K9 Trainer
K9 Handler
U.S. Army Veteran
K9 Handler
U.S. Army Veteran
Richard Duel has successfully completed the Full Service Trainer and Explosive Detection Handler courses at CCU, equipping him with the expertise to train dogs for a variety of critical roles in security and service.
Richard’s passion for working with dogs led him to pursue this career path, where he finds great fulfillment in building strong, effective working relationships between canines and their handlers. His dedication to the field is grounded in his earlier experiences serving in the US Army, where he developed discipline, focus, and a strong commitment to duty—qualities that seamlessly translate into his role at CCU.
Outside of work, Richard enjoys spending time with his working dog, Bravo, and continues to deepen his knowledge and skills in canine behavior and training techniques. His dedication to the safety and success of both the animals and the handlers he trains makes him a valuable asset to the CCU team.
Richard Duel's Accolades
Full Service Trainer Course
Working with Duel was very fun and informative. He’s great at meeting people where they’re at and helping them excel. I’d highly recommend this course
Full Service K9 Trainer Course
Working with Duel was an awesome experience, he shared lots of knowledge about dogs with me, helped me when I was struggling, and also let me know what things I did well. I highly recommend this course
Other than training with my dog Baba, learning from and interacting with instructor Richard Duel was the highlight of my time at CCU
I took the Full Service Handler’s Course (explosives detection and tracking) through the VA from March 2 – April 10, 2026. I had never worked with dogs before and this course was a great, comprehensive immersion into the world of professional canines.
As I alluded to in my title, instructor Richard Duel single handedly carried the team in terms of transforming my experience here from solid to exceptional. Of course, all members of the dedicated staff here at CCU played their valuable roles, but instructor Duel truly went above and beyond the call of duty for his students, and in particular me.
It began with his generous offer to give me a ride to and from the Atlanta airport. Flying in from Los Angeles, I did not have a personal vehicle here in Georgia, and as a policy CCU generally does not assist with transportation for its students to and from its training facility. This is understandable and would be an unnecessary extra responsibility for the already streamlined staff. Nevertheless, instructor Duel, along with owner AJ, coordinated to give me a lift to the student housing. For the return trip back to the airport upon completion of my training, instructor Duel offered to give me a ride using his own car, on his own time, and at his own expense. This is just one example of the many ways in which instructor Duel was personally accommodating to me during this course. He paid out of pocket on several occasions, such as when I didn’t have my wallet on me for lunch during off-site training and when my dog bit into a new toy in the CCU store during detection training. I say this not to set an expectation for future students, but to highlight his incredible character and giving nature that extends far beyond his role as an instructor.
Instructor Duel’s commitment to his students was also evident in his teaching. As someone who had never handled dogs before at this level, I was often unsure, hesitant, and nervous about what to do. Instructor Duel was always patient and supportive in helping to bring out the best in me and my assigned dog partner. He carefully answered every question I had, even if they may have been trivial or repetitive for him. I am enormously grateful for the care and attention he put into my training.
During my time here, I noticed that there were a lot of moving pieces here at CCU, with multiple courses occurring simultaneously and additional clients to serve. From what I noticed, instructor Duel carried far more than his share of work, balancing his efforts between classroom instruction, hands-on training, client support, and general facility maintenance. I was thoroughly impressed with his work ethic, his passion, and his expertise on a daily basis.
I cannot thank instructor Duel enough for his trust and investment in my growth as a K9 handler. CCU is a fantastic organization, and in my opinion instructor Duel is the MVP of a tremendous team. I sincerely hope that this gem of an individual receives the recognition and compensation that he richly deserves, here at CCU and in life.
Respectfully,
Willis
Trackers course
Very easy to learn from, when he saw a deficiency with a track he explained it really well to apply to the next training lanes.
MWD Tracker Instructor
He is very well knowledgeable and was able to give us little tips and tricks during the course to help us succeed.
Tracking Course
He has a wide knowledge base. He is very good at watching the dogs and the handlers and tweaking things as needed for each individual team. He gives great feedback for you to grow as a team.
Instructor review
Subject matter expert
MWD Tracking Instructor
He was very knowledgeable and gave good tips/tricks for working our dogs.
Full Service Trainer Course
I came to this school knowing NOTHING about K9 training or maintenance. Throughout my time in the course I met many people who have mentored me and offered guidance in the learning process. Every instructor is very approachable and offers their knowledge whenever requested. Duel was a very knowledgeable instructor who took his time to adjust to each students learning style. I highly recommend this course to anyone wanting to get into the K9 training or handling business.
