A Walk in the Park (#10)

A walk in the park can lead to unexpected encounters with interesting people. That is exactly what happened to me recently.

Exiting my car to begin my walk on the trail, I noticed two men and a black German Shepherd under the pavilion. We exchanged greetings, and I continued on my way. Occasionally as I walked, I heard the dog bark briefly but thought nothing of it.  

I neared the pavilion after my walk and commented to one of the men how beautiful and well-behaved the dog was. He introduced himself as Casey Wilson, owner of K9 Defend Training Center. Casey specializes in various types of dog training, including programs for police and fire departments, drug rehab facilities, service animals, personal protection dogs, and sport dogs.

I learned that Casey was recently appointed the commissioner of the American Politiehond Association (APA), a national dog sport organization. This past spring, he coordinated the first APA trial in the Midwest, held at Northeast Community Park. Participants traveled from Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Wisconsin, and California. I had seen the post about that trial on the park's Facebook page, so it was especially fun to connect with Casey.
 
That day, Casey was working with Cliff Mabe and his dog, Junior. Casey demonstrated one of their exercises where he posed as an attacker with a fake gun. It was incredible to see the gentle Junior switch to full attack mode and then stop just as quickly on command.

Witnessing such remarkable training firsthand was a fascinating experience. It’s clear why trainers wear heavy protection equipment! I left the park feeling both impressed and relieved to be on the right side of Junior’s watchful eyes.