Jan lives in Calgary with his wife Ivana and son Daniel and daughter Michelle. A graduate from the University of Calgary, he earns his living as a consulting engineer in the oil and gas industry.

Jan’s interest in dogs was sparked by Ivana back in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1966. In 1968 Jan immigrated to Canada, and four years later, getting his first dog - a Giant Schnauzer puppy from Czechoslovakia (believed to be the first Giant Schnauzer in North America to earn a Schutzhund title). But it did not take Jan too long to discover the virtues of the German Shepherd Dog. He fell in love with the breed. Since then, Jan has devoted his life to the German Shepherd Dog and to Schutzhund.

Jan has trained and titled numerous dogs to various degrees, scoring “excellent” (V) in every phase as well as overall, including a 100 point protection score with Arko Honest.

Jan has competed at the Regional, National and International level with the following dogs:

•       Ulrich vom Lerchental SchH3 (Greif Lahntal son)

•       Lork vom Kloevensteener Forst SchH3 (Harro Lechrainstadt son)

•       Arko Honest CS  SchH3, FH, IPO3 (Ingo Rudingen line)

 

Arko (“Alko”) produced the 1995 Bundessieger Agbar Bethme, Austrian Bundessieger Axis Rontu-Aru and the 2000 and 2002 National Police Dog Champion (USA) Stormfront’s Brawnson, a serious, high scoring Police K9 (Indianapolis).

 

Currently, Jan is training  Orry z Pohranicni straze.

 

Over the years, Jan has contributed as a trial helper and a tracklayer at local, regional and national events.

Jan first joined the German Shepherd Dog Club of Calgary in 1973 and has been a GSSCC judge since 1997.