JENNIFER HECKER

Instructor - CMG

Jennifer has always had an enormous love for animals. She started her career in the animal industry at age 11 by loitering in a pet store until the owner offered her a ‘job’. Unfortunately for her parents, Jennifer brought home a great number and variety of animals, birds and fish during her years working there. As a teenager, she worked at a barn where both Western Pleasure and Hunter/Jumper horses were trained. Jennifer became involved in the polo industry after high school and spent winters in West Palm Beach, Florida while working for a major polo barn.

Jennifer’s first dog was a Giant Schnauzer with which she competed at the highest level in French Ring Sport. Shortly after getting seriously involved with dogs, Jennifer decided to go to dog grooming school. She chose the Paragon School of Pet Grooming and graduated in 1996. Jennifer started Custom Canine Styling, a mobile grooming business and worked closely with Four Paws Mobile Grooming to make her business successful.

After finishing her Bachelor of Arts at Aquinas College, Jennifer moved to Lansing, Michigan in 2000 to study Animal Science at Michigan State University. She worked at both a Warmblood horse farm and 100-dog boarding facility. She groomed at the boarding facility until she left Lansing to take a job at Millbrook Tack & Trailer in

Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Jennifer really wanted to get back in the pet industry. She was offered a position by Melissa Verplank and made the move to Paragon where she worked as the Personnel Director and an Instructor. Jennifer earned her Certified Master Groomer title with the IPG in 2006. In 2007, she honed her grooming skills and competed on a national level with a Kerry Blue Terrier, an English Cocker Spaniel and a Miniature Poodle. Although she only competed at four shows, she placed first with the Kerry Blue and the Miniature Poodle and earned a first and a third with an English Cocker Spaniel. Jennifer's specialty is handstripping terriers.

Jennifer shares her home with Iris Azalea and Daisy, her two cats as well as Desmond, the Fuzzy Lop rabbit and her three dogs, Baxter v Schwartzen Kobold, a Giant Schnauzer and King's Mtn Fievel Mousekewitz and King’s Mtn Violet Bouquet, father and daughter Dandie Dinmont Terriers. She showed Fivel to his AKC Championship and will be traveling to major AKC shows with Violet. She enjoys reading, gardening and all things “doggie”. She has competed and titled dogs in AKC Conformation, Obedience and Tracking as well as French Ringsport, Mondioring and Schutzhund.