Jim Barry had a long career in college teaching and now devotes his energy to helping people learn how to teach their dogs. Jim particularly likes to work with introductory classes, where he assists families in making their dogs positive additions to the home. He is a lifelong dog lover, having had German Shepherd Dogs, Labrador Retrievers and mutts. Jim is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, the National Labrador Retriever Club and the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac. He and his wife Vicki are working with their new lab puppy, Toby, with a goal of helping him to become a therapy dog.

Kim Klaren's passion for dogs began at a very young age and this passion has led her into the field of professional dog training. Her path started by observing Fairfax County Search and Rescue Trainers, as well as collaborating with professional dog trainers in the Metro DC area. Kim was herself active in the Fairfax County Pets on Wheels Therapy Program with her recently departed Labrador retriever–mix, Scottie, who had earned his Canine Good Citizen (CGC) title with Kim. Kim is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and has served in the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department for approximately eight years. She currently resides in Springfield, Virginia with the latest addition to her furry family, Koda Jane, a Border collie–Pyrenees rescue pup. Kim wants people to enjoy the company of their dogs and to this end she is currently focusing on Basic Obedience training. Through this she hopes to help others learn how to work with their dogs in a positive way.

Vivian Levén has worked with dogs for the major part of her life. In her home country of Sweden she worked at several prominent show kennels with Great Danes, Irish Setters and Italian Spinones. Here in the US she has worked for a professional dog handler in California, where she prepared the dogs before going in the ring, and a show kennel that breeds Afghan Hounds. At the moment she is working on her master's degree in conflict resolution at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR), at George Mason University. 

The last 2 plus years she has been active with the Doberman, Assistance, Rescue & Education group (DAR&E) in the Washington, DC area. She fosters Dobermans in need of new homes and works on various behavioral issues, as well as regular training, in order to make them suitable for adoption into new caring homes.  

Through her belated Doberman, Matisse, she became focused on clicker training and the power and benefits of positive motivational training. She has trained with C&C PALS for over 1 1/2years and continues to further her education in dog behavior and training. She is devoted to share the knowledge of how to train dogs with only positive methods and to make it rewarding and fun for both dogs and owners. Vivian has lived with several Dobermans. At this time she shares her life with a red female Doberman, Sheba (who she adopted from DAR&E about 1 1/2 years ago) and the most recent addition, a red male Doberman, also adopted, by the name of Tolstoj.

Annette Scribner has been working with dogs all her life. She has worked with trainers in both Minnesota and the Washington, DC area for 3 years. Originally from Minnesota, she moved to Virginia in 1996 after completing her undergraduate degree in Education. She has been teaching for seven years in the Fairfax County Public School System. She owns two dogs, a Chocolate Lab named Shiloh and a Doberman Pinscher named Joe. Both dogs have passed their Canine Good Citizen test and are very active in both obedience and agility. In addition to teaching full-time and training dogs, she also volunteers both her home and time for Doberman Rescue (DAR&E). As a foster parent to many different dogs, she often has the opportunity to work on both behavior and training issues. Annette derives no greater satisfaction than seeing the deeper bond between owner and dog that results from positive reinforcement training.