Today is the day that Nick and I have been looking forward to since we started to plan our trip. We are going out to Gert and Astrid’s Dog Club to watch a KNVP training session. We had an early breakfast so we could get out to the Club’s training field as soon as possible. The Dog Club is located in a beautiful woodland that is situated between two royal residences. We passed by Queen Beatrix’s Palace on the way to the Club. Nick’s brother Bob has come to Holland to train with his dogs since the early 90’s. Nick has accompanied Bob a few times, but I have never been to the KNVP Trials or seen a training session in Holland.
Nick’s brother and our Dutch friends work with Belgian Malinois. They were originally bred as herding dogs, but today the breed is used primarily as police, military and rescue dogs. They are wonderful animals — intense, intelligent, high energy, and very athletic. If you are an experienced dog person, Malinois are great family companions and protection dogs. Our family has loved a long line of wonderful Malinois, each with a unique personality.
Gert is a KNPV trainer. I think KNVP translates to Royal Dutch Police Dog Sport. I know that the KNPV certificate is coveted and respected all over the world. The dogs that go through this training successfully are in demand everywhere for their great character, physical strength, agility and stamina. Gert’s dining room wall is covered with KNVP certificates from dogs he has trained over the years. Bob has owned two of Gert’s dogs. Dex was a great dog who loved to work and then just hang out with the family waiting to work again. Dex was a great friend to my grand daughter, Maddy who hung out with Dex from the time she was eight. Dex passed when she was 12 and she still misses her buddy, who was also a police dog. Eros, Bob’s current dog is an amazing guy who likes to spend his down-time jumping in and out of Bob’s pool.
The members of Gert’s Dog Club practice the different exercises that the dogs perform in the KNPV trials. During an actual trial competition, judges assign points for each part of the KNPV which consists of several different exercises. The dog must be completely in tune with his ‘boss’. The training is a series of scenarios that mimic common situations police might response to — finding and apprehending a suspect, finding and then guarding evidence, and my favorite —responding to a stolen bike or apprehend a suspect on a bike. The dog trainer gives the dog a command while the suit-man (the guy who volunteers to be bitten all morning) is fleeing on the bicycle — the dog must bite the bad guy (played repeatedly by the suit-man) in an attempt to stop him. After being surrounded by thousands of bicycles in Amsterdam, I could see where that situation might come up every shift.
My favorite part of our morning was when the antics of Gert’s dog Nikie made Barb laugh so hard she cried. As you can see in the pictures, the trainers are rotating three dogs through the exercises. Nikie had successfully completed the guard the briefcase exercise. Nikie was still on duty though. That means he has been issued a guard command – don’t move from the case. Every one else except Barb was watching up field. She was watching the the dog closest to her — Nikie. He was busy watching his boss, Gert up field working with the other dogs. As Nikie leaned over to keep Gert in is line of sight, he must have noticed that he was no longer 100% over the case. He literally threw his front paw over the case and looked around to make sure no one noticed his lapse of concentration. Barb, who is not a big dog fan, was tickled at his self correction. She had no idea dogs could look embarrassed.
I think Barb and Paul had a great time learning about Dog Sport. Nick took some outstanding pictures and I was thrilled to see Dutch Dog Training in person. The other members of the club made us feel welcome and part of the Dog Sport family. It was a great morning.
(These photos are laid out in the sequence of the morning KNVP training exercises. Click on any picture to see full size, and to scroll through gallery)
