Protection Dog Trainer Clement Dubosq believes people and teamwork have been vital to his success as a champion dog trainer. Having received input from some of the industry’s finest throughout his career as a trainer, he hopes to pay it forward and become a person of influence in the international dog training arena.
He wants to train champions, promote the French Ring Sport worldwide, and become a sought-after industry professional in different dog training techniques. From his track record of success, it seems he is well on his way to doing just this.
Key relationships lead to phenomenal success
Clement shares how key relationships with some of the world’s best dog trainers have helped him to get to where he is today.
He explained that it was the observations of a trainer at a club he attended at the age of 16, which became a catalyst for him following a career in dog training. Clement joined the club to train his pet chihuahua and the trainer noticed he had a natural talent for training dogs.
The guidance of the trainer resulted in Clement joining a French Ring class at the club, where he realised that he had a passion for dog training. He then decided to pursue the sport further and has never looked back.
Subsequently, it has been his relationship with other industry professionals which have opened doors for him and given him the leverage to learn new skills, seize opportunities and reach personal and professional goals.
In 2020, his work as a trainer was noticed by top French trainer Stéphane Brière. Stéphane Brière is known internationally for having been twice French ring champion (2008 and 2013) with his dogs UDEX and FEDZARRO.
He asked Clement to do some training with him and his team, which was a turning point in his profession.. Clement speaks of how the skills he learned as part of Brière’s team introduced him to new techniques and opened up the world of dogs to him.
Having been trained by a champion trainer, Clement was then strengthened to become a champion trainer himself.
His success and excellence as a trainer earned him industry acclaim and when he met United States resident Spencer Bowman in France in 2020, Spencer asked him to train his dog, Lycan, for competitions.
Lycan subsequently became the first American dog to participate in selectives in France, growing awareness of the French Ring Sport in the United States.
Following this, Clement went to the United States with Spencer for a seminar, and also trained Spencer and Lycan in training and biting techniques. This allowed the team to be U.S. champions in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, Spencer’s dog, Sub-Zero, also trained by Clement, was crowned U.S. Champion.
All the while, Clement remained committed to training his own dog Ollie, a born and bred champion. The dog competed alongside Sub-Zero in a recent competition in California, with both dogs seizing placements: Ollie, a first place; and Sub-Zero, a second place.
Another pivotal figure in his journey has been Trisha Olson, an American dog handler who lives in Minnesota and who contacted Spencer to ask for assistance for her mondioring competition in California.
She subsequently joined Spencer and Clement in training their dogs as champions.
“Mondioring is a sporting discipline which is similar to the French Ring,” explained Clement. “The difference is that mondioring events are more diverse, with scenarios that change at each competition, for example, through using different sets and accessories.”
Clement’s ability to understand dogs has allowed him to adapt to various training disciplines, and he proved himself as adept at training dogs for mondioring as for the French Ring. With Clement’s assistance, Trisha won first place in the California competition with her dog, V’Gnarly.
A vision for the future
Clement believes that developing himself as an ambassador for French Ring Sport is something that he cannot do alone. Considering his journey, it has always been other people and their input and support, which has elevated him to new heights in his chosen profession.
He highlights teamwork and the people who have made it all possible – the succession of trainers who have touched his life and his career path. “I strive to maintain a team spirit and I surround myself with good people because I believe in this motto: ‘Alone we go faster, together we go further’.”
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This post brought to you by Atif Sharif
Photo of Clement Dubosq, used with permission
