AAG PDTA
Ted Hoppe started American Street Ring in the late 1990's. ASR-PPDTA (American Street Ring Professional Protection Dog Trainers Association) promotes quality, practical Protection Dog Training & certifying Professional Trainers through affiliation, thereby creating a higher standard of Protection Dog Training. ASR-PPDTA style of training is based on the original ASR, created by Ted Hoppe. It promotes PRACTICAL protection exercises combined with functional obedience. **American Street Ring is not only recognized throughout the United States: Georgia, Tennessee, Illinois, Massachusetts, Texas and as far west as California to name a few, but also in Puerto Rico, England, Australia, Slovokia, Czech Republic, Germany, France, and more!
Originally, ASR was a "Training System" (which it still is) for training the dogs Ted & Dawn sold to law enforcement, the military, and to private citizens for protection and/or to participate in the various sport systems available at the time. They saw that each system had its merits, but lacked in realistic, practical, and useful exercises. Out of the desire to have a Practical System where handler's could test themselves and their dogs in a realistic practical scenario PLUS, you could also compete with others who felt the same way, and with MUCH work to put together a practical system, came American Street Ring. Where it differs the most from the sports systems is, ASR is NOT a sport. It is a PROFESSIONAL Protection and Police Dog Training SYSTEM. *You are NOT limited to the exercises of a certain level.* *You do NOT have to do a Certification to do the exercises.* *You do NOT have to do EVERY exercise.* But, if you wish to have a Certificate, then you need to preform the exercises for each Level. American Street Ring is a "System of Training" that will bring the best out of your dog. Whether you just want a Personal Protection Dog to protect your home and family or you are in Law Enforcement or the Military and want or need your dogs to perform in a certain manner. It is also for training the handler in all areas of the dogs drives because you are working as a "TEAM". The ASR Training System is designed to bring out ALL of the dogs drives and teaches the dog to use them all together to achieve its goal: Find, Catch, and Subdue the bad guy! In the early days of ASR Competition, there were an average of 3-5 Trials & Seminars held every year. Most people came to the ASR Seminar the day or two before the Trial. During that time we would work on the various exercises, or ones they were having problems with. So that people & the dogs could improve. It helps the Dog/Handler team prepare for the Trial. Most of the time we could help them. And if we couldn't do enough for them in this short time, Ted would let them know if they should or shouldn't enter the Trial and the handler would then decide what to do. Some competed, and passed, some failed. But all learned! Ted & Dawn wanted EVERYONE to do good!!! It was very advantageous for everyone because they were able to see first hand how each exercise was "supposed" to be executed. And everyone had a good time and learned a lot!In 2004, ASR took a different direction. Putting together the ASR Trials & Seminars were taking their toll on the Hoppe Family. Ted wanted to spend more time with his family and the burden of putting together the ASR Trials & Seminars was very time consuming. So he decided to let other people start doing the work. A "board of directors" would run ASR. This took place on April 1st, 2004. In May 2004 after much thought, with a heavy and sad heart, I decided to "retire" as the "Senior ASR Decoy". I did not agree with how certain things were going to be done. And I did not want any part of what I KNEW would happen if they continued in that direction. The "idea" for this direction seemed good, unfortunately, the lack of the proper leadership with the decoy work, favoritism during certain trials, caused such strife, bickering, and argument, that no one wanted to participate in the trials or have anything to do with the ones that caused the corruption any longer. It was a sad time for American Street Ring. At the last ASR Trial in January 2006, because of the previous mentioned troubles, I was asked to come out of retirement (I was STILL training dogs in ASR) and participate in the Seminar and Trial. They could not find enough decoys to commit to the Trial. The decoy director did not show up for the seminar and they didn't even know if he would show up for the Trial either! What a shame. He eventually showed up about 10 minutes before the trial was scheduled to begin. They where hoping that when people saw I was willing to participate again, (being the Senior Decoy) that maybe people would know that consistent Decoy work would be restored, and the favoritism would cease and the corruption would get cleaned up. Unfortunately, it was too late. The damage the "board" caused had been done. So in early 2006, Ted had no choice but to take back control of ASR and remove the "board". In so doing he decided not to hold anymore trials. He was not sure what they were going to do with the American Street Ring Program.
But the HEART of American Street Ring could not be killed! It is a STRONG system.
A few people almost brought down American Street Ring for their financial and personal gain. Though it was down, it was not out! The Serious, Professional Dog Trainer, is still using the ASR Training System as the strong foundation that it is to train their dogs for Personal Protection, Police, and Military Work! I am one of those Professional Trainers! Some people have copied the ASR Exercises, and have even tried to come up with "their" own system. They KNOW ASR is a SOUND program, that's why they try to copy it. But they have missed the HEART of what the American Street Ring Program is. Early in 2011, I came to Ted Hoppe and told them I have some people who were interested in having their dogs tested for the ASR Entry Level. I had been training their dogs and I wanted the hard work and dedication they were putting into their dogs to be rewarded. Ted had already been working on a new way to present ASR because people were still interested in titling their dogs. So the timing was good! As a result, we reorganized the American Street Ring Program. Since ASR has never been a "Sport", it will NOT be for the "amateur" trainers who just want a way to try to make a quick buck. Or they just want something to add to the long list of "Master Trainer" thingy's they have. There are no TRUE Master Trainers. Since American Street Ring is a PROFESSIONAL Protection & Police Dog Training System, it will only be for the PROFESSIONAL Dog Trainer. This will enable the Professional Dog Trainer, to have their dogs, and their Clients' dogs they have trained, to be Certified and receive a Title in American Street Ring. But it will not be as it was in the past, with a trial. The testing will be similar to the way that it is done in the Martial Arts. You and your dog will test as a Team. You will not be competing with anyone else. Though other Teams may be testing at the same time. There will not be a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or any other place. You will either "Pass or Fail" the Certification. In order for the Professional Trainer and their clients, to participate in the ASR System they will need to be Trained and Certified in the NEW ASR Training System . This will help to keep those "rogue" trainers and/or decoys who may have participated in ASR in the past or in the beginning days (but have not practiced ASR for many years) from claiming to be "Certified Trainers" with the NEW System, since they are no longer qualified or have current experience. They have not continued in ASR, or may not have continued in dog training in general for many years. So they might attempt financial gain by fooling the unsuspecting people who are honestly interested in American Street Ring into training with them only to find out they wasted their time and MONEY with a rogue trainer and will not be able to Certify with their dog, and thus giving ASR a bad name. For example, just because someone has supposedly trained a dog to pass Police Certification, it does NOT make them a Police dog and handler. They would NOT even be able to take the test! You MUST be an actual police officer who has taken your dog through a CERTIFIED Police Dog training course. But, you can actually have a dog trained to perform the same exercises law enforcement uses for their Certification and you can even pass all the exercises. But you won't be able to perform the duties of a law enforcement K9! As with most systems, not just dog training systems, but also law enforcement, medical, etc., you are required to re-certify at least once a year. Police dogs must do this. In the past, ASR Decoys were "required" to re-certify once a year. This insures they still meet the requirements to be a "Trial" Decoy and/or a "Training" Decoy. But most did not. That practice will not continue. They MUST re-certify! There are no longer any "Trial" Decoys since there are no longer any "Trials".
With the new ASR Program, the requirements for becoming an ASR Training Decoy have changed. In the past, and in order to promote ASR, requirements were not as rigid for becoming a decoy. At the ASR Seminar, the day before the Trail, potential decoys were required to run a mile in 15 minutes, or less, then get in their suit and perform a few exercises from the Entry Level & Level 1 Program. It was a fairly easy test. The more dedicated decoys would continue training to become better decoys. Some did not. Some lost interest and went on to other things when they realized they would actually have to WORK to keep the Certification and had to actually KNOW the American Street Ring Program. And had to IMPROVE on their skills. Even today, some will include the ASR Certification with other "certificate and qualification" claims even though it may be 10 years since they were at a trail or participated in ASR! There have been many Entry Level and Level-1 Decoys, the two easiest and most common ones. A very FEW Level-2 Decoys. Only three Level-3 Decoys, and only ONE Level-3 Trial AND Training Decoy (David "Dogman" Smith). I studied very hard with Ted Hoppe in able to become the best ASR Decoy possible. I trained 3-4 day a week for 3 plus hours each day in order to learn the ASR Program and help to improve it. For my efforts, I EARNED, and KEEP, the title of "SENIOR ASR TRIAL AND TRAINING DECOY". I am the Head Decoy for the American Street Ring System. The FIRST NEW ASR CERTIFICATION was held at the Loxahatchee Working Dog Club on June 26th, 2011 with ENTRY LEVEL. We became the FIRST AAG PDTA. You can see some of the ASR Exercises on The Working Dog Club's Youtube Page. You can also see more video's of the American Street Ring Exercises along with video's of Police and Sheriff's dogs on my ASR Dogman's Youtube Page, check out the PLAYLISTS. For more information about becoming a member of AAG PDTA please drop me an email! I also give ASR Seminar's for those Professional Trainers and handlers who are interested in learning the American Street Ring Program. You can view the Entry and Level 1 ASR Exercises on The American Street Ring's Youtube Page. Ted, RJ, and myself are working on the details for the new ASR and will be updating when needed. If you are interested in starting an American Street Ring Training Program, you can email me at: Dogman or phone me at: 772-388-DOGS(3647) and I will be in touch! AAG (Americanstreetring Afiliated Group) PDTA (Professional Dog Trainers Association).ASR-PPDTA (American Street Ring Professional Protection Dog Trainers Association) promotes quality, practical Protection Dog Training & certifying Professional Trainers through affiliation, thereby creating a higher standard of Protection Dog Training. ASR-PPDTA style of training is based on the original ASR, created by Ted Hoppe. It promotes PRACTICAL protection exercises combined with functional obedience.
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