About Us


All of our training staff hold certificates, awards and commendations in the working dog community, both here in the USA and abroad.


Irene Howcroft, Owner & Trainer
Irene founded Ruidoso Malinois and oversees all the kennel's programs. She is a certified master trainer and has brought a scientific approach to clarifying the needs to push standards in the breed to a higher level. In the counter-narcotics community, she is known for the first U.S. Department of State K9 program within the Mexican Department of Corrections. Her breeding program, development and nutrition-based programs are the baseline to numerous K9 programs here in the USA. Irene is an invited speaker at Police K-9 Seminars nationwide speaking on K-9 psychology and the mind of the dog from whelped to fully trained K-9.


Anthony Napoli, Trainer
Tony has 27 years of experience as a trainer of which 10 years were spent with DoD as a bomb/patrol dog handler and instructor with deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and Asia. Tony brings the expertise and finesse only decades of experience in a vast variety of environments can offer. Tony is a certified decoy.


Hans Echevarria, Trainer
Hans served with the DoD, Navy, as a military working bomb dog handle and completed deployments in Africa. Hans is a certified Decoy who brings with him both a wealth of training and application experience.


Edward Fowler, Trainer
Edward is United States Army veteran and has over 20 years experience working and training K-9’s in a multitude of environments. He is a certified trainer and decoy and whilst in the armed services was a K-9 handler, instructor, and certified dual purpose K-9 teams whilst deployed in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Edward has many years experience in the civilian sector, training dogs and instructing handlers and their K-9’s.


Ernie Mares, Trainer
Ernie has 26 years experience training and preparing K-9’s for deployment in the middle east and Afghanistan. Ernie has a profound understanding of dogs, how to engage with them ensuring that they develop and reach the maximum of their individual potential. He has many years experience in the private sector.


Guest Trainers and Instructors


Franco Angelini, The Bite Dr, instructs the decoys at Ruidoso Malinois twice annually, ensuring that standards are high and skills are consistently honed ensuring the best possible training and development of the Ruidoso Malinois decoys, thus ensuring high quality, trained dogs.

In addition Ruidoso Malinois has a consistently revolving staff of guest trainers and Instructors that allow us to remain current in the evolving world of counter-narcotics, patrol, tracking and explosives work. They are comprised of retired and active military, law enforcement and non-government personnel. We are embedded in the community to not only train to a higher standard but also utilize unique perspectives of guest trainers to the modernization and application of keeping K9 teams efficient.


With large contracts other certified trainer team members are available to ensure that these contracts are fulfilled in a professional timely manner to the highest standard.