THE FOLLOWING FEATURE ARTICLE IS A REPRINT FROM
THE INFORMATIVE WORKING DOG MAGAZINE SEPT 1999

(Owned and run by Evan Harbalis from Von Ultimate Kennels)

Thanks goes to Evan (Non Classical Dogs)

This interview was conducted by my close and dear friend Paul Howell USA......

Three-Time KNPV Champ Albertus Kamps

By Paul Howell

Mr. Kamps is three-times KNPV champion of the world and was third place last year with his bitch "Cobra". His wife Miny, also competes in the sport. She has titled four dogs with high Met Lof scores. Mr. Kamps is a civilian who works for the Dutch army with a patrol dog. He has been asked to participate 12 times in the championships, which is a great honor considering only the 10 top dogs and handlers per year are asked to participate.

P.H: What years were you champion?
KAMPS: 1968, 1977, 1978; in '77 and '78 with the same dog -a Belgian Malinois named "Nero". This year my bitch, Cobra, would have won but I had a small mistake.

P.H: How many dogs are KNPV titled every year?
KAMPS: Somewhere around 1,500.

P.H: Under what kennel name do you breed dogs?
KAMPS: The Kennel Frieda's House which is the name of my first champion.

P.H: What was Cobra's score last year?
KAMPS: A perfect 435. Then in the championships she scored 431. She lost 4 points retrieving or she would have won again.

P.H: You came to America with Gerard van Es from von Haus Antverpa Kennels - breeders of this year's world champion, Ory von Haus Antverpa. You also brought a young male German Shepherd KNPV dog with you. Where is he from?
KAMPS: From Gerard. He is a "Gento vom Haus Larwin" son. He is 3 years old, and many times I have won KNPV matches with him.

P.H: When did you first start in KNPV?
KAMPS: 1963. I have done no other dog sports, only KNPV.

P.H: Why only KNPV?
KAMPS: Because KNPV suits me better. It is more for-real and I have grown up with it, and it is more to the police and military styles that I know.

P.H: Are Malinois a favourite breed of dog for you?
KAMPS: In 1968, I won with a cross between a Dutch Shepherd and a Malinois. Now I am working a German Shepherd from Gento who produces excellent dogs for KNPV. I think it is because of his father, "Robbie," and the fact that Gento himself is a real dog.

P.H: How would you compare the German Shepherd, in general, to the Malinois?
KAMPS: The Malinois has more drive and is more willing to work. They also excel in bitework. I have seen a few German Shepherds who can do the work like Gento etc...

P.H: At what age do you start training with your dogs?
KAMPS: I play a lot with my young puppies but serious training I do not start until around 1 year. I like to raise my own dogs, that way I know the dog. In my community there may be 10 training clubs within 5 miles, unlike here in America where it would be hard to start with a puppy. If I raise my own puppy, the mistakes that I make are my own and I have no one else to blame.

P.H: This week we have seen your dog Cobra work. Over 50 have seen her this week, and all re amazed. Her bitework is unbelievable, but her obedience is even more spectacular; the way she always focuses on you. I have never seen a dog this hard with this much control, and it is all happy control. How in the hell do you do it?
KAMPS: Because I have such a good bond with all of my dogs and I can use soft hands when necessary. But I also, as you have seen this week, can use hard hands when I have to. Also, it is a little problem I see in Germany a lot and a little bit here in America, the handlers or trainers always take from the dog, they never give, and in the obedience it really shows. The dogs are quite unhappy.

P.H: Greg Mominee was here. He is two times North American police champion and many times Schutzhund III with his dogs. When he saw your young German Shepherd "Nero" , he could not believe how hard this dog was but yet how excellent his obedience and control was. While we were working other dogs in protection, you heeled your dogs around the helpers and the other dogs and they always made eye contact with you. To what do you attribute this?
KAMPS: I do not like hard, long training. I like to start my dogs early with many short, quick learning sessions per day. Every day I train something with my dog. I know it is hard here in America to do this because your clubs are so far apart and your country does not have a lot of dog spots, period. I have the advantage in my job, I can use my dogs as well as my patrol dog, so they can accompany me to work everyday.

P.H: We have established that Malinois are the choice in KNPV. But now you start to see a few German Shepherd, but they all seem to have similar pedigrees. Usually you see Robbie Glockeneck and a little bit of "Greif" in the pedigrees. Are there any certain Malinois bloodlines that you hunt for?
KAMPS: No, not really. Most KNPV Malinois say over 80 percent are unregistered and a lot are mixed breed with a Malinois and something else. But the pedigree, although it is not official, is quite well known on some of the Malinois.

P.H: You now have a registered Malinois from von Haus Antverpa. Is this the first registered Malinois you have worked?
KAMPS: Yes. I know this dog's parents and I know he is 100 percent correct with his papers. As I have told you, I have seen some things that disturb me with the Malinois in the U.S.
There are many Malinois coming to the States with pedigrees, but these are not their real pedigrees. I do not like this practice; I think it is very wrong. And my new puppy "Quatro" is a super prospect.
I have already started some play exercises with his on retrieving articles and guarding articles as well as searching in the woods for a man and an article. But since he is only 17 weeks old, I cannot do too much with him.

P.H: I hope he turns out super since I have a full brother to him in my kennel. You have met many dog handlers and trainers and policemen this week. They are all very excited about KNPV and Schutzhund. What advice can you give them?
KAMPS: I enjoyed very much their enthusiasm and their desire to want to learn. Again, the trainers that I have met that are the best trainers I have seen in your country. They all live so far away from each other, it is a real problem to get together to work.

P.H: You have seen dogs this week with some problems. What would you say was the most common problem?
KAMPS: A lot of the dogs had more than good defense. But, for some reason, the people wanted to put a little bit more oil on the fire and the dogs' grip suffered. The dogs all bit hard and would surely bite you, but they were not as full as they could be. Some of these dogs I know from Belgium and they were always full (biters) there. So, it is a little bit of a training problem because you are working only in defense and all dogs must have a small amount of prey. But, for the majority, there were some excellent police dogs here.

P.H: You have seen some young dogs here that bit. Most were very full, but they had no pressure to their bite. Why do you think this is so?
KAMPS: For the same reason I just told you. They have nowhere near a balance in their drives. Maybe they are ashamed to work the dog in prey, or something like this.
But all great police dogs, no matter what the breed, have good prey drive also. I am not saying (they should be) like the German show dogs, which are all prey and absolutely no defense, or fight drive, but I am saying we need some prey in the dogs to make the grip hard and full.

P.H: You have seen many young dogs and you have seen a lot of people using different training styles. You said that for the most part that we are very impatient with our young dogs.
KAMPS: Yes. You had 6-month old puppies someone brought that were already on the hard sleeve, but the dog's grip was terrible. He was a super young dog but he needs to be moved back to the rag and soft sleeve for four or five months. I wish they would make the age for the Schutzhund I dog 24 months, minimum. I think this would give people a little longer and more patience to train their dogs. We do not care how good our young dogs bite on the roll or the soft puppy sleeve.
We keep them on it until they are around 1 year old because you must understand that they are still puppies.

P.H: Yes, you demonstrated this perfectly with some of the 15-month-old dogs by taking them back to a softer sleeve for a few days and then letting them bite the hard sleeve. It improved the grip 1,000 percent.
KAMPS: I am not preaching to you. Everything I have told the people this week, I do myself on all of my dogs.

P.H: Your German Shepherd, "Nero" is a super young dog. He is only 3 years old and you have not taken him for the official KNPV test yet. Although you have been to many KNPV matches where you were undefeated with the dog, what are you waiting for, a perfect 435 score like you have with the rest of your dogs?
KAMPS: Yes, this is correct. I have already scored 432 points with him and I want the other 3 points.

P.H: What is one word of advice that you could give we Americans that you think would help us?
KAMPS: Again, work together like you did this week. There were people here from at least eight different states, and I really like to see this. Do not be afraid to help each other. Also, when considering working dogs, try to buy a dog bred to work not just a dog bred to look beautiful and lay by the fireplace and run around in circles in a show ring.

P.H: It has been our pleasure to have you here for the last two weeks. I look forward to this summer when you will be back for a longer visit. I know this is your first visit to the States. How did you like it?
KAMPS: I have videotaped everything in America. I think I have used nine, 2-hour 8mm video tapes. To make it easy for you I will say one thing, "I love America!"

Cheers,
Evan
VON ULTIMATE KENNELS