06/10/2026
Meet K9 Turbo.
Some of the most important work we do never post about.
People see the finished product—the certified detection dog working major venues, protecting thousands of people, and performing at a high level. What they don’t see are the hundreds of hours that happen long before the certification, the deployment, or the photo opportunity.
Meet K9 Turbo, a one-year-old Belgian Malinois currently in training with TEAM K9.
Turbo isn’t just another young dog.
I located him through a well-known East Coast kennel. For those familiar with the sport and working-dog world, Turbo comes from God of War Kennels and is bred from Bendix Ostraryka bloodlines. His pedigree immediately caught my attention, but pedigree alone doesn’t make a working dog.
At the time, Turbo was in Oklahoma beginning a career in the sport dog world. Unfortunately, his handler became ill and was unable to continue working him, so he found himself looking for a new path.
That’s when he came to us.
As Lead Trainer, I’ve been overseeing Turbo’s development with assistance from our Vice President, Michael Trenkamp, and Assistant Trainer and Northern California Team Lead Derek Shelton. Together, we’ve been introducing this young Malinois to an entirely different world—one focused on socialization, environmental stability, confidence-building, and professional detection work.
When Turbo arrived, he had one speed: full throttle.
If you’ve worked young Malinois, you know exactly what that means. He came to us running at 1,000 miles per hour. Today, he’s closer to 300. Still intense. Still powerful. Still driven. But now he’s learning how to focus that energy and put it to work.
The process isn’t glamorous.
It’s long days. Early mornings. Repetition. Exposure. Problem solving. Building confidence. Developing odor recognition. Teaching neutrality in chaotic environments. It’s about creating a dog that can think clearly under pressure and perform when it matters most.
What stands out most about Turbo is his courage. He wants to engage. He wants to work. He wants to learn. Every week we see more maturity, more focus, and more signs of the dog he can become.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that leadership isn’t about standing on the sidelines and talking about training. It’s about showing up and putting your hands on the leash.
Many leaders can say they attended training. Fewer can say they’ve dedicated years to developing dogs from the ground up. The real test is who is still there before sunrise, after sunset, and on weekends—long after the excitement wears off. Who is still committed to building teams, developing handlers, and shaping the next generation of working dogs.
At TEAM K9, that commitment starts at the top.
Turbo still has several months of training ahead of him, but what we’re seeing so far is exciting. The foundation is being built, the confidence is growing, and his journey is only beginning.
Stay tuned.
I have a feeling this young dog is going to have quite a story to tell.
