Club Members. We are Family.
Joanne Fleming-Plumb
Training Director Joanne Fleming-Plumb has been most successful as one of the top Schutzhund coaches in the country, having coached the 1997 and 1998 Vice World Working Dog Champion. She is best known for her powerful motivational system for competitive working dog training. Well known as a coach and competitor, Joanne's students have achieved multiple high-in-trials, Regional and National wins as well as international placements. Joanne's club member and student, Sue Nesbitt, has represented LV America 3 times with two different dogs. Club member Lisa Little represented LV DVG America in 2013 with her Malinois Hailey. Joanne has earned the opportunity to represent North America in International competition 7 times, in 2005 with two dogs, a Belgian Malinois and a German Shepherd Dog, receiving the highest placing of any North American in 2005. Having represented LV America at the DVG Bundessieger-Prüfung from 2005-2007, Joanne also won the 2007 LV America Championships with her dog Enno, then went on to place 5th at the DVG BSP in Germany. Joanne has also found time to pick up high-in-trials in both AKC and CKC obedience competition along the way and her students have picked up multiple HIT's and HOT's. Having competed with 5 breeds in multiple disciplines with tremendous success, Joanne attracts crowds at her many seminars on multiple continents. In these productions, Joanne details how to create a true partnership with your dog and lay the foundation for world-class working dog performance whether a Schutzhund competitor, kennel club enthusiast or owner of a lively and companionable pet. To Email Joanne, click HERE. 
Sherry GibbsAt the age of seven, Sherry came to the United States from China without knowing any English. Her love for dogs started when she became best friends with her puppy, Squirt, a black lab who helped break the barrier of communication that surrounded her.
Over the years, Sherry has owned many different breeds of dogs, her favorite being German Shepherds (GSDs) because of their focus and drive. Her family GSD, Max, taught her how to overcome challenges that came with being a handler. She spent several months training morning, noon, and night, finding any time she could between work and school to help reduce Max's reactivity, and eventually helping him earn his AKC Canine Good Citizen Title. This type of teamwork and companionship is what attracted Sherry to the world of dog sports. In July, Sherry chose her first IPO prospect puppy, a sassy female German Shepherd named Gianni. Sherry is focused on building a strong relationship with Gianni and is currently enjoying every moment of it. Sherry and Gianni are both extremely excited to learn from other members of the club, and appreciate the helpful advice from, and camaraderie with, the RRWD team members. On off days, you can find Sherry and her husband, Richard, competing with their other dogs in various sports such as dock diving and barn hunting. On very rare occasions, and when the dogs aren’t the center of attention, they enjoy cookouts with friends and family. If you ever are hungry, just stop by the Gibbs household and Richard will have the steaks & beer ready! The RRWD club has already benefited from Richard's chef skills, as he's cooked for the team after training and fed us all like Kings and Queens. 
Becca SharpProfile coming as soon as Becca gets to it!
Melinda LawrenceOriginally from Houston, in 2013 Melinda and her husband bought a ranch in northeast Texas where they live with their horses and cats, and Melinda's young German Shepherd, Varick.
Melinda's first German Shepherd, Wolf, was her horse show buddy and protector for years. Melinda and Wolf trained with several IGP clubs in the Houston area to prepare for their BH, while keeping up with their busy horse show schedule. With no dog training clubs near their new ranch, IGP training with Wolf was put on the back burner, but he continued to be Melinda's horse show buddy until his death from DM in 2021. After Wolf's death, horse shows weren't the same. Melinda started the hunt for her new horse show buddy and though quality litters were hard to find in the midst of Covid, she ultimately found the perfect pup -- Varick, a West German Working Line puppy. Varick now owns Melinda's heart and is not just her horse show buddy, but is also her new IGP dog. After finding Red River Working Dogs, Melinda joined the club in November of 2021 and has been working toward Varick's BH. After losing Gunner, her 16-year-old adopted Lab, in early 2022 Melinda promptly adopted another dog. Cara, a four year old German Shepherd, turned Melinda's home into a two-GSD home. When she's not training with Varick or doing chores at their ranch, Melinda is busy riding and showing her Arabian horses in working western classes (in beautiful sparkles of course). |
Robin Loreth
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Rodney DeanRod's interest in dog training stared early. He grew up in Kansas where he did a lot of hunting with his dogs. His first dog was a Black Lab who loved to hunt. Rod thought she was pretty good until he met some field trial trainers. That meeting was the beginning of his dog training career.
In those early years, Rod learned from National competitors in the field trial circuit and became a national competitor with his Lab placing 3rd in the Nation in the Derby. The next year, he placed 7th in the nation. Rod was asked to Judge a Derby for the Topeka Retriever Club, which broadened his experience. Later, he would give up hunting and move to the big city, but still needed to be involved in some kind of dog training and he stepped into the world of Schutzhund (now known as IPO). The sport presented Rod with a challenge and something that was as exciting as training and handling in field trials. Rod's first Schutzhund dog was a German Shepherd puppy called Ute. New to the sport, Rod sought out the best trainers from whom to learn this sport and apply what he had learned from his field trial days. And it worked out. Rod's took Ute from a puppy to Schutzhund 3, earning Rod membership in the Schutzhund 3 Club (titling at the highest level possible in the sport). Since then, Rod trained and titled several dogs, started a Schutzhund Club, built a Kennel with a Schutzhund field and started a breeding program for working line German Shepherds. Rod's ambition is to never stop learning new techniques in dog training and to better the breed. After a move north, Rod now trains and coaches at Red River Working Dogs where the team is working to develop themselves and their young dogs in the sport -- and having great fun while doing it! 
Rachel RogersOriginally from North Carolina, Rachel has always loved animals, especially dogs. She adopted her first German Shepherd back in March of 2018 and fell in love with the breed. Overcoming different obstacles and learning how to be a better handler, she decided to jump into the dog sporting world. In June of 2020 Rachel picked her first IPO prospect puppy, a German Shepherd named Porter, and she has loved every minute with him. She is excited to learn and grow as a team and hopes to earn an IPO3 title with Porter one day. You might see him towering over her at the rate he is growing but they'll always have smiles on their faces when out on the field. This is a new experience for both of them and they are passionate and dedicated to learn from everyone as well as contribute to club. Club days are their favorite!
If they aren't training, then you can find Rachel and her shepherds dogs dock diving, hunting rats, and just hanging outside being dogs. Apart from dog sports, Rachel loves to hangout with friends, eat, and travel. You can always count on her to enjoy a nice pint after a hard days work out on the field. PROST! 
Caleb MurrayCal grew up in North Texas, and started learning to train dogs in 2015. His dog training journey started with his first dog Daisy, a white lab. Cal's favorite breeds are German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, and Malinois.
Cal started his IGP journey when he joined Red River Working Dogs in early 2021. Today, Cal is working with the team to prepare his two Dutch shepherds (Ivar and Arya) for trialing in upcoming DVG competitions. Cal has worked to advance his training skills under multiple mentors and is working here at Red River Working Dogs continue that journey toward a career in the Canine Industry. Paper Members.Dana AspinallWeatherford, Texas
Sidney MoralesBrighton, Colorado
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Paper Members. |
Members who live too far away to regularly train with us, but who are DVG members through the RRWD. |
In memoriam ...
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Dawn Willsher
Dawn, a resident of Denison, Texas, brought with her several years of experience with dogs. She was certified as an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator, including the AKC Star Puppy Certification and was a reliable, and positive club member and friend.
Over the years, she trained well over 1,000 owners and their dogs and offered dog training classes to her dedicated clients. Dawn was the owner/operator of Pets Etc Grooming & Training in north Texas where she provided grooming and basic through advanced dog training services since 1977. She earned numerous titles on her dogs, from AKC CDs to Schutzhund titles and she's a missed member of the Red River Working Dog family. We miss you Dawn. |
