Axel, a 5-year-old, 84-pound male German shepherd, is rated one of the best working dogs in the world. Last month he was judged the "top dog" in the protection phase of the International Schutzhund Championship in Tengen, Germany. Axel's superb performances in world competition is a result of his trainer and owner, Renee Lancaster, who is an animal health technican at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at UC Davis. Lancaster is on the fast track to becoming one of the best schutzhund dog trainers in the world, based on her award-winning performances in national and international competition, according to Dean Calderon, a professional schutzhund expert from Modesto. In addition to training Axel for international events, Lancaster spends time training police dogs for various law enforcement departments including UC Davis. Top-performing schutzhund dogs are more exacting, precise and balanced than most protection-trained police dogs, according to Lancaster. For this reason, many police departments purchase dogs with schutzhund titles because their working ability has been thoroughly tested, she notes.