Home / The team
Who's on the field
Handlers, helpersand a hay field.
Ironside started with one Malinois and a borrowed sleeve. Today it's three trainers, two certified helpers, forty club members and an 18-acre field west of Fort Worth.
Founder & head trainer
Cal Rourke
Cal joined the Air Force at nineteen and spent eight years as a military working dog handler: patrol, explosives detection and two deployments with a Malinois named Arko.
After four more years as a trainer at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Cal wanted to work with dogs and their people outside the military. IGP was the closest thing to real work that a civilian dog could do, and the hardest to do well.
Ironside opened in 2012 on a leased hay field in Parker County. Cal still coaches every club session, helps at trials across the South, and handles his own dog, Vex, at national events.
The crew
Who you'll train with
We don't post photos of our staff. We let the dogs do the talking.
Jonah Pruitt
Head helper
Fifteen years in the sleeve, trial helper at regionals and two national events. Jonah builds grips and reads pressure better than anyone we know.
Lena Ortiz
Tracking & obedience
A former veterinary technician who has taken two of her own German Shepherds to IGP3. Lena runs Saturday tracking and the puppy foundation group.
Sam Mercer
Protection program
A former police K9 trainer who leads home and vehicle scenarios for family protection dogs and teaches the handler course.
How we train
Clear, fairand never in anger.
We use food, toys and the helper to build drive and understanding. Once a dog understands, we add clear, proportional corrections. We never correct a dog for something it hasn't been taught, and we never train in anger.
Every club dog gets a vet check before bite work starts. Dogs train in short sessions with plenty of rest, shade and water. In summer we move sessions to early morning and evening.
- 2012
Ironside opens on a leased hay field with four founding members.
- 2013
First trial: three BH-VTs and one IGP1.
- 2016
We buy our 18-acre field and become a DVG America member club.
- 2019
First Ironside handler qualifies for the AWMA National Championship.
- 2022
Family protection program launches with Sam Mercer.
- 2025
Two club dogs named to an American FCI world championship team.
Step one
Every dog startswith an evaluation.
Ninety minutes on our field. We test drive, grip, environmental nerve and how your dog handles pressure, then tell you honestly what your dog is suited for.