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The humble Sheepdog:
Loyal protector of the Sheep.
Sworn enemy of the Wolf.
The sheepdog analogy enshrined in our name and organizational identity is derived from the work of renowned soldier, researcher, educator, lecturer and author, Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman (U.S. Army, retired).
In his seminal essay on warriorship, ‘On Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs’, Grossman theorizes that there are, essentially, three kinds of people in the world: Those who prey upon other people — the Wolf, those who pretend the Wolf will never come — the Sheep, and those who prepare for that day — the Sheepdog.
To the right (or below, if you’re reading this on your mobile device), is an excerpt from Grossman’s essay that captures the essence of this analogy.
This commentary may strike you as a little dark, and overly-dramatic, but the gist is this: In our rapidly changing and increasingly unstable world, there is no room for ambiguity on the subjects of violence, crime and chaos. You have to decide what kind of person you are going to be:
A sheep, a wolf, or a sheepdog.
If you choose to be a sheepdog, you’re choosing to walk a long, steep, winding and rocky path, but you’ll be in good company, and sleep soundly at night knowing you are part of the solution to the myriad, complex problems facing society, and our species.
“If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you.
If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love.
But if you want to be a sheepdog, and walk the warrior’s path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.”
~ Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, US Army, retired
Sheepdog Survival is a mobile education and training enterprise, committed to delivering professional instruction in all aspects of personal safety and security, emergency management, and self-reliant living anywhere in Ontario, and beyond.
We aim to accomplish our mission through the development of live and on-line courses, a fun and informative blog, emergency survival guides, book and gear reviews, emergency kit lists and load-outs, links to recommended vendors and educators in the survival space, and other resources designed to help conscientious, concerned Canadians prepare to prevail in the uncertain times ahead.
“prepare to prevail.”
Prepare to prevail. This short, simple phrase is our official, organizational motto and mantra, and a concise expression of our mission. It is also a cleverly-disguised portal into our proprietary emergency management methodology:
PREPARE serves as an acronym that outlines the seven, progressive steps of our Action Plan for Emergency Preparedness…
P : Prepare for the worst; hope for the best.
R : Research potential threats.
E : Establish emergency action plans.
P : Procure critical resources.
A : Assemble emergency kits.
R : Rehearse your action plans.
E : Evaluate your performance.
PREVAIL is another acronym, used to outline the seven steps of our Action Plan for Emergency Response…
P : Practice situational awareness.
R : Remain calm and mission-focused.
E : Establish and prioritize objectives.
V : Visualize success.
A : Act decisively.
I : Improvise and adapt.
L : Leverage all available resources.
The instructors at Sheepdog Survival eat, sleep and breathe personal safety and security, survival and self-reliance. Each of us spends an embarrassing amount of time, energy and money every year learning from subject matter experts all over Canada and the U.S., and testing our knowledge and skills in the real world, under realistic conditions – both on the job, and on our own time.
We know what works and what doesn’t, and we teach from our personal and professional experience.
Below, are short backgrounders on our instructors and consultants, to help you get a feel for our team.
Brian Opdenkelder
Founder / Director
Brian is a Canadian, federal correctional officer, and the founder and director of Sheepdog Survival. Over the course of his 22+ year career in corrections, Brian has served as an Emergency Response Team member and instructor, use of force trainer and first aid instructor at his institution. Brian has also served as a volunteer firefighter in his home community of Severn Township.
Growing up, Brian spent much of his free time helping his parents grow and preserve food, mucking about in the woods with his friends, and competing in the combat sports of wrestling and judo. This laid the foundation for a lifelong love affair with all-things-combat- and-survival. To date, Brian has actively trained in over a dozen natural movement, functional fitness, combatives, bushcraft and emergency management methodologies – eastern and western, traditional and contemporary — and has earned instructor credentials in several of them.
“It is better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war.”
– Chinese proverb
Before selling his soul to the federal government for a steady paycheck and a decent pension, Brian worked as a professional horticulturist and builder for 15 years, completing over 400 projects throughout the course of his career. During the warmer months, Brian can usually be found in his garden, growing food and building stuff.
