Cherie Maitland, an animal lover and educator from way back, moved to California from Vermont in 1984. Her varied work background includes personal coaching and counseling, small business management, accounting, teaching and running kids after-school and summer camp programs. Cherie began working with dogs at the SPCA as a volunteer in the 1980's on the California Coast. In the early 1990's she was introduced to the world of humane horse handling and Natural
Horsemanship. It made so much sense to Cherie to train and guide a horse by understanding their point-of-view, that she sought out people who were doing the same thing with dogs. She assisted with dog training classes, behavior problem appointments and went back to the shelter as a volunteer adoption counselor and dog handler. She studied and trained with a variety of other trainers from a wide range of philosophies. After adopting a "problem" dog, (who is now the wonderful dog you may know as Pepper,) Cherie needed the behavioral expertise of several local, prominent trainers. After years of studying with and assisting other trainers, and working with dogs at the shelter, Our Furry
Friends was born in 1999 in Santa Cruz, California.

Since then, Cherie has been helping families teach their dogs to be well-behaved members of the family. She teaches effective and humane methods to teach basic obedience and a wide variety of other types of classes including Agility For Fun, Rally Obedience, Helping the Cautious Canine, Feisty Fido and more. Ms. Maitland also
offers classes to help people prepare to take and pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test. Cherie is now also an approved AKC CGC evaluator. Cherie also helps with more serious problems including fearfulness, anxiety, aggression towards people, dogs and cats, nuisance barking, and safety with kids and dogs. She hails more from
the new school of training, incorporating learning theory and understanding canine psychology to teach people to be great dog owners, handlers and leaders. When needed, other approaches are
incorporated, because she believes that there is often something valuable to learn from most approaches and that flexibility and tailoring methods to a specific owner, dog and situation is crucial. Cherie's instincts about what people and their dogs need to be a better team, combined with her practical knowledge and step-by-step teaching style is extremely effective.

She now lives in the Sierra Foothills with her beloved 3 dogs, 9 cats, and her horse, a mustang lives on a nearby ranch.