The K9s
K9 AK - Belgian Malinois X Dutch Shepherd
When AKs handler enters his kennel in the morning to pull him out he sits neatly at his feet begging with his eyes to have the collar on. As soon as the buckle is latch though this dog brings his A-game and for AK that means full steam ahead. This dog is a lean, mean, running machine! AK can do warp speed for the whole trail and only look back at the end to wonder why his handler looks so ragged.
With such enthusiasm he sometimes moves too fast for his nose, so AKs handler balances him by slowing him down during work and getting him to think about what's in front of him. This is one talented working dog with a bright future in his field. He tackles every new challenge thrown at him and I look forward to seeing how far he goes.
K9 Makulu - Belgian Malinois X Dutch Shepherd
Makulu means "big boy" and was given to this young man for good reason. Despite being the biggest dog we have in our unit Makhulu ( Pronounced Ma-ku-lu ) is a big old softy. If he was in the tortoise and the hare race, he would be the tortoise. He takes everything slow and steady but always finishes strong!
K9 Mbisi - Belgian Malinois X Dutch Shepherd
Mbisi mean Hyena in Shangan. And she comes with that wild attitude! This dog LOVES her job! She brings her A-game every day of the week and lets us know on her day off that she would rather be working! Mbisi does article searches for bullet casings, human odor trailing, and bite work just like her 2 brothers! Her work style is swift and methodical. Whatever the job you put her on she is dedicated and will get it done. In the kennel, she is affectionate but professional, always ready to trade a snuggle for a job!
K9 Khalesi - Belgian Malinois X Dutch Shepherd
You could just melt into those eyes right!? But get out of the way when she wants that bite!
Khalesi was tough when I first arrived. She is a deeply affectionate dog with incredible talent in bite work but her interest in article searching and trailing was minimal. I tried a few things with her to get her excited and willing to do her job but nothing could convince her that a bullet casing was worth looking for. When it came to trailing she only wanted the easy puzzles and would aimlessly stare at her handler if there was an error or if she just wanted the answer. I restarted her with articles and still, she just wasn’t happy, so I scratched that off her to-do list and focused on man-trailing, I had one more trick up my sleeve...
Today this dog is one of our strongest trailing dogs! Watching her work is mesmerizing and I'm happy to report that this handler-K9 team is working much better together.