Posted by Butch Cappel
on August 13, 2009, 5:55 pm
99.174.201.23
Black rolling clouds, split by lightning strikes, preceded buckets of rain dumped from the desert sky. Rain followed the path of the Rio Grande and Interstate 20 was closed to all traffic. A few blocks south of the Interstate, Police K9 teams, Sheriffs K9 teams and civilian and SchutzHund K9 teams from both coasts waited for the fifth annual K9 PRO SPORTS Rodeo to start inside the El Paso Convention Center.
The judges and I were deciding what to do about the show. We had expected a large crowd but the closed interstate shut off access to the Convention center. We still had one out of town contestant that had not shown up for registration, and only a small crowd had made it in before the roads were shut down. The concession stand people and some vendors were still on the other side of the interstate and hadn’t made it in either. The Judges Leroy Azlin and Mike Laney decided to give it a forty-five minute wait then start the show.
At the El Paso airport one man wondered if he had squandered a plane ticket and a lot of travel time, to show up and watch a rainstorm. He sat in a rental car ready to go, with his dog, but the road to the competition was closed, and the rain showed no signs of let up.
With forty-five minutes to kill until the trials second start time, some jittery contestants still had questions about the exercises and judging standards. We had no written rulebook in those early days. When you got to the trial you learned what the Obedience pattern and distractions were going to be, this kinda kept it more real life and sure helped to add a little pressure. After all as the first true Protection Certification system ever handler pressure had to be a part of it. The judges spent the last thirty minutes going over the OB pattern again and answering more questions.
With fifteen minutes to go the judges gathered every one and read the order in which they would compete. They were all told there would be no changes in the order and if any one was not at the starting point on the third call, they would be scratched from that exercise. After all, you wouldn’t be late for your own mugging, would you?
As the Obedience for the Personal Protection division was finishing up, I was preparing for the Patrol division OB, when I saw a tall, athletically built, black man with a neatly trimmed moustache crossing the arena floor accompanied by a black and tan Doberman. I knew our Chicago team had arrived.
I called the judges over and put the first scheduled Patrol division contestant on hold. I introduced Mr. Mel McDuffy to the judges and explained his predicament. Plane had left Chicago late, storm had kept him at the airport, got here as quick as he could, etc. etc.
I could tell my two punctual oriented judges were not impressed!
“Contestants are registered, and the competitions started” Mike Laney said.
“Come on guys, he’s come a really long way?” I pleaded. “I think he’ll give us a good show.”
The judges withdrew, conferred, and returned. “Your up.” Leroy Azlin said
“What?” Mel responded.
“Your up.” Mike Laney assured him. “Starting line is there” He said pointing at an orange cone.
“Can I see the OB pattern?” Mel asked politely
“Your up” Leroy repeated.
“Can I break my dog first? He’s been in a crate or car for hours now.” There was a trace of concern in his polite request this time.
The judges just stared back silently. Mel drew a deep breath, called his dog to heel and moved to the starting line.
His Obedience was flawless, as he finished the pattern and exited the building for a bathroom break. Leroy looked at me and said, “Glad I let him in, aint you?” He said winking. Mr. McDuffy had not disappointed.
As I said, this trial was full with Police teams. Streetwise officers and street ready dogs. PSD’s from Texas, S.O. from New Mexico, Southern Pacific Railroad police. The performances had been impressive, dogs working with machine like precision and truly bone crushing bites. But through the Obedience, and two other bite exercises a black and tan Dobe named Shaq, was making a name for his civilian trainer and handler, Mel McDuffy.
It had come down to the last exercise The Courage Test to find the best dog in the house.
First up I saw Mel’s eyes widen a little as he stood at the starting point and watched the ring stewards at the end of the field, light two twenty foot pipes that then burst into flames about three feet high. The wall of flame they created had a twenty four inch gap in the center. Mel looked down at his partner, and I could have sworn, as Shaq looked back up at Mel, he broke into a wide Dobie grin. Mel smiled too and nodded to the judge that he was ready.
The arena floor was about forty yards long. The first jump was a 42 inch high, 30 wide window. Shaq looked like a gazelle. Ten yards further up a four-foot high solid jump, hid a three-foot deep swimming pool and Shaq’s high jump brought him into the drink throwing white spray six feet in the air.
The rules allow the handler to come up to the second hurdle once their dog clears it. As Shaq shook water from his eyes then hurdled over the swimming pool wall, I looked to the other end where Mel still stood calmly, watching as Shaq charged through the twenty four inch gap in the fire wall to battle the decoy. He hadn’t been here for the instructions and didn’t know he could come forward to help ‘out’ his dog. He stood square on the starting line forty yards from his dog.
Shaq hit that decoy so hard the last few drops of water blew off him. The decoy armed with a neon whiffle bat had all he could do to stay on his feet as he swung the rock filled thundering bat round Shaq’s head.
Shaq was about to take the decoy off his feet, when the judge signaled Mel to “out” his dog. Still standing at the starting line, instead of walking forward as the others would do, Mel in a calm soft voice simply asked the dog to “Out” and Shaq dropped into an instant sit, barking a challenge for that man to even blink while he was guarding, waiting for Mel to join them.
As great as the dogs performance was I knew he was about to be followed by a dozen more just as mechanically correct teams, We all know that when you play the top level in any sport, only a certain something really separates the “Champ’ from all those really good competitors. Shaq’s performance had been exciting and effective, but the ones to follow would be as well. Who could be called the true Champ of a show like this, which dog would give the judges that special move that set them apart?
Mel had reached his dog’s side and stood in front of the decoy, his arms raised over his head, still holding that loud, large, neon bat. The judge signaled Mel to heel his dog off and Mel said “Heel” and turned to walk away.
Shaq watched him step and begin to turn but hesitated and didn’t follow. I said it takes something special to separate a Champ from a pack of champions. And you can lose it all with by one bad move too!
I was shocked as Shaq refused to follow, and Mel turned and took a step away from him headed back to the starting line. Then we all saw it, The Move! Shaq, still seated, launched himself straight up. The decoy, eyes wide, drew his head back like a turtle into it’s shell. Shaq’s launch brought him up past the decoys face, then higher than his head, to the raised arm holding that extended weapon.
Shaq’ head turned grabbing the thunder bat in his mouth, jerking it from the decoys hand, and he landed with a twist that took him straight back to Mel’s side at a perfect heel position. The crowd exploded.
After that night I got to know Mel a little. He had been a successful professional dog trainer for many years (that was 1996) as he still is today. As I lost touch with him I would occasionally meet young people that would proudly put on a resume “My mentor is Mel McDuffy, Mr. K9 of Chicago Ill.”
He has a Free Training For Pit Bulls program? That didn’t surprise me. When I heard people asking if a Pro trainer would give away his time to help Pit Bulls, I knew the answer was yes if it was Mel McDuffy.
His accomplishments and the good he has done in the dog community is the reason we are proud to have him listed in our Hall Of Champions!
And it doesn’t hurt that Mel McDuffy and SHAQ walked away the undisputed CHAMPS of that 1995 Pro Sports Championship. and the 2009 Hall Of Champion inductee.
Listen Well, Bite Hard!!!
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