About Us
Welcome to Von Citadel. We are Dean and Jan, internationally certified trainers and professional breeders dedicated to producing world class Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds.
Our mission is simple yet uncompromising: to breed and train dogs of absolute integrity, defined by world class balance, genetic health, and flawless temperament.
Our journey to becoming elite canine breeders did not start on a small scale. Long before we focused our expertise entirely on working dogs, we were professional, large scale livestock breeders. We owned and operated extensive cattle businesses and a massive commercial wool enterprise, managing between 17,500 head of Cattle and 33,000 Merino sheep in harsh, demanding environments.
Managing livestock at that scale taught us that the principles of genetic integrity are universal. To build a commercially viable breed, you must meticulously analyse structure, geographic soundness, and physical resilience. We mastered the science of balancing complex traits, from micron, crimp, and yield in wool, to eye muscle area and weight gain in livestock.
Today, we apply those exact same rigorous, scientific principles to our Malinois and German Shepherd breeding programmes. We do not breed for trends; we breed for biological soundness and structural perfection.
The VonCitadel Promise
When you choose a Von Citadel dog, you are benefiting from nearly four decades of macro genetic expertise and elite training capability. Whether you are looking for an intense working prospect, a personal protection asset, or a stable, loyal family guardian, our dogs are bred to excel, endure, and protect.
Over 35 Years of Elite Canine Experience
We are not just breeders; we are hands on trainers with over three decades of experience in the trenches of high level canine behaviour and protection.
International Certification: Certified as professional dog trainers since 1992.
The Biteworks: We previously owned and operated The Biteworks in South East Queensland (SEQLD), a premier facility specialising in protection training and advanced decoy work.
Working Breed Specialists: Over 35 years of deep experience working with powerful breeds, including Belgian Malinois, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dogue de Bordeaux, and Australian Kelpies.
Rehabilitation and Rescue: Our mastery of canine psychology extends to the most difficult cases. Over the years, we have rescued, rehabilitated, and successfully rehomed a vast number of highly aggressive dogs, transforming liabilities into balanced, stable companions.
Specialised Training Tools (NOT FOR SALE)
Here at VonCitadel, Dean has taken the next step in preparing our dogs for high-stakes working environments. We have hand-crafted custom training pieces used daily by Boss and Six to introduce complex sensory distractions. While our adult dogs thrive on this advanced conditioning, our puppies also begin training with these stimuli early on.
Exposing working dogs to a diverse range of novel environments, surfaces, and sudden noises is critical for neutralizing the “fear of the unknown.” True protection and working dogs cannot afford to be reactive or distracted by their surroundings. By systematically introducing various types of environmental stimuli during their critical developmental stages, we build rock-solid environmental confidence. This specialized desensitization ensures that when our dogs are deployed, their focus remains entirely on their handler and the task at hand, regardless of a chaotic or unfamiliar backdrop.
