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Betsy Scapicchio, Owner and Training Director
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Betsy Scapicchio, owner and training director at Top Dog Obedience School, has been teaching and training dogs successfully for over 40 years. She has worked with many breeds and sizes of dogs, both with her students and her own dogs. Four of her dogs were adopted from shelters or neglectful homes. Her personal credits include over sixty obedience titles, as well as nine Obedience Trial Championships, 51 perfect 200 scores on different breeds of dogs, plus numerous titles in U.K.C., Canada, and A.S.C.A. obedience. Each of the dogs that Betsy has shown has been awarded multiple High in Trial and High Combined awards. Betsy credits much of her success to her mentor and friend Terri Arnold who has always provided expert guidance and has been an inspiration to her.
Betsy's daughters are continuing in her footsteps with their love of dogs. Her oldest, Kristan, and her first Sheltie Joey earned their UDX, along with over thirty OTCH points, many class placements, a Dog World Award, 11th place at the Pup-Peroni Eastern Regional in Open and a high in trial. Jackie and Bugs, a border terrier, earned their CDX and trained in utility. Joey and Bugs also earned their novice agility titles. At eighteen years old Lindsey and her sheltie, Drummer, earned their CDX, AX, AXJ, trained in Utility and also competed in many All Star Tournaments. Ashley, the youngest trained her Papillion, Kodak, in Novice and is now training her Border Collie, Wick, in Agility and Obedience. Ashley and Lindsey have now opened the Top Dog Day Camp and are having huge success.
Top Dog Obedience School grew out of Betsy's ability not only to train her own dogs but to instruct others. From the beginning, she knew that she wanted to teach classes. She started instructing at Heel and Toe in 1980 and taught basic house manners in private lessons. She taught for a couple of clubs and acquired many private students, both pet and competition. So in 1990, she launched Top Dog. From its humble beginnings in a small garage, the school spread to a VFW hall and a church meeting room, but in January 1994 Top Dog got a home of its own at our current facility. With three rings and lots of space at a full-time facility, Betsy's school now has grown to over fifteen obedience classes a week, plus agility, private lessons, seminars, and all manner of dog events.
Little did she, or her husband Dave, know what a monumental decision they were making when Betsy took her first dog to training classes. Now Betsy is a successful full-time business woman, who also manages to be a wife, mother of four daughters, and successful competitor in dog obedience.
Betsy at a Glance:
- Nine OTCH titles and more than 100 other AKC titles
- Earned 51 perfect 200 scores on different dogs
- Earned over 250 High in Trial Awards and over 200 High Combined Awards
- Earned over 5500 OTCH points
- First in Super Dog at the 1999 Eastern Regional with Jinx, BC
- First in Novice at the 1997 Eastern Regional, with Jinx, plus five other tournament placements
- First in Utility at the 1995 Eastern Regional with Turbo, BC
- Placed in Novice at the 1998 Eastern Regional with Trouble, Aussie
- Instructing in obedience for over forty years
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Meet Betsy's Current Dogs:
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Trifecta's It's A Shore Thing CDX BN JH
"Banks"
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| Banks BN 200 |
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| Banks 1 yr old! |
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| JH 17 months old |
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Meet Banks! It seems that every time Betsy plans a vacation at the shore (planned well over a year in advanced) THAT'S when her new puppy needs to be picked up from its breeder. Banks was no different! So while we know that little Banks is going to be a sure thing, his registered name is It's A Shore Thing! Banks is the son of the great "Copper", Choctaw's Yukon Copper Penny MH, MNH4, WCX, ** OS, HTHF out of Bobbi Hockenberry's "Syd", OTCH Trifecta's Forever Grateful UDX OM5 RN MH. This pedigree combines some of the top Golden Retrievers in the breed in a variety of venues including OTCH, MACH, MH, MNH, FC, AFC, ***, OBHF, ADHF, FDHF titled dogs. Banks is training well in Obedience and is a willing teammate. He came out in field and easily earned his JH title in consecutive trials at just 16 months old and with minimal training. Then he earned his Beginner Novice titles in consecutive shows for each. The sky's the limit for this guy and we are excited to see what Betsy brings out in Banks. For right now, he loves everthing that Betsy is showing him.
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OTCH9 Norwood's Ewe Make It Simple, UDX7, OGM, BN
"Zen"
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| Region 1 Qualifier, American K9 Country, NH October 2022 |
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| Zen, BN July 2019 with 3 perfect 200 scores |
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| Zen, Novice 200 and HIT October 2019 |
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Definition of Zen: A complete state of focus that incorporates a total togetherness of body and mind.
This is Betsy's Border Collie Zen, and she certainly exemplefies that definition in a tiny spit fire of a package!
Zen is from Joyce Norris' Sprite by Striker. Both Zen's Mom and Dad work with a beautiful combination of intensity and control. Zen came out in Beginner Novice at the busy regional qualifier in Bloomsburg and hit the trifeca with 3 perfect scores of 200 and a new title. She followed that by earning her CD at the Region 1 Qualifier in New Hampshire with a 198, 1991/2 and a 200! She completed her Novice debut with 3 more perfect 200 scores! Zen quickly earned her first Open leg but then had to wait for several months to finish her title due to the COVID pandemic. At the first opportunity to show again, Zen earned legs 2 and 3 on back to back days at an outdoor trial for her CDX title. Then just a few short weeks later, she finished her UD and it was not long before she earned a perfect 200 in Utility. In March 2021 she earned her OTCH and 2 weeks later her UDX with two Open 200s along the way! Before 2021 was over Zen earned her OTCH 2 and 3, her UDX 2 as well as 25 High in Trials and 14 High Combines and was the AKC 2021 Obedience Dog of the Year - all breed. Onward and upward for this team!
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OTCH9 U-CD Gaylan's Bettin' On The Bright Lights, UDX9, OGM, PCD, BN, RE, JH
"Casino"
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| OTCH Cas Sept 22, 2018 |
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| Casino UDX, HIT, HC January 2019 |
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| Cas 200 Novice June 2017 |
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| 18 mos old, BN with two perfect 200 scores! |
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Casino is the son of Irene and Al Lamphere's wonderful "Peach" and Mike MacDonald's famous "Sixpak". Peach and Sixpak combine some of the great competition golden retriever lines of the past 30 years. The pedigree boasts such prepotent sires such as OTCH Meadowpond's Stardust Reggie OS OBHF, High Times Run'n The Roost UD, MH, WCX ***OS and HRCH Morninglo's Top Gun CDX MH NA RN WCX OS, to name just a few. Not only were these dogs fabulous working dogs and sires, they lived long healthy lives of 14 or more years. Peach and Sixpak represent their pedigrees well as fabulous competitors in their own right. Sixpak was an Obedience Trial Champion that retired with 4200 OTCH points and who won the Gaines Superdog competition at just 3 yrs old. He went on to become the #1 golden retriever in all obedience rating systems in consecutive years and competed well past 10 yrs old. Peach epitomizes the golden retriever; sweet, smart and sound. Peach is beautiful to watch run agility and fun to hang out with at home. She is a MACH3 and a member of the GRCA’s Agility Dog Hall of Fame, doing so while taking the time out to raise two litters. Cas is destined for greatness and he is ready to show it, coming out in Beginner Novice at just 18 months old with two perfect scores of 200, and then 6 month later coming out in Novice with another 200! Cas sailed right through Open and Utility and earned his OTCH at just 3 years old. We're certainly bettin' on the bright lights for this little guy!
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U-CD Teg's Rainbow of Honor UD, BN, RA "Deacon": Chihuahua
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| Beginner Novice |
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| CD Title |
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Deacon is a long hair chihuahua and Betsy's new obedience partner. He has been sitting on the sidelines for long enough watching big brothers Dealer and Rev at all of the big trials. Betsy and Deacon tested the waters and made their obedience debut in Beginner Novice where Deacon easily earned his title. He and Betsy soon came out in Novice and there is just nothing cuter in the ring. Team Deacon earned their CD with all first places and by winning a run off for high in trial! The HIT ribbon was bigger than him! Deacon easily got his CDX and UD titles. Look for Deacon later this year in the B rings, he'll be the little guy with the big attitude that will make you smile!
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Betsy's Dogs, Gone but never forgotten:
(Click on each dog to visit their personal page outlining all of their accomplishments)
Cavahau's Breakout the Banditos CD, AX, AXJ ("Desi"): Chihuahua
U-CDX Trouble Rescue Nine-One-One, CDX, ASCA CD ("Trouble"): Australian Shepherd
U-CDX Ch/OTCH Sheepy Hollow's Black Magic, UDX PT ("Jinx"): Border Collie
Ch. Tres Rios Strut Your Stuff, UD, Can. CD, ASCA CD, CGC ("Jesse"): Australian Shepherd
OTCH Hob Nob's Turbo Charged, UDX, Can. CDX, CGC ("Turbo"): Border Collie
Cooperlane's Nitroglycerin, CDX, Can. CD ("Nitro"): Border Collie
OTCH Scapicchio's Custom Cruiser ("Gilly"): Golden Retriever
Stardust Sandi Blair Craig CDX ("Randy"): Golden Retriever
Clancy of Kristin Acres, UD, Can. CD ("Clancy"): Golden Retriever
Tara CDX ("Tara"): German Shepherd
To read about Betsy's instructors click here
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