French-born Clement Dubosq defied the odds when he started his career in protection dog training at only 17 years of age. Today, he is a sought-after industry professional, familiar with the French Ring Sport and an expert trainer of competition dogs. He has not let his young age limit him, and he has a string of champions to his name to testify that he has become a sought-after dog trainer.
“In the beginning, I felt that my young age might be a handicap for me to obtain recognition from others,” says Clement, reflecting on his journey. However, refusing to pay attention to societal and personal limitations, he chose to press forward and says: “Though relatively young for the industry, I have trained a very large number of dogs and I am proud that my work and perseverance have allowed me to have this career.”
Today, Clement has his own dog training business, training protection dogs, as well as personal dogs, and helping to train up champions.
An early introduction to a life-changing career
Clement explained that he was introduced to the world of dog training at just 16 years of age quite accidentally when he received a chihuahua as a gift, and subsequently joined a dog training club to correct his dog’s bad temperament.
It was here, he discovered his passion for dogs and dog training. Dog training was also something he was really good at.
He did the necessary training to learn the ropes of the trade and soon started his own business at age 17. It was also around this time that he was introduced to the French Ring.
The French Ring is a highly demanding dog sport that tests a dog’s obedience, agility, and protection skills. It originated in France and is primarily used to evaluate working dogs, particularly Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds.
The sport consists of three main phases: obedience (tests for heeling, retrieving, food refusal, and control exercises); jumping (requiring dogs to complete high jumps and long jumps); and protection work (including controlled bite work, guarding, escorting, and defending against an aggressor).
Key relationships ensure successful career
“I started the French Ring shortly after launching my own business in the field of dog training, following my meeting with André Lemonnier who introduced me to biting work and the job of assistant man,” says Clement. “I trained with his dog, ‘Denky du banc des hermelles’, an exceptional athlete which participated in the selections for the French championships of 2014, 2015 and 2016, and which even reached the final in 2015.”
Clement made such rapid progress during his training, that André entrusted him with the training of his dogs for competitions.
Clement started competing in the biting costume at 17 years of age and following remarkable performances in the biting costume, was asked to participate in several competitions as a decoy. He took to this new stage with a competition in Montfort-sur-Meu, a town located near to his home. This experience allowed him to further develop his network in the French ring world. “I then had the opportunity to participate in competitions in different regions and cities in France, such as Lennon, La Haye-Pesnel, Argenteuil and Château-Gontier.”
After ten months of training dogs while wearing the protective costume, his diligent work as an assistant led him to take the selection tests to obtain level 1 and qualify for competitions in the biting costume. These rigorous tests included a written exam on the rules, a physical fitness assessment, and a biting test. He had the satisfaction of finishing first in the selection, achieving an average score of 16.44/20. With this result, he decided to prepare his dog, Ollie, born on July 15, 2018, in a renowned breeding program known for producing exceptional dogs; for competitions as a handler.
On January 11, 2020, he participated in his first competition as a ‘white’ (non-competing) participant. “That day, I had the chance to meet Stéphane Brière and his son, Quentin. They invited me to train with them, an opportunity I eagerly accepted.”
Stéphane Brière, a two-times French Ring champion (2008 and 2013), with his dogs UDEX and FEDZARRO, has coached multiple dogs that reached the French championship finals.
This collaboration proved highly successful, as the team led his dog to victory in the 2020 regional championship, securing first place.
During his time in France, he also met Spencer Bowman, a competitor in both French Ring and Mondioring, who had previously trained with Stéphane Brière. He entrusted Clement with preparing his dog for the 2020 selectives. Later, Spencer invited him to spend three months in the United States to train his dog, Lycan, for upcoming competitions.
Breaking the limitations of age to produce success after success
Clement’s portfolio of success speaks for itself. While having achieved phenomenal success at a young age, Clement has his heart set on even bigger accomplishments. He hopes to become an internationally-renowned ambassador for the French Ring and train tomorrow’s champions.
“I’ve learned that you should always trust yourself,” he says, reflecting on his journey and how he managed to build a dog-training empire from a young age, because he dared follow his passion.