I was born into a family where dogs were always present. My memory will not take me back to a time before dogs. Our family had a love for dogs but we were not pet parents. Our dogs were tools and never lived inside. We seldom carried our dogs to the veterinarian but cared for them with home remedies. My early years spent with dogs were with hunting breeds: Labs, Beagles, American Fox Walkers, Pointers and Setters. Over the past 25 years, I have competed and titled dogs in AKC obedience/tracking. Additionally for the past 14 years, I have competed and titled dogs within the sport of Schutzhund (IPO) working mostly with the working breeds; such as German Shepherds, Malinios, Dobermans, Dutch Shepherds, Bull dogs, etc. I consider myself a self-educated training coach, as well as a breeder and broker. Dog training is both science and art. I have had the great privilege of studying with some national trainers and competitors. The kennel name Dark Water IPO is from the dark water of the nearby Lumber River and loosely translated into German is Der Dunklen Wasser (people of the dark water).