Vanrusselhof Kennel History - written 2009

The foundation of Vanrusselhof working Malinois breeding program started in 2001 with the import of Bo Les Betulacees CDX HT ET IPO1 from Europe.  Bo was a firecracker on the sports field with speed, drive and grip that had never been seen in Australia at the time.  Bo was mated to an av Nangijala Police Service Dog before coming to Australia but sadly was not in whelp upon arrival.
Bo Les Betulacees CDX HT ET IPO1	Bo Les Betulacees CDX HT ET IPO1

Bo, litter sister to Crash Les Betulacees IPO2, brought valuable new blood to Australia with an excellent diverse working pedigree. Bo's dam Furij-Brico Godard (NDL) from van Fort Oranje kennels was a famous female that some of the top kennels in the Netherlands founded their breeding program on.  Furji produced many dogs that are titled in KNPV, IPO and working police service dogs.  On the sire side Bo's pedigree brought the famous Elgos du Chemin Plaines Belg Ring 1, Mondio Ring 3, French Ring 3, 5 X World Champion famous for his full mouth grip as well as being a top producer in modern times with many descendants excelling in Ring sports, IPO and KNPV.  Bo is ½ sister to Kukay'a Aras KNPV PH1 who was imported into Australia a few years later by another kennel - both Bo & Ara's descend from the Kukay's R litter on one side of the pedigree.  Bo whelped 3 litters for Vanrusselhof B, H & L.
Furij-Brico Godard (NDL)		Elgos du Chemin Plaines famous for his full mouth grip
In 2001 Vanrusselhof once again imported valuable new blood to increase the limited gene pool in the form of imported frozen semen from three IPO titled working bloodline males.  Kukay's Taco IPO3, Utamaru Des Deux Pottois IPO3 & Zico vd Berlex Houve IPO1.  This was the first influx of IPO titled FCI pedigree males & their bloodlines into Australia and all 3 boys are world championship level participants.  Vanrusselhof imported semen from the 3 males below in 2001
Zico vd Berlex Houve IPO3 FH2	Utamarou Des Deux Pottois IPO3		Kuaky's Taco IPO3
Incidentally a few years later Zico vd Berlex Houve was imported to Australia by another kennel.  This in turn allowed us to be the first kennel in Australia to line breed on Zico vd Berlex Houve/Turcodos van De Duvetorre/Stoned van De Duvetorre via Zico’s progeny in our Q & R litters.  Other kennels followed suite and these bloodlines are now widely used in the RAAF.

Vanrusselhof the first in Australia to line breed on Turcodos & Stoned in 2007
Turcodos van De Duvetorre IPO 3	Stoned van De Duvetorre IPO 3

Vanrusselhof Brianca (AI) Explosives Detection Dog Royal Presidential Place, Philippines

By 2003 progeny from the imported frozen semen were on the ground in the form of Vanrusselhof A, B & E litters and making their mark both in Australia and overseas.  The A litter Konrika Fraulien Crissa X Kukay's Taco IPO3 was a working show combination.  This was the first Malinois litter in Australia to be produced by artificial insemination from imported frozen semen.  The A litter produced produced versatile Malinois that titled in both the conformation show ring and ANKC competition arena - CH Vonrusselhof Addonis CD HT ET (AI), CH Vonrusselhof Aella CD HT JDX ADX AAD ET SD (AI), Vonrusselhof Ainia CD ET HIC1 (AI).  The Vanrusselhof B litter Bo Les Betulacees X Utamarou des deux Pottois IPO3 was a line breeding on Elgos du Chemin Plaines  and produced Vanrusselhof Brianna HT IPO1 High in Trial (AI) and Vanrusselhof Brianca (AI) Detection Dog Royal Philippines Palace.  The Vanrusselhof E litter Zico vd Berlex houve IPO3 X Vanrusselhof Brianca (AI) produced  Vanrusselhof Elza SchHA (AI), Vanrusselhof Esca (AI) detection dog Royal Philippines Palace and our own very successful brood bitch Vanrusselhof Enca (AI).

Meanwhile Bo Les Betulacees tried her paw in the field of ANKC competition turning heads with the speed and drive of a working malinois that most in the land down under had never seen before.  Bo achieved her CD companion dog, CDX companion dog excellent, HIT herding instinct test & ET endurance test titles easily. At the age of 6 Bo had a change of career and began training towards her Schutzhund titles with Tracey Jackson.  Bo took to Schutzhund like a duck to water and easily gained her Sch1 title with high in trial and a pronounced courage rating under international judge Lance Collins!  Not bad for a dog that started out at 6 years of age.  It's worth noting that Bo is the first female Malinois in Australia to achieve any Schutzhund or herding title

Bo Les Betulacees Herding

Vanrusselhof Gotya Chisel Military Working Dog Airforce

Having produced nearly all females from the frozen semen boys were in short supply so in 2003 Vanrusselhof began the search for an import male.   Early 2004 Vanrusselhof Kennels imported CH Bryan Vom Haus Mecki SchH3.  Bryan is the most highly credentialed dog ever imported into Australia holding 2 conformation show championship titles and a working Schutzhund 3 title the time of import.  To date Bryan is still only Malinois in Australia to hold dual working (Sch3, IPO3) & show (CH, DKBRCH, DK CH) credentials.  Shortly after his arrival Bryan won the 2004 Grand National Schutzhund Championship with high in trial protection & High in Trial Obedience.  Bryan's sizzling performances on the Schutzhund field marked the start of a surge in popularity of the Malinois in Australia, as this was the first time many in Australia had witnessed a fully fledged SchH3 working Malinois in action. Many people set about importing or acquiring their first working Malinois soon after.  Numbers on the Schutzhund field rose from virtually non-existent to dominating the sport at an estimated 70% today with numbers in the Air force and Police growing steadily.

Vanrusselhof imported Bryan Vom Haus Mecki in 2004
Bryan over the A Frame	Bryan's famous courage test	Bryan Tracking

After the 2004 Nationals Bryan went to live with Reg & Karyn Worth.  Reg and Bryan went on to win the IPO3 competition at the Nationals in 2006, 2007 and in 2008 won the AUSC Grand National Championship Title making Bryan the only dog in Australia to win this prestigious title twice!  In 2007 Reg and Bryan traveled to compete at the FMBB world championships in France and became the first Belgian Shepherd team to ever represent Australia on an international level!  Bryan also made his mark as a stud dog in Australia with progeny in many security homes, Sport homes, royal Australian Airforce, Correctional services and the show ring - to name just a few Vanrusselhof Kai (Military working dog), Vanrusselhof Gotya Chisel (Military Working Dog), Vanrusselhof Krueger IPO3.

Reserve in Specialty Show Winner  CH Vanrusselhof Malena HT

Vanrusselhof Malinois have also had great success in the show rings over the years with Best of Breed Malinois at the QLD Specialty 2007 2008, VIC Specialty 2009, NSW Specialty 2002 2007 2008, Illawarra Specialty 2007 2008 with an elite Reserve Best in Show win at Illawarra in 2008 and 13 specialty class in show awards over the years.  In the all Breeds show rings Vanrusselhof Malinois have won Best of Breed at Queensland's premier dog show, the Brisbane Royal in 2005 2006 2007, 2008 & 2009, Best of Breed at the Toowoomba Royal 2004 2005 2006 2007, 2008 & 2009 with an additional 41 Class in Group Awards & 4 class in show awards at all breeds shows to our credit.  In 2008 we also stepped into the show ring with a Laekenois for the first time winning Best of Breed Laekenois at the QLD specialty & Brisbane Royal in 2008 and Best of Breed at the Toowoomba Royal in 2009.  In summery we have achieved more in the show ring than any other Malinois kennel in Australia!

Best of Breed Malinois Illawarra Specialty 2007

Felix Ho & Reg Worth & Bryan vom Haus Mecki FMBB World Championships France 2007

With a tally of 116 performance titles in ANKC conformation, Obedience, Agility, Lure coursing, Herding, Endurance & Schutzhund we are proud to say Vanruselhof Malinois have achieved more performance titles than any other Belgian Shepherd Kennel in Australia!  As well as achieving this impressive mass of awards, Vanrusselhof dogs have been receiving notable certification in the security, police service, military and in detection programs.  Vanrusselhof Malinois are influential all over the world and many of the dogs we have bred have been the foundation for other kennels breeding programs.  We have exported dog to Hong Kong, New Caledonia, Hawaii, Guam, America, Japan, Tahiti & New Zealand and imported dogs/semen from Norway, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

The next generations at Vanrusselhof...

In 2009 we decided it was time for some more new Malinois blood and Vanrusselhof imported Ellis de l'origine de faucon rouge IPO3 AD DMC-WP from Germany.  A very special and big thank you must go to Antje Ramus who trained and titled Ellis to IPO3 before she was exported to Australia and went to a lot of time and trouble for us.  Ellis will live and be trained and trialed with Reg and Karyn Worth and come back to Vanrusselhof to be shown and for motherhood duties.

Vanrusselhof imported Ellis de l'origine de faucon rouge IPO3 AD DMC WP in 2009 Dam of the Vanrusselhof X litter

Ellis was imported in whelp to Gino von den kleinen Helden V1 CAC/BOB VPG3/IPO3 DMC WP+Körung from Germany.  Bringing to our kennels a nice mixture of French Ring orientated working bloodlines.  A large, serious impressive male with indisputable working ability and a proven sire with offspring in sport and service homes Gino also boasts one of the highest Korung scores in Germany!

Gino von den kleinen Helden V1 CAC/BOB VPG3/IPO3 DMC WP+Körung (Germany) Sire of the Vanrusselhof X litter

More recently we embarked on an exciting new project in the form of the Laekenois variety.  The rarest of the 4 Belgian Shepherd varieties the limited numbers and small gene pool make for some challenges but we don't give up easily...  We are determined we will promote and advance this variety and make our mark as we have done for the Malinois variety over the years.

CH Radnor Deja Vu Laekenois

Early 2009 we acquired frozen semen from Cougar Van de Duvetorre IPO3 Mondio Ring 2 (BLG), Yzer Van de Duvetorre IPO3(BLG), Zulu Van Balderlo (BLG), Avery van de Duvetorre Mondio Ring I (BLG), ASAP Van Balderlo (BLG), NL CH Iwan V Zuwetta Fortuna (NDL), CH Cool Epic V Springwood (CAN), Blackroyal's Dandy (Fin).  We look forward to incorporating these boys into our breeding program over the coming years.

Cougar Van de Duvetorre IPO3 Mondio Ring 2 (BLG) Malinois

Yzer Van de Duvetorre IPO3 Malinois

Zulu Van Balderlo (BLG) Malinois

Avery van de Duvetorre Mondio Ring 1 (BLG) Laekenois

ASAP Van Balderlo (BLG) Laekenois

CH Cool Epic V Springwood Laekenois

NL CH Iwan V Zuwetta Fortuna (NDL) Laekenois

and last but definitely not least....    Blackroyal's Dandy Laekenois

All set to make history once again the future looks bright for Vanrusselhof with some valuable new bloodlines for Australia once again increasing the Malinois & Laekenois gene pool.  Some exciting new litters ahead....!