Dogs of War
94 S4 EP: 94 Sway and Mark Kaufmann
Today I sit down with Army Ranger K9 handler and trainer turned civilian head trainer for the Ranger program Mark Kaufmann.
Horton's Quality K9 Equipment hortonsk9.com and smallbatchcigar.com are today's show sponsors! Use code "dogsofwar" for a 10%^ discount and free shipping with small batch cigar!
Mark Kaufmann is a combat veteran, and former United States Army Ranger. He has held the position of Master Trainer for 2nd Ranger Battalion’s Multi-Purpose Canine program for the last 11 years, located near Tacoma, WA. Born and raised in the backwoods of central Pennsylvania, Mark enlisted with a Ranger contract in 2004. He served his nation and the Ranger Regiment honorably for six combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, until he left the Army in 2013.
Mark seized the opportunity to become a dog handler for 2nd Ranger Battalion in the program’s infancy and deployed three times with one of Regiment’s only German Shepherds, Thor. Following these successful deployments as a handler, Mark took a trainer role at the Regimental Dog Program and so began his formative years becoming a highly skilled and adaptive canine trainer.
Upon ETS, Mark returned to 2/75 as their civilian Master Trainer and deployed four more times in that role. This position has taken Mark all over the world training with the most elite special operations units to help prepare his own teams to deploy and remain ready to conduct highly specialized deployments and missions. Mark has the unique experience of taking countless Special Operations canines from selection-day all the way to their retirement, with a proven track record of successful performance in his handlers and dogs.
Mark also owns and operates Function First K9, serving the needs of Law Enforcement K9 units all over the country with seminars, lectures, schools, and canine sales. He also owns and operates Upright K9, providing his local and regional community with top-tier pet training services. You can contact Mark directly at mark@functionfirstk9.com!
Today I sit down with Army Ranger K9 handler and trainer turned civilian head trainer for the Ranger program Mark Kaufmann.
Horton's Quality K9 Equipment hortonsk9.com and smallbatchcigar.com are today's show sponsors! Use code "dogsofwar" for a 10%^ discount and free shipping with small batch cigar!
Mark Kaufmann is a combat veteran, and former United States Army Ranger. He has held the position of Master Trainer for 2nd Ranger Battalion’s Multi-Purpose Canine program for the last 11 years, located near Tacoma, WA. Born and raised in the backwoods of central Pennsylvania, Mark enlisted with a Ranger contract in 2004. He served his nation and the Ranger Regiment honorably for six combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, until he left the Army in 2013.
Mark seized the opportunity to become a dog handler for 2nd Ranger Battalion in the program’s infancy and deployed three times with one of Regiment’s only German Shepherds, Thor. Following these successful deployments as a handler, Mark took a trainer role at the Regimental Dog Program and so began his formative years becoming a highly skilled and adaptive canine trainer.
Upon ETS, Mark returned to 2/75 as their civilian Master Trainer and deployed four more times in that role. This position has taken Mark all over the world training with the most elite special operations units to help prepare his own teams to deploy and remain ready to conduct highly specialized deployments and missions. Mark has the unique experience of taking countless Special Operations canines from selection-day all the way to their retirement, with a proven track record of successful performance in his handlers and dogs.
Mark also owns and operates Function First K9, serving the needs of Law Enforcement K9 units all over the country with seminars, lectures, schools, and canine sales. He also owns and operates Upright K9, providing his local and regional community with top-tier pet training services. You can contact Mark directly at mark@functionfirstk9.com!