OFFICERS AND FOUNDING MEMBERS

Nelli Racsko, President and Training Director

nelli

I started my dog sport career in Budapest, Hungary in 1984 and have been actively involved ever since. For the last 20 years I have trained here in Los Angeles, California (USA).

For as long as I remember, I have been a great fan of German Shepherds and started training them at the age of 11 years. Since that I have raised, trained, titled and bred numerous dogs and have competed on national as well as international level with four of them. I am very proud of being able to represent my native land (Hungary) at 5 WUSV World Championships with two different dogs.

Currently, I own and manage Los Angeles K-9 Services and Danubius Kennels – a dog training business with a small breeding kennel in Southern California. I am also the founder and training director of our young but very promising Danubius Schutzhund Club.

There have been a number of well recognized trainers who have tremendously influenced my journey with my selected dogs, three in particular - Dean Calderon of USA, Roger Snollaerts of Belgium and Voros Lajos of Hungary – thank you for helping me better understand the different aspects of this unique sport.

Competitions and Achievements:

- 1984-1988 a total of 30 club and national level trials in Hungary

- 1985 WUSV-WM (Hungary) demo dog in the protection phase

- 1986 WPO Hungarian Vice Youth Champion

- 1986 International Friendship Championship of Socialist Countries (Karl Marx Stadt, East Germany), representing Hungary

- 1987 member of the Hungarian team (3 dogs) in Nitra, Czechoslovakia

- 1988 WPO Hungarian Youth Champion

- 1993-1995 numerous club trial in CA with two dogs

- 1995 Duna Kupa, WUSV Qualification Trial (Hungary)

- 1996 USA Southwestern Regional Championship

- 1996 North American Championship, 10^th pl

- 1996 Duna Kupa, WUSV Qualification Trial (Hungary), 3^rd pl

- 1996 WUSV World Championship (Finland), 14^th pl, V in protection

- 1996 USA National Schutzhund III Championship (72 entries)

- 1997 Niederrhein Pokal (Krefeld, Germany), 10^th pl (over 50 entries)

- 1997 USCA World Championship Team Qualification Trial, 7^th pl

- 1997 WUSV World Championship (Switzerland), 30^th pl, V in protection

- 1998 USA Southwestern Regional Champion

- 1998 AWDF Schutzhund III Champion

- 1998 WUSV World Championship (USA)

- 1998 USA National Schutzhund III Championship

- 1999 USA Southwestern Regional Vice Champion

- 1999 WUSV World Championship (Germany), V in tracking

- 2008 WDA South Pacific Regional Vice Champion

- 2008 DVG club trial winner (Fontana, CA)

- 2008 WUSV World Championship (USA)

- 2008 DVG Western KG VPG Champion

- 2009 Winner of the Pan Pan Cup International IPO Competition and Qualification Trial (Hungary)

- 2009 GSDCA-WDA National Schutzhund Championship

- 2009 WDA South Pacific Regional Champion

- 2010 GSDCA-WDA Northeastern Regional Championship, 5^th pl and SchH3 Auslander Champion

- 2010 GSDCA-WDA National Championship, 3^rd pl H.O.T., 9^th overall

- 2010 USCA Northwestern Championship, High Obedience, High H.O.T., overall 4^th pl

- 2010 WDA Region 7 Championship Trial and Universal Sieger Show, V12, 100pts in tracking

- 2010 VDH all breed club trial (Holland)

- 2010 WDA club trial winner, 292pts (San Diego, CA)

- 2010 WDA club trial, High Protection (Ramona, CA)

Awards:

n WUSV and the Hungarian Dog Breeders Association (MEOE) - Training Director Certificate, earned in 1987

n Bronze Sports Medal - Hungary, 1987

n USCA Sports Medal in Gold (achieved in 2 years) - USA, 1995

n Hungarian Schutzhund Competitor of the Year - 1996

Denise McDonald, Club Secretary and Treasuer

Denise McDonald's love for animals started at a very young age where she dreamt of rescuing dogs, training them, and then finding homes for adoption. That dream was realized by the time she was 20 years old. At the age of 25 Denise acquired her first purebred German shepherd. She followed AKC style obedience and pet training and obtained CDC certification on her dog. She knew then that her love was now reserved for German shepherds. From 1990 to 2004, Denise began working in the area of personal protection with a strong emphasis on obedience.

In 2005 Denise found a local schutzhund club where she managed to train and BH title her show line German Shepherd, Gunther. Then in early 2008, Denise acquired Jovi, her first all European working line female. Two years later, Jovi and Denise earned their very first Schutzhund 3 title, with a score of 282 points, qualifying for 2011 GDSCA-WDA National Championship. In May of 2011, Denise competed at the WDA nationals in Tennesse and received a trophy for the highest scoring female particpant. In July of 2011, Denise competed again with Jovi von Danubius and was awarded the trophy for High in Trial.

In 2010 Denise purchased a new puppy, Kobe v. Danubius, also an all working line dog, and started training him with more experience and enthusiasm then ever before. With this young dog Denise is really looking forward to achieving many great things in the sport of schutzhund.

For the past 15 years, Denise has been managing a criminal defense law firm and volunteering for the Riverside Superior Court as a mediator for the small claims division.

Alan Tippie, Vice President

alan

Alan has always been fond of animals, and dogs in particular. As a child, his father, brother and he bred and trained beagles for hunting. Later he experimented with other breeds like vizslas, afghan hounds, rottweilers, and English bulldogs. But for the last 15 years he has been a loyal fan of German Shepherds.

When not contributing valuable time and support to Danubius Schutzhund Club, Alan focuses on his law practice that specializes in business litigation, business reorganization, financial restructuring and bankruptcy. As president and managing member of the firm - SulmeyerKupetz - since 1987, he has authority over all aspects of the firm's practice and operations.