Kawa Farms K-9 Training

Kawa Farms K-9 Training offers a month-long Board and Train program for pet dogs, where dogs stay at their facility for 4 weeks or more. An initial assessment is conducted to develop a tailored training program, covering practical situations inside and outside, and exposure to people and other dogs. Regular guided training sessions are scheduled for families to learn the methods used.

Their pet dog training includes “Puppy Start Right” covering potty training, crate training, environmental socialization, and beginning basic manners (sit, down, impulse control, recall, loose leash walking). “Canine Life Skills 1” for dogs 6 months or older focuses on sit, down, stand (hand & verbal cues), impulse control, place/bed/stationing, loose leash walking, ignoring distractions, recall, and polite greetings. They also address behavioral issues such as possessiveness, aggression towards dogs or people (without biting), house training problems, and general bad manners.

Private training for pet dogs is available with multiple options, including once a week or once every two weeks. They also offer an Academy with day training and a boarding school environment. For working K9s, they train scent detection K9s (Search and Rescue, Search and Recovery), Service Dogs, CIRT Dogs, ESAs, Companion, and Therapy dogs. They also conduct working K9 seminars nationwide.

Kawa Farms K-9 Training is a holistic dog training business that conducts puppy and adult dog training at their facility in Madison County, Iowa, with a location in Winterset, Iowa. They offer training for both pet dogs and various types of working K9s.

Their facility spans 20 acres, completely fenced, with multiple training and run yards. It includes 8 boarding kennels with indoor/outdoor access, where each dog has a 4×6 interior kennel leading to a 4×8 exterior run with artificial turf over pea gravel and tiling to prevent standing water. The outdoor runs are covered and have wind protection.

The facility also features an 1800 sq ft main training room and a smaller scent/search training room. The owners live on the property, ensuring constant presence, and 16 security cameras cover all approaches to the building and property, as well as all training rooms and kennels. Jenn Hirakawa, the Owner/Lead Trainer, brings over 30 years of experience in canine training, program management, and behavior. She works with all breeds and temperaments, trains many disciplines, and actively completes behavior consultations.

Accomplishments

Jenn Hirakawa, the Owner/Lead Trainer, has over 30 years of local, national, and international experience in canine training, canine program management, and canine behavior. She retired from the US Army Military Police Corps in May 2012 as a Master Sergeant (MSG) after 23 years of service. Her military career included roles as a canine handler/trainer in patrol, narcotics, and explosives detection, with multiple deployments (IFOR, SFOR, OEF, and others).

She successfully challenged the German National Dog Trainers Exam. Jenn serves as an instructor teaching humans how to work with and understand canine behavior in multiple working dog programs. She is an Instructor, Examiner, Chief Examiner, and Mentor for Alliance for Emergency Response Examiners (AERIE) in disciplines such as SARAware, SAR Responder, Search Management, K9 Land HRD, and Water HRD. She is also an Instructor and Evaluator for the National Network of Canine Detection Services (NNCDS) for K9 Land HRD, Wide Area Search, and Water HRD (shoreline and boat).

Jenn is currently working K9 Moose in HRD and K9 Gracie Bell in Wide Area, while training K9 Billie. She maintains current certifications with AERIE (HRD), AERIE (Live – Wilderness) Type 2, and NNCDS (HRD Water – Shoreline and Boat). She handles EDD and narcotics K9s for Merrill Detector Dog Services. She is a Trainer and Evaluator for all American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen exams and a C.L.A.S.S. Trainer and Evaluator. Her memberships include the American Standards Board – Dogs and Sensors Committee (ASB), National Police Canine Association (NPCA), Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT: Premier Member), American Kennel Club (AKC), and The International Association of Animal Behavioral Consultants (IAABC: Supporting Member).

How to Get Started!

For the Board and Train program, Kawa Farms K-9 Training conducts an initial assessment to develop a tailored training program. For in-person training, clients can log in to or create a Kennel Booker Account. For working K9 training and seminars, individuals are advised to call the office to schedule. For their Academy, which offers day training and a boarding school environment, clients are asked to call for more details.