About Rui Navarro

My work with dogs has always been driven by reality, not trends. I have spent years training, raising and evaluating working dogs in environments where performance alone means nothing. Real protection work is not about titles, followers or polished videos. It is about truth, responsibility and outcomes when pressure is real.

I am the founder of TYR Protection Dogs and Elite Boerboels, working internationally with families who need reliable, stable and honest protection dogs. Every dog I work with is evaluated first for genetics, nerve strength and clarity before training ever begins. Training does not create protection. It reveals it.

Many people know me as Dogman Rui, the name I use on YouTube, where I share real training sessions, working dogs and the everyday decisions behind them. All of my training programs are delivered 100% online, so owners anywhere in the world can follow the same method with their own dogs.

I believe that most people are misled by what they see online. Sport obedience, clean bite work and rehearsed scenarios look impressive, but they do not represent real protection. My approach is different. I focus on clarity under stress, balance inside the home and reliability when situations are unpredictable.

Not every dog is suitable for protection work, and not every client is ready to own one. I am very selective about both. Dogs that do not meet the standard are never sold as protection dogs. Families deserve honesty, because a protection dog is not a product. It is a responsibility that affects lives.

I have spent more than 25 years breeding, training and working with dogs. Over that time I have worked with German Shepherds, Malinois, Dobermanns, Bandogs and Boerboels, always with the same question in mind: how does this dog behave when the situation is real, not rehearsed?

Our kennel is based just outside Lisbon, Portugal. It is not a hobby operation. We work with our dogs every day, with a team and in real environments, and we place dogs with families in more than 30 countries, mostly in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and Canada.

My wife Sandra Freitas works alongside me in everything we do. She is closely involved in raising every litter, in the early obedience of our dogs and in supporting every family, from the first message until long after the dog has gone home.

Two breeds sit at the centre of my work.

Working line German Shepherds. I work with them every day, from the first weeks of life to fully trained adults. What matters to me is nerve strength, clarity and the ability to switch off at home, not appearance. I explain the difference in working line vs show line German Shepherds.

Boerboels. I have bred and trained Boerboels for many years and they are among the most misunderstood guardian breeds. A good Boerboel is athletic, stable and clear-headed, not an oversized show dog. Read why most people misunderstand the Boerboel and how to train a Boerboel.

Protection dogs. Across both breeds, my focus is real protection: obedience under drive, threat recognition and the ability to disengage. See what makes a real protection dog and sport dog vs protection dog.

Everything I do follows the same standard, applied to different needs:

• TYR Protection Dogs: selected and trained family and personal protection dogs.
• Von Tyrwald: our working line German Shepherd breeding programme.
• Elite Boerboels: Boerboels bred for stability, athleticism and true guardian character.
• Boerboel Breeders Association (BBA): an association of breeders, for breeders, which I founded in Portugal and of which I am President.
• Alma K9: online dog training courses and trainer education in Portuguese.

For owners who want to work with their own dog, my Drive Control Protocol is delivered 100% online.

I am the author of The Boerboel Bible, a guide to the breed for owners and breeders, available on Amazon.

As Dogman Rui, I share real training sessions on YouTube, followed by more than 55,000 subscribers. No staged clips: real dogs, real problems and the decisions behind them. A few places to start:

• Sport Dog vs Protection Dog
• Real Protection Dogs: Day One, with Todos Decoy
• Working Line vs Show Line German Shepherd
• Boerboel vs Working Line German Shepherd
• How I fix severe leash reactivity
• The biggest Boerboel training mistake

• Role: working dog and protection dog trainer, breeder and educator.
• Experience: more than 25 years with working and guardian breeds.
• Breeds: working line German Shepherds and Boerboels; also Malinois, Dobermanns and Bandogs.
• Based in: near Lisbon, Portugal, working with clients worldwide.
• Founder of: TYR Protection Dogs, Von Tyrwald, Elite Boerboels and Alma K9; founder and President of the Boerboel Breeders Association.
• Author: The Boerboel Bible.
• Online: Dogman Rui on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.