The Team
The people behind Hundezentrum Pfalz
Ina Ziebler-Eichhorn
MantrailingOperational trainingBehaviourist serviceOne-to-one training
I studied veterinary medicine at the Free University of Berlin and was licensed as a veterinarian in 1989. After several years as an assistant vet in various practices, I founded my own small animal practice in Mörfelden-Walldorf near Frankfurt in 1993.
Animal behaviour research and behavioural therapy in small animals fascinated me from the very beginning. That is why I took part in numerous training courses in this field, and over time it became my main focus. Today I run my own dog school together with Alun and our team. I also manage the animal shelter of the Rüsselsheim animal welfare association, where I continue to work as a veterinarian.
At the dog school I mainly look after the behaviourist service, behaviour disorders with a medical background and one-to-one sessions. Together with Alun, I am also responsible for scent work.
Working with wolves
In 2007 and 2009 I hand-raised the wolves of Kurpfalzpark Wachenheim, and in 2008 the wolves of Panoramapark. I continued to care for the Kurpfalzpark wolves until they died. So our team also included several hand-raised European wolves living in an enclosure at Kurpfalzpark in Wachenheim on the German Wine Route. This was a unique opportunity: I was able to show our clients wolf behaviour and way of life first-hand and bring these insights into our work with dogs.
Mantrailing
I have been doing mantrailing intensively since 2007. I have attended numerous seminars with renowned mantrailers from real-life operations, some of which I organised myself — among others with Paul Coley, Andrea von Buddenbrock, Alun Williams, Mark Brown, Gabriela Trautmann and Armin Biedermann. A few years ago I successfully passed tests of the Swiss Mountain Rescue with two of my dogs. In 2017, like Alun, I was a speaker at the Scent Summit in Werfenweng.
For many years Alun and I have jointly run several mantrailing seminars a year for operational and hobby trailers. We also look after the groups of operational trailers together.
In 2014, in cooperation with Alun Williams and Harmke Horst, our first DVD with workbook was published: „Immer der Nase nach“ (Follow Your Nose). Part 2 followed in 2016.
At the end of 2014 I joined a search and rescue dog unit of the Bavarian Red Cross. There I was one of the leading mantrailing trainers and handled two of my own dogs until I moved back to the Palatinate. Today, together with Alun, I support operational trailers at an international level and offer targeted training and coaching. I am currently training two mantrailers of my own and also handle professional search dogs in operations in the food sector.
Alun Williams
MantrailingOperational trainingBehaviourist serviceOne-to-one training
I am a retired police officer. Until my retirement I was chief instructor and coordinator of mantrailing dogs throughout Great Britain, having built up and established this field there myself. Along the way I made many international contacts, including with the FBI, and trained at an international level.
In my seminars I pass on my knowledge, particularly on real-life search operations. But hobby trailers are very welcome with me too.
During my decades as a police dog handler, I trained and handled dogs in practically every discipline of police dog work. My favourite field is detection dogs: I have trained search dogs for everything from mobile phone SIM cards to explosives. That is why we can also offer object search at a very high level.
What matters to me is working positively and in a solution-oriented way, adapting to each human-dog team individually — with plenty of empathy for two- and four-legged participants and a good dose of British humour.
Michaela Lukits-Gross
Mantrailing
I completed the first year of the trainer training at Hundezentrum Pfalz and afterwards decided, together with Heike, to join the team. Since then I have been running one of the mantrailing courses and regularly offer mantrailing weekend workshops. I am an active mantrailer myself with my Hungarian Vizsla „Rüdiger“. I have also successfully completed the dog trainer qualification at Ziemer & Falke, including the exam.
These days my husband often comes along too.
Heike Jung
Mantrailing
I have been active in dog sports in the Kaiserslautern area for many years. My German Shepherd „Apollo“ brought me to mantrailing — and that is how I came to train at Hundezentrum Pfalz.
To broaden my knowledge, I took part in the very first trainer course and completed it successfully in 2021. Straight afterwards I joined the team as a trainer. Since then I have been running one of the ongoing groups and am also responsible for the beginners’ courses.
Leo and Marion Klesius
Mantrailing
We have been active as handlers in search and rescue dog work, in area search, for 25 years.
When our German Wirehaired Pointer „Argos“ joined the family, we decided to have him trained as a mantrailer at Hundezentrum Pfalz. With Leo as his handler, Argos completed his training within two years with the operational test of the search and rescue dog unit and shortly afterwards passed the Hessian police assessment with flying colours. Since then the two of them have been deployed regularly.
Marion’s Working Cocker Spaniel „Joshi“ has also been trained as a mantrailer and has already passed his test with the search and rescue organisation. The two are now working towards the police test that is mandatory for operational trailers in Hesse. Marion has also successfully completed the group leader training and has been running puppy groups and obedience classes in clubs for more than 10 years.
We continuously develop our skills in all areas of dog training and behaviour. We regularly support civil protection organisations in training search and rescue dogs for area search and run mantrailing workshops at training courses.
In 2024 we successfully completed the mantrail trainer training at Hundezentrum Pfalz and have been part of the team as trainers ever since.
Anja Dosch
Mantrailing
My fascination with the extraordinary abilities of dogs began during my biology studies, when I first saw a dog working in a missing person search. In 2016 I fulfilled my dream of having my own search and rescue dog with my Beauceron „Pachico“ in the rescue dog unit of a large aid organisation. After almost four years of area and rubble search, we switched to mantrailing in 2020. Since then I have been hooked on this special form of scent work and also study the performance of the canine nose scientifically.
In 2025 Pachico and I successfully passed the RH1/VS test of the Hessian State Fire Brigade Association. The next generation, my Labrador „Sammy“, has also been in training as an operational mantrailer since 2026.
Over the years I have gained extensive practical experience in search and rescue dog work, both in training and in missing person operations, including as a specialist adviser to incident command.
My continuous training in this field and in many areas of cynology eventually led me to Hundezentrum Pfalz, where I completed my trainer training in 2024. Today I enjoy passing on my experience and passion to other human-dog teams: I run one of the mantrailing courses and regularly help out at seminars and operational training.
