Early in the summer of 1991, I stumbled onto Schutzhund. It was the summer after my sophomore year of high school, and the first summer I had a driver’s license. Driving friends around with really no agenda, I came upon a large field where a Rottweiler was being allowed to bite a man. I had to investigate. After watching, what I later learned was Schutzhund training, I realized I had to get involved, and did just that. Only watching training sessions at first, but later taking as active a role as a sixteen year old was allowed.
In December of 1992, I was selected to do helper work at the United States Rottweiler Club’s National Schutzhund Championship. By this time I considered myself a “student of the sport,” seeking information wherever I could find it. In December of 1994, while attending North Carolina State University, I competed at the USRC National Championship in Boston, Massachusetts with Caine Manor Jacob. A second place finish at that trial was enough to convince me to take time off school and concentrate on training and competing with “Big Jake.”
Big Jake and I traveled and competed often in 1995. We were second at the Southeast Regional Championship and fourth at the North American Schutzhund Championship and competed at the FCI World Championship in Finland. The year ended with Jake and me returning to the USRC National Schutzhund
Championship, this time in Northern California, and bringing home the big trophy. We were the USRC National Schutzhund Champions!
After Big Jake’s win, I returned to N.C. State and in 2000 graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology. While in school, I began to train Caine Manor Grace, and Sirk vom Schwarzen Milan. After graduating from N.C. State, I once again began to concentrate on schutzhund, and made plans to compete with Grace and Sirk at the German Shepherd National Schutzhund Championship, the largest competition in the United States. Both dogs achieved that goal, and finished near the top.
I had achieved success in the Schutzhund sport, but wanted more. Realizing qualifying and competing at the National Championship was not enough; I wanted to win. A “student of the sport” is what I had been for all these years, and that was still true. Learning what made a champion was at the top of the list. First I needed to see the best dogs in the biggest championship. A visit to Germany to attend the Bundessiegerprufung was scheduled. I wanted to see the German National Schutzhund Championship, a spectacle all schutzhund enthusiasts should see. In September of 2003, I was on a plane to Germany.
Next I wanted to understand how a champion was made. Learning how great German Shepherd dogs are bred was the next step. More trips to Germany and trips to the Czech Republic were scheduled to talk to breeders. While in the Czech Republic, I trialed my new German Shepherd Dog, Kanto vom Brundelweg, finishing thirteenth in the Czech National Championship. Meeting seventy year old men who started in German Shepherds at the age of fifteen, and asking how and why was truly eye opening. I still needed more knowledge.
The final step in the process was the training. Tracking down who consistently places high at the Bundessiegerprufung was next on the agenda. Still more trips were planned. I packed my equipment, and once again, headed to Germany. Learning techniques directly from dog trainers who not only imagined the techniques would work, but spent countless hours training and perfecting the techniques. In response to “Why,” I often heard “Because it works.” That was good enough for me coming from a multiple Bundessiegerprufung winner. It was time to put all this new knowledge to work. That brings me to the present.
