Beneath the sunny skies of Spokane Valley's Mirabeau Park, Nick Lunga is living a dream.
He spun, twisted, and screamed as he tried to free himself from the extremely determined German Shepherd's grip on the chew toy in his hands. His efforts were in vain.
“Bad guy, don't move or the dog will get hurt!” Lunga's wife, Jacqueline, warned.
Lunga fell to the ground and the dog stood over him, its ferocious barking echoing throughout the park. A few minutes later, the same shepherd was showering Lunga with her love.
The Lungas own and operate I-Guard, a German Shepherd breeding and dog training company out of Otis Orchards. That seemingly ferocious animal is Uno, the couple's award-winning shepherd.
In July, Uno received a special performance award at the 2011 USA Sieger Show in Dallas for his exceptional performance in protection and obedience. More than 250 dogs from all over the United States competed. I-Guard entered six dogs into the contest and four of them went home with trophies.
Last week, Uno and his owner demonstrated why he is getting special attention. The dog stood quietly next to Jacqueline as Lunga passed by. “He understands normal behavior,” Lunga explained.
However, as Lunga began to rapidly approach in a more threatening manner, Uno shouted a warning. As Lunga continued to approach, Jacqueline gave a whispered command and the dog, sensing a threat, jumped.
At another command from Jacqueline, Uno let go of his grip on the chew toy and began barking. “It’s called bark-and-hold,” Lunga said. The dog will become alarmed and continue to bark until you are told to stop.
Later, from under the shade of a picnic shelter, Lunga shared his philosophy on dog training and breeding with Uno at his feet. He said he didn't see rows of dog kennels or cages at Eye Guard. In fact, Eun-ho sleeps in the couple's room every night.
“Our female dogs are up for adoption. They have families and live with friends and clients,” he said. “If you keep them in cages, as many breeders do, you're going to run into all kinds of problems. These are herd animals, and early socialization with humans is important. .”
In fact, the Rungas' three children, ranging in age from 6 to 11, play an active role. “Our children handle the puppies right after they are born and even before they nurse.”
Lunga's love of dogs dates back to his childhood in Ukraine. “It was great to train sheepdogs with my grandpa,” he said.
Jacqueline said: “He had a lifelong passion for shepherding and 10 years ago we were able to turn it into a productive business.”
It is a business that can also contribute to the local community. “We have donated several dogs to the Spokane Police Department, and Nick goes to training with the dogs almost every week,” she said.
In addition to personal protection, Lunga trains service dogs and provides basic obedience training. He described one of the most challenging dogs. A desperate owner called to say his beloved Border Collie was going to be killed. This dog had bitten several people and was suffering from territorial aggression issues.
“The dog hated people outside of his family,” Lunga recalls. After eight weeks of intense behavior modification, the once antisocial animal became a social butterfly, he said.
Not all dogs have such serious problems. Kelly Woodenberg of Coeur d'Alene called I-Guard because his German shepherd wasn't confident. “Gretchen is a lovely dog, but he was very timid,” Woudenberg said.
she laughed. “Nick came out and examined her, and the first thing he did was throw her off her dock and into the water!”
Gretchen panicked. However, when she entered the water for the second time, she began to swim. “We can't get her out of the water anymore!” Woodenberg said. “Her swimming has really boosted her confidence.”
The dog recently boarded Lunga and was trained for several weeks. “He trains your dog in public in real-life situations,” Woodenberg said. It was especially important to her. “We take our dogs everywhere.”
Jacqueline has watched her husband train many dogs and is still amazed by the process. “He gets inside the dog’s head and feels on the same wavelength,” she said. “I really think Nick has the talent.”
Lunga said he believes great things are in store for Uno. “Uno's father was the 2006 Universal Champion,” he said. “We will compete in the national competition in November and then move on to the Universal Show in Austria.”
Uno sighed and rested her head on her paws, but her ears perked up when she heard his name. Lunga reached out and stroked his head. “This has been my dream since I was a child.”
Jacqueline smiled at her husband. She said: “Honestly, I don't think it's a job for him.''
