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MEET THE TEAM
Emilee Minnick, Owner/Trainer
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Working with dogs is something that I am extremely passionate about. I love watching the dogs and their owners learn to navigate the world together. However, I did not start down this path on purpose.
I started my journey in the dog world like most of you that are reading this: needing a serious overhaul in my training and relationship with my dogs. I wanted the relationship that we all dream of but had zero idea how to actually attain that.
I was in graduate school, working towards my Master's of Science in Criminology/Criminal Justice when I got Maizey and Kota. At the time, I thought that training was just teaching your dog to sit. Which is important, but it isn't inherently the most important thing. I learned very quickly that I was going to need help and guidance to work through the issues that I was having with them.
Now, years later, I have four of my dream dogs. Maizey, Kota, Huckleberry, and Buzz. Maizey is a certified Bed Bug Detection Dog and Buzz is an Explosives Detection Dog In training. They are all unique, amazing, and have each taught me SO much about myself and training.
I've been in your shoes and I can tell you that the grass is 100% greener on the other side with some dedication and understanding of your canine companion. Let me guide you and your dog on the path to open communication and letting your dog FLOURISH.
I am a certified Training Without Conflict Professional Dog Trainer, and pride myself in this certification. You can check out my bio on their page by clicking the link above!
Maizey, Bed Bug Detection Dog
Maizey is my heart dog, my entire soul, and the dog that truly started it all. It was just her and I for a while, and it was evident that this high drive, intelligent, and sensitive girl needed more than what I was providing for her at the time.
I got her as an 8 week old puppy in 2016. She was kind of like a sour patch kid, sour and then sweet, HA! Maizey had the brain, determination, and drive of a working dog from the start, I just had zero idea what I was doing at the time. She has pushed my capabilities from day one and has made me a much better owner and trainer.
She is about 7 years old now and certified in Bed Bug Detection with Ford K9, LLC in July 2021. Maizey and I now contract as a bed bug team with Iowa K9 Detection.
I am grateful for everything that she has taught me, the challenges that we have conquered together, and most importantly I am grateful for her unwavering trust and dedication even when I didn't quite deserve it.
Buzz, Explosives Detection Dog in Training
Buzz is my EDD in training. He is about a year old, is hell on wheels, and loves to keep me on my toes pretty much any time he is around.
I washed my first certified bomb dog (Peanut) in September of 2022 after working together all summer. He didn't quite fit the mold of what I was looking for in an operational detection dog, and I had to make the heartbreaking decision to rehome him to a pet dog family. Making this decision led me to Buzz, a dog that I didn't know I needed in my life.
He became my light in a dark tunnel when I felt lost as an explosives dog handler. We have already gotten to do some really neat things together, and I cannot wait until he is certified and we are ready to take on the world as a team. He has equal parts good looks and intelligence. His favorite things are stuffing his head into my treat bag after a successful find and running around with plastic containers.. he is weird!
Buzz is pictured to the left, and Peanut and I are below at our certification. I miss him every single day, but know that we both are with who we need to be with.
Kota, Demo Dog, Head Snuggler
Kota girl is most likely the sweetest, most caring in this group. She and Maizey are actually littermates, if you couldn't tell! She made the dynamic duo of Maizey and I so much better, but also had behavior issues that we had to work out as she got older.
She is the ultimate sock detector/hoarder. And I mean ultimate. No one can match her sock sniffing skills, it's really incredible. We always joke that Kota is an angel on earth, but I honestly believe that it is not a joke, but instead the truth.
She has taught me so much about dog training, working with reactive dogs, and using the many tools and methods to find what works best for the individual dog. Kota made me dive into the effects of early spay/neuter on a dog and chiropractic issues, and has changed my mind on a lot of things in that realm.. She also gave me the opportunity to work on building drive in a dog up.
Kota transitioned to my Demo Dog when Maizey certified in Bed Bug Detection, so when you see a dog on a session, it will likely be Kota!
Huckleberry, Critter Hunter, Goofball
Huckle was my "foster dog" as a project when I was an independent contractor for another company. He is from Junction City, KS.
I got him in 2018 when I saw his photo on Facebook, where the shelter was looking for an adopter after his last adopter fell through. I decided to foster, train, and then adopt him out once he was ready to find a home. When he got to me, it was evident that his puppyhood was not full of exposure, love, and basic life skills like it should have been.
Through confidence building, time, and a whole lot of life training, Huckle is a very normal (ok, not really, he's a ding dong) dog that is honestly part squirrel, gazelle, and possibly tiger.
Obviously, we kept him and he was never adopted out. He is the goofiest dude that really taught me how to loosen up, enjoy every day, and laugh more often than not. He was the perfect addition to the pack when we needed him the most, and when he needed us the most. Huckleberry is a one of a kind dog that I will never come across again. I feel so lucky that he is apart of our pack!
He loves other dogs, rolling in armpits, "crittering", and at the end of the day snuggling up under a blanket with his family.
