b'www.bravok9tampa.comEmail: info@bravok9tampa.comInstagram & Facebook:@bravok9tampaI dont want to distract Mako when he has one thing ina, endurance, agility, power, temperament and nerves oron his mind, and that is the bumper, said Serena. how well the dog handles stress; courage, intelligence, han-Makos intense focus and high drive earned him the dler loyalty, proper structure and the desire to work. title of Air Retrieve Champion, taking first place at the Serena grew up in New York on Long Island with ainvitational with a 21 foot jump. Afterwards, Nick, who menagerie of animals always around, from domestic to farm.was holding onto Mako like he was holding onto a coiled Herloveofhorsesanddogsledhertobecomeaspring,saidtheycameintothecompetitionnotreally veterinary technician while also completing her bachelorsknowing what to expect. All of the dogs did really well, and masters degree after moving to Tampa, Florida in 2006.said Nick. The most important thing is that Mako had a After graduating from the law enforcement academy, Serenafun time. washiredbythePinellasCountySheriffsOffice.SheWith a fondness for the working breed, specifically the workedpatrol,onamulti-agencytaskforce,andasaGerman Shepherd and Belgian Malinois, Serena and Nick detectivewithcrimesagainstchildrenuntil2021.Itwasunderstood the commitment required before bringing Mako always the love from and for her dogs and horse that keptinto their family. Originally bred to herd flocks of sheep in her grounded, and eventually drew her back into workingBelgium, the Malinois is no stranger to working hard. It is with animals.one of the traits that makes this breed a favorite with police, Today, Serena owns and operates Bravo K9 Tampa, amilitary,andsearchandrescueteams.Fast,agile,active, dog daycare, overnight boarding, and soon-to-be dog sportsenergetic, and very smart, this breed needs exercise, stimula- facility on five-plus acres in Tampa. Safety, she told us, takestion and positive reinforcement. A simple walk around the precedence.block will not suffice for the Malinois. I evaluate our client dogs, and select the playgroupIn addition to dock diving, Mako and Serena compete members based on personality traits and the breed, keepingin IGP (Internationale Gebrauchshunde Prufungsordnung the playgroups smaller, Serena said. Large playgroups are awhichmeansInternationalDogTrialRegulationsin recipe for disaster. It might look cool to see a bunch of dogsGerman). Formerly known as Schutzhund (protection dog playing together, but it makes me cringe. in German) the challenging three-part sport includes track- And if a dog doesnt fit into a playgroup?Thats okaying, obedience and protection. Schutzhund was originally too,Serenaadded.Weprovidethesameamountdesigned as a breed test for the German Shepherd Dog. The ofattentionandtimetoanindividualdogaswedotopopular sport brings out the best traits in dogs such as stam- our playgroups. Uwww.TheNewBarker.com THE NEW BARKER 25'