K-9 KEY

After years of waiting for the right circumstances, and another year waiting for the right puppy, my wife and i finally got the dog we have been dreaming about in Lucy. She is smart, beautiful, gentle and kind, and possessed with a strength of personality that has always been impossible to ignore. As a Shiloh Shepherd, she has always been big and strong, even at just 9 weeks old, she was strong enough to pull harder than we could have imagined possible, and when feeling stubborn she could transform herself into an immovable object. we knew from the start that we would need to bring her for training as she is our first dog and admittedly, we knew nothing about what is needed to raise a healthy happy and well behaved large breed dog. First we tried puppy kindergarten and found that it was primarily about socialization, which while crucial, was redundant for Lucy as she spends hours a day with other dogs in the park or in daycare. I began looking for a more structured training system that would allow Lucy's German shepherd heritage to have it's instincts satisfied, while training her in obedience when I found out about Schutzhund. In looking for a local Schutzhund club to talk to I found Steve Hong, and from that point on things quickly became a whole lot easier. From the start Steve was incredibly informative and clear. He explained what Schutzhund was in detail and what it would entail in terms of commitment for all in involved. He also explain several other training options, as well as answering some questions about diet, and in the end we opted for private sessions once a week starting with an interview session where he met and got to know Lucy.
From the moment Steve first walked in the door at our first meeting I knew everything was going to be okay. He was, and has always been incredibly professional and relaxed. And when he met Lucy, something truly hard to believe happened. Within literally 3 minutes from the time he walked in the door, he had Lucy sitting perfectly at his left side politely waiting for her next command. It was a little spooky as this is a dog who while lovable, had never done much of anything we had asked her to do and was more prone to laughing at our commands than obeying them. But somehow, within absolutely no time at all, Steve had gained her attention, respect and trust and in the process she was transformed from badly behaved puppy to show dog. The training that followed has been nothing short of miraculous and while it did not happen all at once, not surprisingly, it turned out Lucy needed less training than my wife and I, over time Lucy has been transformed into all the things we had hoped she would be. Each individual session has resulted in real progress and we have opted to continue working with Steve as we enjoy the process of learning as much as Lucy does. Over the last several months I have recommended Steve and K9 Key to other dog owners that we meet at the park and everyone has been very happy with both the experience of as well as the results of his training. Steve has also become our main go to person for just about all questions dog related. He has provided invaluable assistance in helping us pick the right food for Lucy, which as anyone with a shepherd knows is not so easy to do, as well as being the first person we call when we have yet another of the random questions that seem to come up while caring for one's first dog. Overall, I can't recommend Steve and k9 key strongly enough. I truly believe that anyone with a dog could benefit from his experience and training.

“I recommend Steve without hesitation or reservation – what a fabulous job of training Espresso!!

As you can see from the pictures, when I first got Espresso, he was a very energetic dog that not only destroyed couches, but also tugged on the leash and chased squirrels…I left him with Steve for the 3-week program, and Espresso came back as a totally transformed dog, he’s exceptionally good at walking next to me and obeying commands. He doesn’t chew on couches anymore either! In fact, you can see from one of the pictures that he even let us bury him in the sand on the beach! Great job Steve!!

To k9 key and friends,

I am writing this letter to proclaim my sincere gratitude for the outstanding German Shepherd Dog that I received from you three years ago. She is a beautiful sable bitch out of your old dog Karo and Yoshi daughter, Nikki. I have been training dogs for about eight years. It is a pleasure to have a dog that loves to work. Kara has finally matured and has become the dog that I was looking for three years ago. You are

truly a Master at breeding.

The support you have bestowed upon me has allowed Kara to become the dog she is today. I plan on breeding her to a male German Shepherd of your choice. I already have a list of homes for at least two litters.

People who encounter Kara are impressed with her temperament. I am an administrator at St. Martin de Porres Marianist School, which enrolls students aged three to fourteen years old. My students absolutely love her and never leave her alone. Kara believes that she belongs in the classroom with the students.

I have seen Kara's obedience improve during every training session with David Hong, founder of Canine Key Kennel Institute. David will always use the natural drives that my dog has has to create ultimate focus and end on a successful note.

David's son Steve has done the protection helper work with Kara. He truly knows how to read the dogs that I have seen him work. Steve consistently brings Kara to a higher level every time he works her. I feel that her confidence is at a high level due to Steve Hong's natural ability. Steve has also done protection work with my bullmastiff bitch. I could write a full length novel on the wonders he has done with her.

It has been a blessing to learn from David Hong and his son Steve. I truly look forward to working with you both soon.

God Bless,

John Holian

To k9 key and staff,

I am writing this letter to express my gratitude to you and your staff. After purchasing my two Champion-sired dogs, I knew I needed the professionalism of a trainer that would teach my dogs what they needed to know. I also needed a trainer who would properly teach my dogs the difference between strangers and family since my main concern was the safety of my three children and wife. After going through numerous trainers, I was lucky to find you and your staff. You quickly proved that you were the right choice for me and for my dogs, Ozzy and Taina. Every session is spent with an extensive amount of effort and professionalism. You don't just focus on one aspect of the training, but on numerous parts that are crucial to the development of both my dogs. Not many trainers would allow children to work with dogs, but you knew that my children are an important factor in developing a well-rounded family dog. Your focus on the obedience training has been the key to his success with protection training. We look forward to the sessions because we can see the development of the dogs and the fact that you treat the dogs as if they were your own allows me the comfort of "putting them in your hands". Your son Steve has been great with the dogs and we really appreciate all his efforts. Thank you again, and keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Javier Colon & family

We are writing this letter to express our appreciation to David Hong and his son Steve. We enrolled in Canine Key Kennel Institute with a special request. We not only wanted David to teach us basic training but wanted to get a

foundation in Schutzhund training as well. It was in

the course of the next 10 weeks that we realized how blessed we were to have found this institute.

We thank you for the extra effort that you put forth everyday to assure that we had a good understanding of the lesson at hand. Whether you were teaching us the correct way of performing a simple command, like sit and stay, or teaching us the intricacies of competition style obedience, it was always your attention to detail that made the lesson a special one. With a combination of film, class discussion, and hands on training we graduated from your institute well prepared.

We traveled from Connecticut to New York everyday but you and your family made us feel at home. It was a honor to have the chance to learn from a person with such a passion for the craft of dog training and we will continue to look to you for advice and guidance.

First of all I would like to thank you for the great experience that I had from attending the professional dog groomer/dog trainer courses at Canine Key Kennel Institute. I have always loved dogs since I was little, and I have always thought that later on in my life I would want to work with the dogs. Last winter I decided to make a big change in my life. I am very thankful of all the things the teachers and staff have done for me. Even after I

graduated, you would let me come to the school and do more work until I was ready for the real world. Then I was able to get a job as a dog groomer and now after all this time and great foundation that I built at school, I have finally opened my own shop at Sunnyside, N.Y.

Thank you once again for your knowledge and support, which I definitely needed to become a professional dog groomer and dog trainer.