International K9 Imports - Phone: +1-310.567.8300

Dr. Novak and Evita

Trained German Shepherd Security Dog, Evita

April 15, 2014

Hi Rosie,

I thought I would send you an update on the German Shepherd Schutzhund Freuline Evita Von Tho-Sei that you sold me about four years ago. She is absolutely fantastic. I couldn’t ask for a better dog. She gets along with Marco (my male shepherd) and all people including children. She is a tremendous watchdog. No one could walk in front of my house without her watching them. She is in excellent health! She obeys very well.

As you know, I am a medical doctor and she comes to the office every afternoon and knows that she cannot bark in the office and is friendly with all my patients. Some elderly cancer patients come in just to see her and hope she will give them a paw.

Evita is seven now and runs very fast. She loves to sunbathe in the backyard and turns the misters on by herself when she gets hot.

I could go on and on, but I am so happy that I have her. Thanks a million!

With many thanks!

Michael Novak, M.D.

P.S. I might add that she and Marco (my male German shepherd who is a tremendous protector of her) are so cordial with each other. When strangers go near her, he watches them closely.

Original testimonial…

Karen and Bill

Trained Family Protection Dog, Sam

Hi Rosie!

I just wanted to update you on Sam because I know you will be pleased.

He is an absolute LOVE!! Sooo special, sweet, and protective. Yes, PROTECTIVE. He is lovable and I can take him anywhere, yet I have seen him in action and I know he can be a fierce protector. He makes me feel safe — the goal I was hoping for :-)

I love him so much already … and I have had him only 6 months. I know we will only get closer and more bonded … he is that kind of dog. He is such an ambassador for German Shepherd Dogs that I feel I must allow people to pet him — whereever I go we attract attention! I have never seen anything like it.

The other day I was walking him at the Ventura Harbor and peeked into one of the shops there. The ladies running it asked me to bring Sam in so they could pet him and then everyone who walked by also came in to see him … soon we had groups of people around us all “oooh-ing” and “aww-ing” over him (and saying he is the most gorgeous dog they had ever seen!) until I could tell Sam was getting a little uncomfortable and I got him out of there.

But we continued to have people stop us to admire Sam and talk about their own love for German Shepherd dogs and so forth for the rest of the walk. Gets a little crazy — and hard to get the exercise we need when we have to stop all the time — but it is worth it if it helps others to love the breed.

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that you did good in finding Sam for us!

Love,
Karen and Bill — and Sam and Katie, too!

The Gohrt Family and their Schutzhund

Two years ago, my wife Eloise and three little children were carjacked in the gated community were we live. My wife noticed a man following her in the store. She notified the cashier and left the store. My wife played a game with the kids to hurry them up without scaring them; first one to the truck chooses the ice cream. As my wife ran with the kids, the bad man also started running. As my wife got the kids into the Suburban, the doors automatically locked. The man struggled to enter as my wife sped off.

While I was out of town I received the phone call from my wife explaining the details to what happened. I was speechless, and for a moment I realized the only thing worth in life is family. I canceled my meeting and rushed home.

Unfortunately, I need to travel for business, I can’t always be around to protect the family, and I made a promise to my wife and kids that this will never happen again. Unfortunately, in life, there will always be bad people NO matter where you live! I researched many K9 centers. The only one who took the time to talk with us and discuss our needs was Rosie. The other companies just tried to sell a pricey dog. Rosie explained in detail, She sent videos, she prepared for 4 day training at our residence with an outstanding Trainer Sven Viebahn, who simulated real life events, such as break ins, car jacking etc.

To be honest, having three little ones in the home, and always having a lot of company over we were concerned that the dogs would bite. These dogs are trained NOT TO THINK on their own. You are the master and only You give the commands. Honestly, we could NOT ask for better dogs. Thanks to Rosie, we sleep better at night and I am at ease now when I need to travel. Though alarm systems are good, cell back ups are better, guns help too, but nothing beats … PACKEN!

Viel Danke Rosie,

Grub, GREG, ELOISE, SEAN, SCOTT UND SARAH GOHRT

Jim Riley and his German Shepherd Crassus

Rosie:

I wanted to drop you a note saying “all is well”. Here is a picture of Crassus in his favorite seat. The other is with his good friend Mia. Mia is my daughter in laws pug. My friend and I are doing pretty well, all considered. I hope all is well with you and your family.

I will be forever grateful for Crassus. The difference he has made in my life could not be adequately described with words alone. You have a friend in New Hampshire and are welcome to stop by, if you ever get in the neighborhood. Again, that Morfina is one pretty little lass. I noticed Crassus taking a good look at her photo. He’s quite the ladies man. Wherever he goes, the ladies all are crazy about him!

Again I hope that all of yours are in good health, and I hope to hear from you in the future.

Thanks again Rosie and God Bless.

Jimmy Riley

Honorable Richard Evans and Scott

My whole family and friends are delighted with Scott’s arrival. Scott is so well trained, loving and has fantastic manners. He makes us all feel really safe in our home which is one of the reasons we were so keen to adopt him as one of the family. He is also quiet and relaxed which is great but when needed will protect us like his own family which is fantastic.

The Honorable Richard Evans, Georgia Evans and Freya Evans

Schutzhund Cayos and Baby Camila

Dear Rosie,

Here is Ky, (Cayos von Novadis, DOB January 5, 2003) in Washington, DC last Friday, 9-19, with our 2 year old granddaughter.

I take him with me everywhere and he’s so well behaved!! As you can see he is truly a family dog and perfectly gentle with our little Camila! We love him and thank you so very much for our Ky!!

Sincerely

Jeannie Kolarsey

Galland Family and Schutzhund Wiko

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

Barbara and her German Shepherd, Marit

Rosie,

Here is a photo of Marit and I. I love her! Thanks for picking her for me. I love her.

Barbara, Land Developer

Karen Walker with her Schutzhund Igor

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. Barts, Caribbean

Diana Davidson and Logan

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 German Shepherd dog; 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 German Shepherd dog, and get it from Rosie!!!!

Diana Davidson
Westwood, California

A Picnic with Friends

by Apache

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 Rhodesian Ridgeback, has absolutely no bark or bite.

She’s teaching me to play — mostly at about 5 AM when 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 go with my Flemish — like “go lay down” to go to my rug or under my tree and hang out.

Talk to you later,

Apache

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

Dog Days from Cowboys & Indians

Author: 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 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 interview in in! Magazine

Author: 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.

Rosie Westerman: 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.

Dean Calderon: 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.

Rosie Westerman: 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.

Dean Calderon: 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.

Rosie Westerman: 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.

Dean Calderon: 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 sic on a person. A Schutzhund dog is a highly trained family companion who will lay his life on the line for you.

Rosie Westerman: 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.

Dean Calderon: 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.