About Chiron K9
- Post by: Chiron
- November 3, 2017
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So what is CHIRON and why did I decide to choose that as a company name?
Chiron was the name of a Centaur, a figure from Greek mythology that was half man half beast. But Chiron was different from the unruly and party-goers of his brethren. He was the wisest and most just of the centaurs, nurturing with skills in medicine, music, archery, hunting, and prophecy. He was said to be the discoverer of botany and pharmacy as well as the science of medicine and herbs.
The British Army’s Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) depicts a Chiron as its Regimental cap badge.
I served for 22 years in the RAVC as a Dog Trainer and wore the emblem of Chiron in my headdress for the whole time. With operational deployments as well as assisting training teams around the world I was grateful for the time and experience the RAVC gave me. It also taught me the basics of dog training, but more importantly, it allowed me to expand outside the box and work on Research & Development projects which pushed my skills to the limit.
So when it came to choosing a name for my new venture, I chose CHIRON!
About me
I was raised training canines. One of my first reflections is sitting at the gate of a dog training club so that is my dad’s Pointer, Vikki, decided to make a bolt for it I could catch her leaving the field. From those early starts, I assisted training Border Collies and Labradors as farm/hunting work dogs. I knew I wanted to work with dogs so on joining the British Army I selected dog training in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps as my chosen trade.
I served 22 years as a dog trainer and gained much experience and knowledge during that time. Fortunately, the Corps was forward-thinking and opportunities to attend training in positive reinforcement and applied behavior techniques meant that my knowledge continued to expand. I was responsible for developing several new and unique training programs and this is where my niche came into its own. In particular, I was responsible for the development and deployment of the Mine Detection Dog project. This offered great challenges and insights into canine training, beha
vior, and detection and without question honed my training skills. The lessons I learned in this project set me up for future success in every training project I have been assigned; to include Specialized Detection Dogs, Combat Tracking Dogs, Advanced Detection Dogs and more recently, Oil Detection Dogs.
I am a teacher, I enjoy teaching people and dogs and have a proven background in instructing. Being the first military person to attain the Association of Chief of Police Officers (ACPO) accreditation as an Explosive Detection Dog instructor/assessor. In addition, holding certification from the US Army as an instructor and the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Basic Instructors Course (BIC) in which I received the Top Graduate award.
I also attained the prestigious Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and as such demonstrated my understanding and knowledge in formal project management. Having run multi-million dollar canine projects within budget, on schedule, and in scope, I have demonstrated and been formally recognized, for my project management skills.
It’s these unique skill-sets I utilize in assisting clients with their needs. To develop detection dog programs from the ground up, with no known template or training protocols. Or to conduct quality assessments on current programs and recommend changes to enhance the canine teams to peak performance.