About Us

RIVANNA K9 SERVICES LLC!

Rivanna K9 Services LLC offers professional dog and team training for Police, SWAT, Military Units, Special Forces Unitsand other Law Enforcement agencies.

We offer seminars, courses, longer schools (basic and advanced) on a variety of subject matters ranging from fundamental patrol functions to advanced SWAT and Special Operations. We select, import and train suitable dogs for your needs to whatever level you prefer.

We offer assistance with program development, Instructor’s & Trainer’s education at different levels, decoy courses & training, detection courses & training, handler coaching and general and specific problem solving. Our dogs & teams are making a difference in local communities as well as in the global war on terror.

What sets Rivanna K9 Services apart from other companies is the very high quality, individually adjusted training it offers to its clients. Head trainer, Armin Winkler, has earned a reputation as a renowned specialist the world over. An Applied Animal Behavioral Scientist by education and training, Armin has spent his life working with dogs and fine tuning the science of behaviorism to achieve truly remarkable results. Sought after not only by the large K9 training conferences as a popular lecturer, Armin is invited by some of the most elite working dog units in the world to assist in their training. Trainer and handler coach, Gunn Anita (“Tazzie”) Winkler, has extensive experience training dogs as well as coaching and training handlers from her years in the military (Norwegian Army).

Armin’s concepts have been applied with great success in real world situations that make even many experts ask “how in the world did you manage to train that?” The answer: “With Armin’s help!” Whatever your K9 Service needs may be, consider Rivanna K9 Services and see the difference a lifetime of experience scientific study can make in the efficiency and effectiveness of dog training & team training

Armin is a native of Germany, starting at a very young age he has always been dedicated to working with dogs. As a student of animal science and animal behavior he has achieved a worldwide recognition in his field of behavioral based K9 training at the highest level. He holds a diploma in dog training for Law Enforcement and is a certified instructor through the Justice Institute of British Columbia and Department of Criminal Justice Service.

In the mid 1970’s Armin started handling and training civilian and police dogs. He also owned and operated a K-9 security service business in Ontario, Canada where he trained security dogs for the private sector and instructed on their use and deployment.

Armin’s career has evolved into lecturing and instructing internationally on theoretical training concepts as well as hands on behaviorally based real life training. He has developed ground breaking theories that he applies in his work with the dogs. His training concepts have found crucial applications in numerous law enforcement agencies across the world as well as special operations law enforcement and military units. His training articles have appeared in numerous dog and law enforcement periodicals published worldwide. Helmut Raiser’s book “Der Schutzhund” (The training of working dogs in protection work) has been translated by Armin.

Armin has provided consultation and training services to law enforcement and military agencies throughout North America and overseas. He has assisted the Royal Australian Air Force with restructuring their K-9 program and provided seminars for the police and military services in Finland. He is an internationally known and recognized seminar instructor and lecturer in the field of Law Enforcement K-9 Training and Deployment teaching at national training seminars. He is one of the founding members of the American Dutch Police Dog Association. He is also an international USCA and DVG teaching helper and lecturer. He actively teaches Specialty K9 seminars and courses for military K9 programs for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), U.S. Rangers, U.S. Special Forces, U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group (US NSWDG), the Brazil Navy and National Guard, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Germany (KSK), as well as civilian law enforcement special operations programs. He is a frequent lecturer at the largest Law Enforcement K9 training conference in the world (H.I.T.S).

Armin is to this day an active and avid dog sport enthusiast dogs who still handles dogs himself and shares his knowledge wherever he goes. He’s a sought after and desired seminar instructor for several dog sports. He is a master at assessing and evaluating dogs and their working traits and designing workable training programs. In his flexible approach the dog’s perspective is always prioritized. The dog dictates the training methodology, not the trainer, the training is adjusted for each team, no team ever has to adjust to the instructor.

To view some of Armin’s impressive achievements, please visit Armin’s Credential’s page.

Gunn Anita Winkler ("Tazzie")

Canine Trainer, Handler Coach and Search & Rescue Expert

Tazzie was originally into dressage riding and got active with dogs through Search&Rescue with her first dog, Fabian, in the year 2000. She certified and handled several SAR dogs for wilderness, disaster & avalanche searches through the biggest SAR organization in Norway, and later became a sought after instructor and judge. She remained active in SAR until moving to the United States in 2017.

Tazzie was employed in the Norwegian Army for 16 years. She started out as an officer candidate with the Artillery, and ended up spending the last 9 years of her military career as Second In Command/ Platoon’s Commander in the Military Police K9 Platoon, Northern Brigade.

She instructed and oversaw all training of the K9 teams for patrol-, avalanche- and detection work. The K9 platoon was on readiness 24/7, year round, and Tazzie was in charge of the platoon’s operational tasks, mission readiness and mission completion.

Tazzie didn’t merely instruct and train others, but also raised, trained, certified and actively handled several dogs for the military while in the K9 Platoon.

Academically Tazzie passed the year long university programme “Introduction to Dog Science” as well as obtaining university certification as a coach through a 2-year programme. She’s also a certified clicker instructor through the Canis Institute in Norway, another year long programme.

With Rivanna K9 Services Tazzie does all handling and foundation work for dogs trained and sold through the business, as well as doing handler coaching and problem solving.

She’s active in dog sports and has titled several dogs for sport, IGP and APA (an American knock off of KNPV). She’s passionate about helping people and dogs to easier and better lives together so she also runs a small pet business, Empathic Dog Training Academy, offering Board&Train, private & group lessons as well as online courses.

Armin is to this day an active and avid dog sport enthusiast dogs who still handles dogs himself and shares his knowledge wherever he goes. He’s a sought after and desired seminar instructor for several dog sports. He is a master at assessing and evaluating dogs and their working traits and designing workable training programs. In his flexible approach the dog’s perspective is always prioritized. The dog dictates the training methodology, not the trainer, the training is adjusted for each team, no team ever has to adjust to the instructor.

To view some of Armin’s impressive achievements, please visit Armin’s Credential’s page.