Who We Are.... The Re-Imaging
Pinnacle Kennels was founded by myself Karissa, and my mother Shari Ketelhut in 2008 in a small town in Wyoming, but dogs have been a large part of our lives for many years. A Tibetan Spaniel we bought from a pet store when I was a child would be the first dog I started training. I swear that dog saw my vision, everything I wanted her to do she did it. I trained her myself just by watching dog shows and agility competitions on TV (back when Animal Plant was "surprisingly" animal...see what I did there?!). Using only cinderblocks, sawhorses and planks of wood I built a make shift agility course in my grandparents back yard and that fall we competed in our first agility competition at our county fair. I was hooked before that day but this was the icing on the cake as they say. From there on out I attended 4-H classes and eventually acquired my first purebred AKC registered Sheltie who would lead me to AKC dog shows and my first actual show dogs. As I grew older the 4-H class was handed down to me by my leader (who at one time showed shelties himself and Belgian Tervuren's) I continued teaching and became the superintendent of our fairs dog shows as well as a judge for the state. It was during this time that I fell in love with the Shiba inu breed. I had been competing in junior showmanship and conformation with a shiba for a while who was on loan to me in order to take him our of retirement. It was this dog that really sold me on the breed. He was crazy. Literally crazy. everyone I talked to told me they could give me a better dog that could "actually behave"....funny thing was this dog behaved PERFECTLY for me every time and always blew away the people who knew him before I started handling him as a real terror. We were a great team and he was the first dog I ever won Best of Breed with, a major win no less! So I just had to have my own Shiba. once I acquired my very own Shiba I knew this was the breed for me. We went on to do a lot of winning in very limited showing including 2 Reserve Winners Bitch placements at our nationals. So we bred her and she produced 2 very beautiful and consistent puppies. one of whom is a Champion and the other who came back to live with us who is showing but very limitedly.
But then life happened! I went to college, graduated with my Associates and moved on to my Bachelors which has brought me here to Los Angeles California. For a long time I have put my passion on hold for my education and career in the film industry but now I am all too ready to get back to the dogs. Ready to start showing again and ready to start breeding again. in my time away from the ring I have not stopped studying my breed and pedigrees. I have made twice the contacts world wide and on all spectrums of breeding from professional to hobbyists. I am coming back to the ring as a force to be reckoned with. With new found knowledge and a new direction to our kennel. Shibas will continue to be a breed we promote and compete with BUT we are adding a NEW breed to our kennel. Brand new to the United States but with deep roots in the history of Japan, the Shibas cousin the Hokkaido, will be coming to Pinnacle Kennels within the next year.
This is our new direction. We still have shelties and I do love the breed but the Japanese breeds is where I am needed. We have been competing for 18 years now and hope to continue on in this new direction. If you have question feel free to send me a message.
I hope you stay and take a look around. Our page is still undergoing some major updates so we hope to see you back every now and then. Again, the best way to get the most updated info on us is to email me personally.
What's new at Pinnacle Kennels?
WINTER 2017
We are excited to announce our future endeavors in the Hokkaido!!
BRAGS
June 2015
Sakura X Tunner litter about to have first Champion.
"Roki Yama's Dragon House Northern Star" one of our bred by's off with co-breeder almost has her Championship and will be the first Champion to her Dam Sakura and the first Champion bred by our kennel in close contact with co-breeder Sandi Smith (Dragon House) and Roki Yama.
Sakura X Tunner litter about to have first Champion.
"Roki Yama's Dragon House Northern Star" one of our bred by's off with co-breeder almost has her Championship and will be the first Champion to her Dam Sakura and the first Champion bred by our kennel in close contact with co-breeder Sandi Smith (Dragon House) and Roki Yama.
October 2012 NEWS FLASH!!!
Sakura goes Resevre Winners Bitch at NSCA National Specialty Show
We are proud to announce that our girl won RWB two days in a row at the National Shiba Club of America National Specialty Show!!! Win photos and ring shots will be up soon!!!
01/16/2012 Breeding Plans in The Works
SUMMER 2013 Shiba Inu litter
05/27/2013 NEW HOPEFUL "Ziva" now has her own page!!
Ziva now has her very own page under our girls!
05/09/2012 Attention! Exciting news!
Sakuras dam Puna is now a GCH. and a ROM!!!
05/09/2012 Attention! Exciting news!
Titus and Porters sire, Dallas has earned his GCH title!! Way to go Dallas and congratulations to his own Rosemarie Doran.