Sean joined the United States Air Force in 1992 and became a Law Enforcement Specialist and a dog handler after hard work and dedication to the local K9 section. One of his assignments was as a dog trainer at the 341st Training Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. Shortly after arrival at the 341st, Sean was recognized as the best trainer for all of 1999 and was awarded the Annual Top Dog Award.
While at the 341st, Sean met Aaslan, a 6-month-old Belgian Malinois whelped in the “Puppy Program,” Aaslan would one day become Sean’s guardian angel in future deployments. Sean just didn’t know at the time what was to come.
Eventually, Sean was assigned to the installation police, and it was there Sean reunited with Aaslan to become an operational police K9 team. They spent years together providing the first line of detection for President Clinton and President Bush. They also provided support to the Department of the Treasury, Department of State and multiple state, county, and municipal agencies. They would routinely be hand-selected to provide support for Foreign Heads of State and would go on to conduct missions in 6 foreign countries. The team’s reputation preceded them as they were requested by name to provide security with the Secret Service in Crawford, Texas for President Bush multiple times.
In 2004, the team was deployed and attached to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines and 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines in Fallujah, Iraq. Sean was the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of 11 Air Force and 6 Marine Corps dog teams during the deployment. Out of necessity, Sean developed innovative tactics, techniques, and procedures regarding K9 operations to defeat the Improvised Explosive Device threats facing Coalition Forces. These innovations earned recognition by General Mattis and were credited with developing operational tactics for all deployed Military Working Dog (MWD) teams in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sean's reputation resulted in him being handpicked to become the Action Officer for the Department of Defense (DoD) MWD Program. Sean’s role was to manage all DoD canine operations assisting the US Secret Service, US State Department, and other federal agencies.
Sean was also the advisor for to the Secretary of Defense and the DoD MWD Executive Agent on joint service issues pertaining to the DoD dog program. Sean’s knowledge of canine psychology and training gave him the ability to author pre-deployment canine training plans which were an urgent training need for all deploying MWD teams into Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of these innovative training plans are still in use today and considered the bedrock for combat K9 operations.
Sean culminated his career in the Air Force when he was promoted to become the Air Force MWD Program Manager, the highest position in the canine career field. In this position, he was the executive manager of the Air Force K9 program. He was responsible for directly responding to Presidential and Congressional inquiries on the deployment, utilization, training, and final disposition of DoD K9s.
Sean retired from the Air Force and became the Kennel Master of a 65-dog kennel as a contractor for the Department of Energy at a classified location. There he managed the daily operations of the kennels which included all health and welfare of dogs to include sanitation, feedings, medications, and veterinary requirements, as well as facility maintenance and upkeep. He was also a working dog handler and federally certified with multiple types of dogs; Explosive Detection Dogs, Narcotic Detection Dogs, Human Detection Dogs, and Tracking Dogs.
Sean returned to Texas and opened a dog training business that became renowned for specializing in the rehabilitation of aggressive canines. Sean’s groundbreaking theories regarding aggressive dog training and the psychological learning processes allowed him to correct aggressive behavior in dogs that were written off for euthanasia. Sean became the trainer other dog trainers would refer the most difficult cases too. Sean was fully successful and never had a dog euthanized after completing a training program.
Sean’s desire to once again serve the community resulted in him becoming a Police Captain at a police department near Huntsville, Alabama, where he manages the K9 Branch. During this time, Sean met Trevor which is where they developed the concept to launch their company.
Sean has other notable accomplishments. He was the senior advisor, contributor, and featured handler for the New York Times Bestseller, “War Dogs: Tales of Canine Heroism, History, and Love” authored by Rebecca Frankle. Sean has also been a guest writer for the Pulitzer Prize recipient, Tom Ricks for Foreign Policy Magazine.
Sean says one of the more rewarding aspects of dog training is educating owners on how their dogs think and how to interact with them differently. Then, watching their relationship blossom over time as the owner learns to communicate with their canine more effectively.
Contact Sean directly at 256-212-0406
