Anneli Hilton

Owner & Head Trainer

In 1999, Anneli started training and competing in agility and flyball with her first dog, Bailey, an American Eskimo. Right out of the gates she was told that an Eskimo can be hard to train but would have a lot of potential. Never a quitter she stuck by her dog and took him to a National level and placed on the podium for three consecutive years at the AAC Agility National Championships.  Bailey was also retired as one of the top American Eskimos playing in flyball in North America.  In 2007, Anneli said goodbye to Bailey after a courageous battle with cancer.  He may be gone but the way he has touched her life lives on forever.

2002 saw a lovely rescue dog by the name of Porter enter Anneli’s life.  Her life has never been the same since.  For those of you who know Anneli and Porter, their story is filled with ups and downs but perseverance has gotten them through it all. Porter was a rescue that had been running free with a pack of dogs in Northern Alberta before coming to Anneli’s home. When she adopted him she figured another northern breed would be a good fit and she understood how to train them. Little did she know what lay ahead. Working through a serious separation anxiety problem hindered their training of Agility and Flyball. Four years later, with a lot of patience and forgiveness, Porter started competing and titling in both agility and flyball. He brought a smile to the faces of all those who watch him and as a team they provided inspiration to many people who had training issues with their dogs. The dog that no one believed in reached the National level in agility and was ranked in the top 10 in flyball for his breed.  In 2010, Porter achieved the pinnacle of awards to mark all the hard work they have accomplished as a team, a podium finish at the AAC National Championships.  Never has a person been more proud of her dog!  As they entered into retirement in 2011, Porter ended his agility career by winning the AB/NWT Regional Championships!  It was the icing on the cake!  Porter has to be one of the only dogs that had his own fan club and cheering section.  Wherever he went there is always a “hey Porter, how are you doing?”, a pat on the head and a treat from a pocket.  He loved retirement and his new job as official pocket checker and treat eater.  Sadly, their story came to an end in November 2013.  Her life is forever changed because of Porter and Anneli knows he is always with her.

Slice, a wee little Papillon, joined the family in 2007.  She was the perfect addition when she came along.  Her best buddy was Porter, and she could often be found cuddled up in his soft fur, sleeping on his back.  These two really were like Mutt and Jeff, tag teaming to get into trouble.  Working with such a small dog has taught Anneli new handling techniques and another breed with attitude to train. Slice is smart as a whip and proving that size does not matter.  Not only does she excel in agility she loved flyball, participates in Dock Dogs and has been known to retrieve a bird or two.  In her agility career to date, she is a four time Regional Champion with a variety of podium finishes at many different national championships.  In 2011, they took their first world team journey together to the World Agility Open where there were crowned World Champion in Pentathlon and Silver Medalists in Biathlon.  With world competition now in their blood, they have proudly been on five world teams and holding their own on the world stage.  This dog of a lifetime continues to take Anneli on incredible journeys and in April of 2015, they will embark on a trip to Italy to represent Canada at the IFCS World Agility Championships one more time.

August of 2009, brought another wee Papillon into Anneli’s home.  Pint, a brother to Slice, has taken up residence in Anneli’s heart and was a welcome addition after losing Bailey.  He is a little smaller than his sister but every bit as confident.  Pint is the cuddle bug of the family and is always close by to make sure you always know he loves you.  Pint had some pretty big footsteps to follow in with Slice blazing the trail ahead of him.  He was a little more cautious out of the gate but gives Slice a run for her money.  He never likes to make a mistake and always tries his hardest.  In 2012, Pint made his first world team appearance in Belgium and did his country proud.  He has been a member of three world teams since and in May of 2014 he was flawless at the IFCS World Championships!  It didn’t earn him a medal but he came out in the top ten on the world!  This little boy is just starting to come out of his shell and show the world what he’s got.  He is one in a million and will always be your best friend.

Looking for a new adventure, in 2012, a firecracker of a puppy landed in Edmonton on a flight from, Ottawa.  Arson, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, has taken over the house and opened the family up to a whole new world of dog.  At the tender age of two, Arson is actively competing in agility, dock dogs and has dabbled with some bird retrieving.  He has already earned his first two agility titles and is ranked 14th in Canada with Dock Dogs.  In 2014, Arson earned an invitation to the World Dock Dog Championships but sadly it wasn’t in the cards to attend.  Everything Arson does is at full speed and full enthusiasm.  After being raised with the Papillons, there are days that he is convinced he can fit on your lap just like them.  His off switch is lovely and makes him so easy to live with.  Anneli loves her little firecracker and he challenges her everyday to be a better trainer.  There will be plenty of things to report on Arson in the years to come.

There is always room for one more right?  Unable to pass up a repeat breeding of Arson, there was a new Toller added to the family in 2014!  Sniper exploded into the family and he is the perfect fit.  Porter loved him right from the beginning and taught him his manners.  Arson wasn’t so sure that he liked not being the baby anymore but over time decided he like having a brother to play with.  Sniper has personality galore and is a complete clown.  It is amazing that the two boys are so similar in some ways and yet completely different in others.  Sniper has already accomplished Dock Dogs titles before his first birthday and looks like a natural.  He is going to be amazing at everything he does even though the training is just starting.

As you can see everyday is a busy day with four very active dogs in the house.  All four dogs spend every day with Anneli at the daycare and can often be spotted greeting customers or racing around in the bay.  Being the owner of See Spot Run Doggy Daycare and Training Inc.,  Anneli is involved in all aspects of the business from ensuring the daycare runs smoothly to teaching Agility and Obedience classes on a regular basis. She prides herself on being a problem solver and tries to make every dog successful.