Hello. I'm Mary Oberson. I am a Certified Veterinary Technician and I have been working in the field of veterinary medicine for 20 years. I have a BA in Psychology and an AAS in Veterinary Technology which merged into an interest in animal behavior and training. During my time working in veterinary clinics, I hosted puppy socialization classes and provided basic behavior counseling for clients. Currently, I am teaching in the Veterinary Technology Program at the Minnesota School of Business and I have developed a class in Small Animal Behavior for the program. I am also a member of the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians.

I originally came to Cloud Nine with my border collie, Cami, with the goal of training and competing in agility and obedience. Cami is now competing at the Master Level in AKC Agility and holds several NADAC Versatility Titles. She has also earned the Canine Good Citizen award and a Companion Dog Title in obedience. Cami has passed the Delta Therapy Dog Test and is a member of the Cloud Nine Drill Team. I initiated the development of a tricks and freestyle dance class at Cloud Nine so that Cami could express her artistic side. Cami serves as a behavior demo dog for the students at Cloud Nine and the Minnesota School of Business and is always willing to perform.

I also own and train two English Toy Spaniels named Wiggle and Beep. I fell in love with this charming breed through my association with Dawn and her RumRiver ETs. Training these quirky, little dogs is a joy and a challenge. It has probably been the single most rewarding part of my training experience. Wiggle is currently competing in Agility and Obedience. She is an enthusiastic worker and we hope to qualify for the AKC Agility Invitational. She also "shakes it down" in the freestyle dance class. Beep is a future breed champion and stud dog. In the meantime, he is keeping himself occupied with conformation, agility, and obedience classes at Cloud Nine. We hope to compete in Tea Cup Agility.

I have been assisting with and teaching classes at Cloud Nine since 2006 with a focus on puppy training and foundation agility. During my time at Cloud Nine, I have truly come to appreciate training from the dog's perspective and this has had a huge impact on my philosophy of training. I enjoy sharing this with others and helping people build solid relationships with their dogs through effective communication and positive leadership.