Marco’s life work and passion has been dedicated to preserving health and genetic working qualities of the German Shepherd Dog.

He was introduced to dogs at an early age by his father who also had a love for dogs. His family acquired their first German Shepherd, Falco, when he was 3 years old. As a teenager he became involved in Schutzhund; A three phase sport developed to test the genetic qualities of working dogs for breeding selection purposes.

He titled his first dogs as a teenager. It was during this time he was fortunate to have met some of Germany’s most experienced breeders, trainers and judges who all frequented his small dog club in Arizona. His club and it’s members supported his ongoing education as a protection helper sending him all over the US to attend as many seminars as possible. For this he is forever grateful!

Following this passion, Marco moved to Germany in his mid twenties to immerse himself in the training, the culture, and everything related to the German Shepherd breed. He lived there for 6 years and was a part of the club OG Tangen in Southern Germany. Together with his companion Benno, they competed in the prestigious BSP two times becoming the only American to have done so successfully. In addition, they competed at the LGA 4 times, the Sieben-Lander Wettkamp, FCI SV-Bundesqualification and FCI all breed qualifications.

Marco was fortunate to be around some of the best trainers and breeders. His early mentors included, Reinhard Lidner, Jurgen Ritzi, Elmar Mannes, and Roman Schuler. These men influenced his command of protection helper-work, obedience and tracking training. Most of all they passed down the understanding of what it means to be a steward of the breed, making it the focal point of everything he does.

When Marco moved back from Germany in 2000, he took a break from training to raise his son. During that time, he furthered his breeding program while pursuing a career path in social services then as a county sheriff’s deputy.

His son is now in his second year at Arizona State University. Currently, his time is spent at home tending to the dogs, cat and chickens. He recently completed an IGP3 with our stud dog, Django, who is bringing the next generation of DLS dogs forward. He enjoys being a Schutzhund judge and uses the platform to educate working dog owners on all things related to working dogs.