1st Annual K9 Olympics & Seminar

Winstar Nightwatch Kennel’s 1st Annual Canine Olympics and Seminar was a great success!

The activities began with an evening dinner at the Lighthouse Hotel sponsored by Royal Canin of Puerto Rico. We were joined by Mr. Michael Nazario, Vice Mayor of Aguadilla and Commissioner Eric Blondet of the Cabo Rojo Municipal Police along with other members of the law enforcement community. We had the opportunity to share ideas and possibilities for K9 units for their municipal police.

This was followed by our two day seminar on Man Trailing. The first day included presentations on Winstar services, given by Magdiel Ramos. Next we enjoyed an exciting view of potential disasters and the role of the canine given by Juan Carlos Soto from FIP Consultants. This stimulating presentation set the pace for the importance of a search and rescue canine. Our guest speaker and trainer, Mike Bullock, founder of the American Working Dog Association, presented the objectives of the seminar and demonstrated state of the art techniques in evaluating a puppy. The day culminated with a presentation on the National Incident Management System, presented by Ricardo Sanabria. Crucial information was given on training requirements for those individuals interested in providing services as part of any National Response Plan.

Our second day was dedicated to the training of canines in trailing and air scenting. We covered different training methodologies from the beginning puppy all the way to the adult and certification requirements. The feedback from all of our participants was very positive and motivating for future training sessions.

The activities ended with the Canine Olympics. The area was open to the general public. We had participation of municipal law enforcement and fire departments. Dogs competed in Obedience, Obstacles, Protection and Detection. It was a day filled with fun and excitement for everyone. Make sure you stay tuned to our website for future activities for the working dog.