most about training dogs is the people she meets and the bond with her dogs. “I enjoy teaching and watching my students and their dogs improve and blossom. The important thing to me is that my students have fun while they are learning. If they have fun, they will be encouraged to continue working with their dogs. This improves not only the dog’s life, but the student’s life.”
Cindy Eaton-Eklund
Cindy has lived with at least one poodle in the house since she was 3 years old. In her early 20s, she decided it was time to quit being dragged around by a dog pulling on a leash, and took Cocoa to an obedience training class. Her life changed at that point.
Since the early 1980s, Cindy has owned and trained a wide variety of breeds — Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, German Shepherds, Long-Coat Chihuahuas, a Whippet, a Dachshund, an English Cocker Spaniel, American Cocker Spaniel, and Miniature and Toy Poodles. Together they have competed throughout the country in AKC and UKC obedience, rally, agility, scent work, hunting tests, tracking, freestyle and more. Cindy has also owner-handled many of these dogs to conformation championships.
From handling, she quickly began training others to work with their own dogs. She has taught every level of classes from puppy to advanced obedience and rally, and has been a member of local and national dog training and breed clubs in Kansas City, Des Moines, and now Bartlesville.
What Cindy enjoys most about dog training is the unique bond you develop with your dog, including the amazing ways you learn to communicate with each other. She currently lives with a Border Collie and two Toy Poodles who are thrilled that mom has retired and can concentrate even more attention on them.
Jana Gorman
The first dog I chose, when I was in 6th grade, was a German Sheperd, and I got her by winning a bet with my dad. I grew up riding and working with quarter horses, competing all the way through college. I married, worked, and then started a family. During this time, we always had two dogs of varying breeds- Weimaraner, Pointer, Australian shepherd, lab mix, and golden doodles. All went through obedience training with OTCB.
For the past 12 years, my doodles have gone beyond the basics, completing training in Puppy Kindergarten, Canine Good Citizen, Tricks, Rally, and a little bit of Nosework. Most recently, I have been assisting and teaching the OTCB puppy classes and assisting in Rally. I am looking forward to continuing my education and training with my dogs.
I have spent my life working with animals. The connection you feel with an animal when you create a common language is incredible. The animals that you think are “cool” are always the ones that people have spent time working with. I want other people to look at their own dog and love it because of the relationship and communication, rather than just saying “my dog is a trouble” and exiling it to the backyard.
Lyn Johnson, DVM
Lyn began training dogs in 1983 when she got her first Shetland Sheepdog and took a basic obedience class on a campus parking lot at Texas A&M. Lyn simply wanted a well-behaved dog, but her instructor encouraged Lyn to show her Sheltie in obedience competitions. Lyn has been training and showing dogs ever since.
Teaching the Puppy class is Lyn’s first love. She has also taught Agility, Freestyle, Nose Work, Junior Handling, and Conformation classes. Lyn is a UKC and TDAA Agility judge and a member of multiple local and national dog organizations, as well as many professional behavior organizations.
Lyn earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Texas A&M and later returned to study veterinary behavior for three years with Dr. Bonnie Beaver. Lyn is certified in Low Stress Handling, Canine Rehabilitation, and Veterinary Acupuncture, and does private behavior consultations.
Lyn currently has Shetland Sheepdogs and Pembroke Welsh Corgis and has also had Gordon Setters. She grew up with a Toy Poodle and a Beagle. Lyn and her dogs have trained, competed, and titled in a wide variety of dog sports, including Obedience, Rally, Conformation, Freestyle, Nose Work, Lure Coursing, Herding, and Parkour, as well as dabbling in Tracking and Flyball.
Over the years, Lyn has seen training methods change from negative reinforcement and punishment to using positive rewards and addressing the emotional needs of the dog—giving them choices and developing a deep partnership instead of a leader-follower relationship. Her ultimate goal is to help people form a better relationship with their dogs and help dogs feel more secure and happier within their homes.
Lyn is passionate about behavior and training. “I love watching dogs learn! I love educating people about their dogs! Mostly, I simply love doing things with my dogs!”
Sharon (“Sam”) Mason and Glen Mason
Sam and Glen started training dogs in Ponca City, Oklahoma, in 1971 when they got a Sable Shetland Sheepdog. They served as leaders of the Kay County dog care and training Specialty 4-H Club, and held the first state-wide 4-H dog obedience trial. This trial also included a dog obedience judging contest.
They soon moved to Montana and joined the Yellowstone Valley Kennel Club in Billings, and began training and competing in obedience and conformation. Prior to moving to Bartlesville, Sam and Glen taught dog obedience classes for the public in Ponca City, Oklahoma, with the Autwine Kennels program, and in Billings, Montana, with the YVKC. Glen has judged obedience trials in Montana and Wyoming.
Sam’s affinity for dogs and all animals began with the dogs on her grandfather’s farm when she was growing up. She and Glen have owned Sable, Blue Merle, and Tri-colored Shetland Sheepdogs, a Bearded Collie and an English Labrador Retriever while raising their children; and more recently, two Bernese Mountain Dogs. Over the years they have trained, competed, and won titles in Novice and Open Obedience and Conformation. They currently train and compete with their “Berner,” Lisette, who has earned UKC SPOT, and AKC STAR Puppy, Trick Dog Novice, and Canine Good Citizen certifications.
Sam currently teaches our “Small Dog” Beginning Obedience class, which includes life skills and solutions for challenging behavior. According to Sam, “I’ve never had a dog I couldn’t train.” Sam and Glen often work as a team teaching the Beginning Obedience class. Sam is a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. She has a degree as a veterinary technician and is a volunteer teacher at the Tulsa Zoo.
What Sam enjoys most about training dogs is simply “being with them.” “When students take a class, they are going to have fun with their dog!” Glen enjoys being at dog shows, serving as a ring steward at dog shows and obedience trials, and helping Sam with classes, especially graduation exercises.
Deb Patterson
Deb Patterson has been adopting Shetland Sheepdogs (aka Shelties) since the 80″s. Her heart is for rescued animals to be in loving homes as a family member. She has adopted five Shelties over the years. She is involved with ARF as a post surgery recovery volunteer during their spay and neuter clinics.
Deb’s involvement with OTCB began 28 years ago when she brought her newly adopted rescued Sheltie, Ian to the Beginner Class for training. Her goal was to work on socialization skills with him. He had been abused and abandoned. He was rescued and adopted by Deb and her husband. Ian’s recovery took 6 months to get him into good health and one year for him to become emotionally stable. Deb has always believed that the training and trainers at OTCB played a large part in his recovery.
In 2023 Deb adopted Morgan, a Sheltie who was 22 months old and had been a puppy mill puppy who was kept to be a breeder dog. She had no socialization with other animals or humans and existed in a kennel to eat, poop, pee and have puppies. She was released by the owner to a Sheltie Rescue because she was not doing well there. She was very scared and emotionally shut down. Deb enrolled Morgan and they attended OTCB Small Dog Beginners Class. Deb has continued each season with Morgan attending different trainings through OTCB and Morgan has blossomed. Deb and Morgan have been the assistants in the small dog beginner class for the last 3 seasons.
Deb personally has seen the benefits of training especially with rescued dogs. Training reinforces the bond between the dog and their person. The OTCB trainers have been very supportive of Morgan in her recovery. Deb believes OTCB has played a large part in Morgan gaining confidence and skills.
Deb is looking forward to teaching Beginners Class for Small Dogs.
Sandy Singleton
Sandy has been an OTCB member and instructor for over 30 years. He started training as a student in 1983 when he was given a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy for his birthday that weighed 90 pounds at 6 months of age. “I decided I’d better learn how to train a big dog!” He has taught the Beginning Obedience class more than 50 times over the years and has had more than 600 beginner students. Sandy primarily teaches our “Large Dog” Beginning class because he has a particular appreciation for large dogs and their owners.
Sandy also teaches the Intermediate class for dogs of all sizes. The goal of Intermediate is to help you and your dog develop the skills needed to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen (“CGC”) test. Sandy is certified to teach STAR Puppy classes and to evaluate CGC, Community Canine, Urban Canine, and AKC Trick Dog tests.
Since 1983, Sandy has always owned one or more Rhodesian Ridgebacks. He has also owned Dachshunds and Basenjis. When Sandy was growing up, his parents owned a Weimaraner, which may have started his love for big dogs.
Sandy has trained. competed, and titled with his Rhodesian Ridgebacks in fun matches, Obedience Trials, Lure Coursing, Rally, Trick, and AKC Conformation, including completing two owner handled Championships. Sandy did Therapy Dog work for 11 years with his first two Rhodesian Ridgebacks and has been a member of Therapy Dog International for over 25 years. Kabaka, Sandy’s most recent Rhodesian Ridgeback, earned Rally Novice, Rally Intermediate, four AKC Trick titles through the AKC Trick Dog Performer level, Beginner Novice Obedience title, Companion Dog Obedience title, as well as AKC Canine Good Citizen, AKC Community Canine, and AKC Versatility Award. Kabaka was ranked 6th among Rhodesian Ridgebacks in 2023 based on his AKC obedience trial scores by the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States.
What Sandy enjoys most about training dogs is “the love of interacting with dogs and seeing them respond to the training. I truly enjoy teaching and participating in classes with all kinds of handlers and dogs. Sandy did Therapy Dog work for 11 years with his first two Rhodesian Ridgebacks and was a member of Therapy Dog International for over 25 years.