In 1995, I followed my heart and moved to Stuttgart, Germany. I was training a Canadian bred dog at the time named Benno. Benno accompanied me on my journey abroad. I quickly joined the Ritzi camp in OG Tengen. Michael Ritzi began attending the University in Stuttgart almost at the same time I moved there. Together with his brother Ralf, we rented a house close to my work and his school. We rented a small “Gardenplatz” from Peter Jacobs where we kept our dogs. We trained dogs almost daily and attended regular trainings in Tengen during the week and spent most weekends there. This was a dream come true for me. Michael worked my dog and I worked his dog Ahab. At club, it was not unusual for me to work up to 20 or 30 dogs each training session. Working legendary dogs like Gary Korbelbach and Pablo Korbelbach was not uncommon.

That year I completed my Schutzhund 3 with Benno and Qualified for the LGA in the LG Wurttemberg. Expecting a US style regional the shear number of competitors numbering over 40 overwhelmed me. I handled right alongside Aly vom Vordersteinwald who was handled by Erika Rudenauer, as well as, many other famous dogs and handlers. The following year I qualified for the LGA and placed 6th in LG Baden that qualified me for the German National Championships or Bundessieger Prufung in 1997. In 1998, I was able to bypass the LGA. That year I competed at the VDH Bundes Qualification trial in Hermeskeil placing 9th, the SV FCI Bundes Qualification trial in Parderborn placing 9thand the 7-Landerwettkampf in Austria placing 6th. These top placing guaranteed me a place on LG Baden team where I placed overall 29th at the BSP that year. In 1999, Benno and I placed 11th at the LGA in Bayern-Sud before he retired.

I own much of my success with my dog Benno to all the members of OG Tengen and to my friend Elmar Mannes for countless hours of training. To Roger Snollerts for his support and guidance in obedience and tracking.  And most of all to my mentor Reinhardt Lindner for his example as a passionate dog lover and breeder. His lessons became apparent not only at the time but years later and continue to guide me in every facet of German Shepherd Dog husbandry. To Roman Shuler for his guidance and vision and in the acquiring by foundation female Bella von der Abfuhr.  

In 1998, I founded my breeding program under the SV registered kennel name De Lupus Saevus. Since that time, De Lupus Saevus has produced 5 Schutzhund 3 Regional Champions in Canada and the United States, the 2008 CAN Universal Sieger, 2009 Trinidad-Tobago Universal Siegerin, and ongoing US National and regional competitors. More recently DLS represented the US WUSV World team in 2022 and continues to produce many other outstanding working dogs all over the world serving law enforcement and providing peace of mind to many families.