"It's not worth doing unless I can share the experience with my best bud"
My name is Devlin Duvenhage
I am the owner and head trainer at Panhandle Dog Trainer. I have a strong background in trailing dogs, gundogs (hunting Retrievers, Spaniels, and Pointers), and pet dogs. No dog is the same and neither is my approach to training. Once the key is found to unlocking any individual dog then they can be trained to fit the needs and lifestyle of almost any family.
I am from Pietersburg, South Africa where I used dogs to trail game both for conservation and hunting. When not out in the bush with the German Shorthair Pointers, I was at home with our South African Boerbulls used for home and livestock protection. My dogs worked but were also our family companions living in the house with manners and rules.
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Since moving to the United States I have been truly blessed to still be able to incorporate dogs in every aspect of my life, wether it be joining me for a horse back ride, hiking trails or enjoying a night out with my wife, the dogs come everywhere! I have trained over 1,500 dogs since starting as a professional dog trainer and about 300 under my own business. I am a certified instructor for the International School for Dog Trainers after having completed all of its courses and choosing to return a few months out of the year to be an instructor at the school that changed my life.
My Journey
Once I came to America, I was an apprentice to Greg Oyer, one of the absolute best gundog trainers in the United States . He taught me every thing he knew when it came to training the perfect gundog!
There is no book in the world that could house the knowledge and skill that he possesses and I was lucky enough to study under him for years.
Being on the plantation training dogs out in the woods day in and day out showed me that I would never be able to work out of an office. Right then and there I decided not to attend Vet School at UGA, but instead fully embrace becoming a dog trainer. The only downside of working on the plantation was the fact that most dogs were purely used for hunting only... This did not sit well with me as I knew they deserved more out of life than simply being used as tools.
After a few years of working under Greg, I was doing 100% of the training and decided that I wanted to learn more. My search for more lead me to James Hamm where I definitely got more than I bargained for. James took me under his wing and showed me that every single dog is trainable with the correct method that best suits THAT DOG. I attended his International School for Dog Trainers where I became the youngest student to ever complete all of the certifications up to Instructor.
James Hamm
James was a U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major (31 years of service) with 35 years of experience working and training military working dogs, hunting dogs and companion pets.
He is one of the Top 10 trainers in America now and the face of Garmin dog training division. He is the number 1 dog trainer in Texas and assist Federal Agencies with their dog programs.
I attended his International School of Dog Trainers where he taught me how to combine military standards and pet dog obedience training with a balanced form of traininig. I have been extremely privileged to learn under some of the greats that have had years of experience and knowledge from countless great trainers before them. James has become so much more than a teacher to me. He is my American father! James refers to me as his child prodigy and son that he never had, which I am truly honored to have been privileged enough to learn from such a gifted dog trainer and even better father figure.
Dog training cannot be learned from a book, but only passed from trainer to trainer and that is why I have spent all my time in America honing my craft to better serve you, your family, and your dog.Â
