The APDT Chronicle of the Dog Summer 2020 | Page 17

ASSOCIATION NEWS | DOGS DON'T WHISPER it as a trick at the end of a performance, along with ‘Say your Prayers.’ School officials found out about Terrell’s dog and asked them to perform at a variety show to raise money for his middle school. After he graduated from Central High School in Memphis, Terrell went on to become a salesman at Alfred’s Men’s Clothing Store. In 1976, he married Mary Ann Turner. But what Terrell really wanted to do was work with dogs. He read dog training books and magazines during breaks at Alfred’s and begged to get off weekends or even weekdays to go to training seminars. Terrell was instinctive in his training. He attended some training classes at the Memphis Obedience Club, but that was during a time when training methods were more punitive. “I didn’t know anything about positive dog training, I just know I didn’t like training using harsh methods,” Terrell said during a 2018 interview in Memphis. “I thought there has to be a better way.” He later began to learn marking or clicker training as he got more involved in the dog show community. At one point, he was the trophy chairman of the Memphis Kennel Club, a member of the National Collie Club, National Great Dane Club, and Best Friends Animal Society, just to name a few. He visited the barn of Steve Fields, “Mr. Collie” himself, on one of his trips to learn more about the industry. After an 18-year career at Alfred’s, it closed in 1984 and Terrell opened Claridge Kennels in Memphis, partnering with local veterinarians. Terrell became a certified kennel operator, a member of the American Boarding Kennel Association (now Pet Care Services Association) and served on its board. The couple took a break from the kennel business after 10 years, then moved from Memphis to Collierville. They came out of retirement in 2006 to purchase land with plans to build a $1.6 million pet resort. “I like nice things,” Terrell said simply. “I wanted to design a kennel that didn’t have chicken wire.” He traveled all around the country, picking the brains of other resort owners before opening his in 2009. The selfproclaimed 5-star resort features individual club and lodge suites, kitty condos, splash pools, an indoor play area with a dog jungle gym and services that include day care and grooming. Their clients receive “maid service” from the resort assistants. Terrell understood the value of branding his reputation on the resort, saying “it was all about creating an image.” And that is the image Terrell and Mary Ann Jones project when they attend APDT conferences, resplendent in their Lab slacks; a couple who have devoted their lives to dogs and their comfort.