Clement Dubosq’s incredible journey which started with a single chihuahua

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Many wonder how Clement Dubosq, who has no relatives in dog training, came to be a professional Protection Dog Trainer. Clement shares how his incredible journey began and how an unexpected Christmas gift changed everything.

He says that his life took an unexpected turn when he was given a chihuahua for Christmas at the age of 16. As beautiful as the little dog was, he also had a terrible temperament! He was forced to join a dog training club to correct his new dog’s behaviour issues.

It seems it wasn’t just the chihuahua which benefited from the training. After a few months of rigorous dog training sessions, the trainer noticed that Clement had a particular aptitude for dog training. In this club, French ring training sessions took place, which Clement was encouraged to attend.
While he attended the sessions out of curiosity, he took like a fish to water to the sessions and realized that dog training was something he was really good at and something he really liked.

The result? He started putting on a biting costume to become involved with the sport! Today, Clement is a professional and sought-after Protection Dog Trainer.

The makings of a ‘dog whisperer’
Having a special way with dogs, and a notable authority when dealing with animals, he has become something of a ‘dog whisperer’ in his ability to command respect and obedience from the animals he trains.
Clement’s father is a project manager and his mother, an optician. However, while there are no dog trainers in his lineage, he has learned many things from his upbringing. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, he says he has always strived to learn, grow and surpass himself. He applied these same principles in his efforts to grow in his chosen career.

Once bitten by the ‘dog trainer’ bug, he decided to pursue his passion whole-heartedly. “It very quickly became a passion, but I had to finish my studies,” he says. “In the summer of 2019, I passed both my baccalaureate and my HA selection. I got both. After obtaining my baccalaureate, the trainer at the club offered me the opportunity to train and work with him.”

So at 17 years of age, Clement decided to start his own business as a dog trainer. This business became a highly successful dog business, teaching many dog owners how to handle their dogs and stop bad habits. Clement quickly became extremely busy and successful.

He also decided to buy his own dog to compete. “At that moment I knew that I would continue in dog sports and dog training. I decided not to continue my studies to fully invest myself in this passion.”

He 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 won first place in the selection, achieving an average score of 16.44/20.

From success to success
Clement says his first big achievement was in 2020. During a competition, he was noticed by top French trainer Stéphane Brière, known internationally for having been twice French ring champion (2008 and 2013) with his dogs UDEX and FEDZARRO. He asked him to do some training with him and his team, and Clement accepted.

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His success with the team earned him industry acclaim and in France in 2020, U.S. resident Spencer Bowman, asked him to train his dog for competitions. “I trained his dog Lycan for the 2020 selectives.” Lycan was the first American dog to participate in selectives in France, enhancing the reputation of the French ring in the United States. Lycan won in the U.S. Championships for two consecutive years, in 2022 and 2023, also winning twice in the regional championships. Soon after, Clement trained Spencer’s dog, Sub-Zero, with the dog winning a first place in the 2024 U.S. Championships.

In France, Clement continued to train his own dog Ollie, competing with the dog in various events. Last December, Ollie and Sub-Zero participated in a prestigious competition in California. Both dogs delivered outstanding performances, securing the top two spots on the winners’ podium. Ollie won first place and Sub-Zero, second place. This was a huge victory for the team!

Ollie’s remarkable abilities did not go unnoticed. Recognizing his potential, Clement paired her with Litz au Paradis d’Orsy, a distinguished dog that had competed in the 2019, 2020, and 2022 selections. This pairing resulted in a promising litter of puppies – future champions.

Clement chose to keep one for himself while placing the others with professionals and individual owners. Among them, one was sent to the United States for specialized training in the French Ring, a demanding discipline in canine sports. Another puppy remained within Clement’s team under the guidance of handler Stéphane Brière, further strengthening the group’s competitive capabilities.

A vision for the future
Considering his lucrative career, which began quite by chance, Clement says: “I’ve learned that you should always trust yourself,” he says. “After going through moments of doubt and reflection, my goal of achieving success as a dog trainer has always been the same and despite the obstacles, I have never given up.”

Having trained Lycan, Sub-Zero and Ollie, among other champion dogs; he hopes to continue in this spirit of success and achieve even more. He also hopes one day to become an ambassador of the French Ring and several dog sport disciplines.

“My story is very different to most involved in the sport,” he says. “In fact, most of the people I have met start in the ring because they already practice it in their family and this discipline is passed on from generation to generation.”

Coming from a family which has no dog trainers, the sport was a great discovery for Clement and immediately became a passion. And to think, it all started with a chihuahua!

Presented by: APG

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