Press & Testimonials

Hi Rosie,

  Just wanted to drop you a note, and some photos. Wiko has been absolutely wonderful, he has far surpassed all of my expectations! He is great with all of my kids, he is an invaluable part of our family! He is kind, and loving with all family and friends, yet when needed is absolutely incredible with his protection. He is a joy to work with.

  I would also like to thank you for being such a great help in getting Wiko for our family, and especially Dean Calderon for being such a great help in getting Wiko to us, and training / working with my family. Dean was very professional, courteous, and a great source of information about our new family member. I would recommend You, and Dean to anyone looking for a professional, high quality, loving companion.  

Thank You!  

Gary Galland

Rosie,

Marit and I....I love her....thanks for picking her for me.....I love her.
 
Barbara, Land Developer

Rosie,

Igor is the best, most loyal constant in my life. I couldn't love him more and he lives each minute to be near me. Thank you for him.

Karen Walker
St.Barth
Caribbean

Hi Rosie,

I am so impressed with how professionally you conducted yourself. Previously, I had had a bad experience previously over the purchase of a GSD; therefore, I approached you cautiously. You assuaged all my concerns with your caring attention to my situation. You really listened to my requirements, discussed my individual situation, patiently answered all my questions in detail, educated me and was totally professional. It was apparent to me how seriously you approached placing your dogs; this inspired my respect and admiration. You then sent me the most perfect dog in the world! But you didn't stop there. You followed up afterward to make sure Logan and I were getting along and all was well. Logan fits into my home and gets along with my 2 cats, which was very important to me. We truly are a happy, loving family! Logan is really a friend and companion to me. There is so much love between us. We have developed a very strong and close bond. I live alone and with him in the house, I always feel perfectly safe. I am also looking forward to doing some advanced training with him. That should be tons of fun. He is very responsive to my commands and extremely easy to handle. We appear to be completely in tune with one another. The comments I get from people are: what a beautiful dog; how well behaved he is; how much he loves me.

Rosie, you sent me the most wonderful dog in the world!!!

Get a GSD and get it from Rosie!!!!

Diana Davidson

Westwood, California

Hello Rosie-

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for sending me "Rusty".  

Two weeks after finishing treatment for cancer I was robbed while sleeping.  As a single woman living in Los Angeles, this terrifying experience was made much worse because I was still so sick.  I have never felt more exposed and vulnerable.  I had planned on getting a dog once I was feeling better, but this incident accelerated my decision and I contacted you.  Rusty was at my house shortly after that.  

The time you took to learn about my lifestyle and answer my questions was invaluable as is your continued support.  Rusty, is everything you represented on your web site and more! 

He fit right into my life as if he had been there all along. He is a formidable presence as he accompanies me in my daily routine.  However, the part of Rusty that I have come to love more than anything is his sweet playful nature.  Never more than three feet from me, Rusty greets every experience with a huge amounts of enthusiasm and a constantly wagging tail.    

Rosie, thank you again for bringing Rusty into my life at such a critical time.  I hope you truly know how much this canine companion means to me.   

Sincerely-

Warner Stuart 

Protect your assets!

Dogs: To Serve and Protect
Pasadena Star-News
Click to see the full article:
cover | page 1 | page 2

Dog Days By: William C. Reynolds Being at home on the range to many means having a sense of peace -- wherever one resides. Some high-profile Westerners have chosen the path to personal peace by having what has become known today as personal "protection dogs," or Schutzhund in German.; The Schutzhund-trained German Shepherd is among the most highly trained working dogs in the world. Prized for their loyalty as well as their unmatched protection skills, the dogs' German training methodology dates back over 100 years. Here in America, Rosie Westerman runs the International K-9 Imports in Southern California. Under her supervision, Dean Calderon, the 2003 American Working Dog Championship winner and a 25-year veteran in the field, serves as training director. Calderon selects dogs based on temperament, bloodlines, and his finely honed instinct and trains them to be the best. Westerman places the dogs with discerning owners who see them as great companions as well as highly trained 24/7 personal protection.

Schutzhund Shepherds By: Bari Hochwald In the United States, the top source of Schutzhund (German for "protection dog") German Shepherds is the International K9 Imports run by Rosie Westerman, who was raised and educated in Germany where the Schutzhund training tradition goes back over 100 years. Dean Calderon, the company’s Executive Director and 2003 American Working Dog Championship Winner, is recognized as one of the world’s top trainers of Schutzhund German Shepherds. Floyd Red Crow Westerman is the company's honorary President. Known for his work as an actor (Dances with Wolves, The Doors, X-Files), country folk singer, and respected American Indian activist, Floyd brings his unique perspective, tradition, heritage, and respect for animals to the International K9 Imports. You had to run to the store to get that last minute item for dinner and couldn’t convince your twelve-year-old daughter to come along. You arrive home and open the door to the security system which assured you she would be fine. Do you have to de-program an alarm or unlock several bolts? No, you lean down and pet the head of the German Shepherd which lovingly greets you at the door. You know your daughter has been in good hands because she’s been left with a very special dog. One that has been trained for years and hand-selected for your family. I spoke recently with Rosie Westerman and Dean Calderon about what makes their Schutzhund German Shepherds and their business so unique. R.W.: First of all, I love and believe in German Shepherds. They are a great asset to families, less mobile individuals and single people. Shepherds are wonderful, noble companions, and the most versatile and loyal dog. The Level III Schutzhund training takes 2 years to complete, and all dogs are imported from Germany, where centuries of breeding offer a superior animal for this special work. The dogs really take to their family and care for them. D.C.: Dogs like Rin Tin Tin don’t exist anymore in the United States. But they do in Germany. The Schutzhund trained dogs meet the highest standards of quality and pass numerous evaluation tests. R.W.: When selecting a dog for a family we often travel to Germany to check the dogs out. We then bring the dogs here and work with the client. We take many factors into account: whether our client has children, if they are sedentary or active, live in the country or the city, if they have rabbits, cats or other dogs. D.C.: We look for dogs that are family-raised. We go to the training fields to see if the dog is strong. We watch how the dog behaves around the house. Then we take him to town into stores and restaurants to see how he is in public. What we’re looking for is his bonding ability, if he’s totally comfortable in all environments. R.W.: There is a growing interest in having a loving protective four-legged companion. The dogs are great for women alone. A Schutzhund-trained Shepherd will enter the house and search every room before you go in. They are so highly trained that they can accompany the family to Starbucks and be petted by everyone there, yet the dog will lay down his life for his family. They love to play and are very protective of kids. D.C.: I’ve been training dogs for over 25 years. I love it. Schutzhund dogs exist on the level of relationship that you can’t even put a value on. The rewards are astounding. People from all over the world want Schutzhund dogs and the market makes the price. Before the owner meets the dog, it has been trained every day of its life for two years. It’s important to remember this dog is not a loaded gun you can sick on a person. A Schutzhund dog is a highly trained family companion who will lay his life on the line for you. R.W.: They are trained in "hold and bark.." The dog will hold the bad guy in place and bark at them. The first response is simply to stop the person. D.C.: These dogs are like getting a Ferrari or a Porsche. You have to care for them. When a dog stops working, he lowers his intelligence and then what is he worth? It would be like a human being not learning to read or write.

If you would like additional references in connection with making a purchase or hiring us for training / dog shows please contact us.

Kind Words from Our Customers

Dear Rosie,
These are pictures of our Cayos in Kennebunkport, Maine.  We stayed @ a pet friendly hotel and he was the center of attention @ tea time.  He ran on the beach and loved to pick up sea weed and run with it too.  On our bedspread they had embroidered in dog bone appliqué!

I can take Ky with me anywhere because he's just perfectly behaved and has such a loving personality.  He goes to 2 nursing homes and a convent for nuns, lets anyone pet him and he really gets into all the attention.

Cayos is becoming more affectionate with us now which we consider a compliment from "Ky".  Ky comes up to my husband or myself and puts his chin on our arm or knee and looks up @ us with those beautiful brown eyes--melts your heart!  Ky goes with me all the time in the car and loves it.  He has gone to doggie day care when I was in Europe and my husband was @ work.  He really likes the teachers @ day care and is happy to go in and meet up with his friends there.  Everyone @ the vet's/day care always comment about his beauty and how calm he is. 

We really love Ky and feel he's a wonderful asset to our family! 

Thank you for providing us with a perfect doggie!

Sincerely,
Jeannie & Ray Kolarsey

Dear Rosie and Dean,

Apache is continuing to be an absolutely wonderful companion. Please see the pictures/story shown below.

Sincerely,

June
Professor
Phoenix, Arizona

I thought you might be wondering how I am doing. I’ve been with June about a week or so. And as you will soon see I am having a great time with all of my new friends and family.

Yesterday, June had a picnic and some of her friends came over with their canine companions to meet me. It was only 98 degrees outside—so we had a great time.

Let me introduce them to you. Chardonnay, June’s 14 year old Belgian Sheepdog, is queen bee around here. She rules with a deep growl that would make a lion stand back (but I found out she is all bark and no bite, so I curl up with her on the coach at night). Nala, June’s year old Rhodesia Ridgeback, has absolutely no bark or bite. She’s teaching me to play—mostly about 5 AM we do circles on June’s bed. Champion, the black and tan cattle dog, belongs to June’s friends Paula and Dave. As you can see from the picture, June thinks she is in charge around here. She put us on a “rest break” since we had been running around like crazy.

Champ and I had quite a time together. He keeps chasing me-- until I agree to play a little tug of war with one of my toys. Of course I always win whatever game we play.

By the end of the picnic I had piled up a few toys under my favorite tree.

BY the way, June has taught me there are two types of toys. There are the toys that we just have fun with and play with June, other people and other dogs. And I have learned not to tear these up. Then there are my “favorite” toys that Dean gave June-- that she only lets me have when we go to the park or other places to work. I get to grab on to these with a full bite and show all of my strength and courage. This is still my most fun thing to do.

And June and I sure spend a lot of times at Starbucks where she meets clients—and we go out to eat at a lot of different local restaurants. There is this New York Style Deli that serves me my own bowl of cool water-before June gets her tea. I see lots of dogs there. But I’ll tell you all about that when June gets some pictures from there.

I also met my new vets, Dr. Renshaw and Dr. Brown. They told me I am the best German Shepherd they have ever met. What do you expect? I yawned when they drew blood-- and I crawled into Dr. Brown’s lap and gave him a big kiss when he sat on the floor next to me.

So as you can see, I have everything totally under control. And I am learning some English to with my Flemish-- like “go lay down” means to go to my rug or under my tree and hang out.

Talk to you later,

Apache

RE: The Police Dog Show

To whom it may concern,

This is to certify that I invited Dean Calderon and Rosy Westerman to perform Police Dog Show at Nasu Animal Kingdom located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan for three consecutive years from 1997to 2000 duration of which lasted for 6 month each year during my tenure as senior managing director of Nasu Resort Corp, a subsidiary of Marubeni corporation.

They did show completely trained German Shepard before the packed audience having made them bark during their performance and next moment had them show their obedience totally under their control. The dogs were so trained that little kids were able to gather around the dogs  tapping and petting them without any danger.

I admire their professionalism in training dogs and entertain audience.

T.Matsumoto
Senior Managing Director
Nasu Resort Corporation, Japan

RE: A Schutzhund Purchase

To whom it may concern,

We purchased our German Shepherd a few years ago from International K9 Imports and are very satisfied.  Our Iko is very protective of us and our estate.  He is a stunning, big, black and brown Dog. He shows us his love every day.  In this troubled times we cannot imagine Live with out this 24/7 security.

Sincerely,
Caroline Andersson
Malibu, CA

RE: Schutzhund Training

To whom it may concern:

I have worked with Mr. Calderon in the last year with my German Shepherd who has been trained through Schutzhund Level III. I acquired my dog several years ago and had concerns about incorporating him into my family and allowing him to live with my 2-year old child.

Mr. Calderon has been expert in describing the dog's capabilities and has shown me how to maintain his skills, with strong emphasis on obedience training. I am a single parent, a physician and a partner in an orthopedic medical group in the Los Angeles are. I have constant concerns about the safety of my child when I am away. Since we started working with Mr. Calderon, the dog has been instrumental on several occasions in warning the nanny of the presence of individuals posing as workmen who had stepped onto my property. The dog has accompanied my daughter and myself on walks in the early evenings. We feel quite safe in walking through areas where there might be some concerns about safety.

I have grown up in a family of veterinarians and am quite familiar with dogs trained for security work. Until now, I did not know that these dogs can become lovely family members as well as great protectors.

I am planning to bring along a puppy with Mr. Calderon and I am quite excited at the prospect of my daughter working the dog as she grows up as well.

Mr. Calderon is quite gently in his training methods. He clearly loves the animals that he works with. At no time has there been any overt or aggressive correction. My dog and his animals are quite happy to work with him.

I would not hesitate to recommend Mr. Calderon to anyone.

Sincerely,
A. Elizabeth Bloze, M.D.
Santa Monica, CA