Continental Divide Dog Training and Behavior LLC

Continental Divide Dog Training and Behavior LLC We're here to serve the dogs of the continental divide and the people who love them.

So you have a herding breed but no livestock? Cool, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. 99.8% of herding breed d...
08/25/2026

So you have a herding breed but no livestock? Cool, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. 99.8% of herding breed dogs are perfectly happy as companion dogs with other activities and outlets in life. But here are some reasons you should consider herding as a hobby:

1. Learning to work stock with your dog is a great way to build a stronger bond. Relationships are a two way street. In herding, you will see more of how your dog thinks, what makes them tick. You will grow as the human half of the equation. Not only will your dog have warm fuzzy feelings because you grant them access to stock, they will be absolutely delighted to be working WITH you. The name of the game is team work.

2. Not only does herding give your dog an appropriate outlet for their instincts, giving them that outlet helps develop an on and off button. It is easier for dogs to let go of undesirable manifestations of herding, such as corralling their canine friends, if they learn where their instincts ARE desirable.

3. Herding is a real confidence booster. As herding breed owners, we have dogs designed to be aware of and control movement. Yet we live in a world that is hectic and our dogs are given very little autonomy. When they work stock, they finally get to be in charge of the situation. Mark my words, when it clicks, their confidence will grow in leaps and bounds.

4. By giving them the opportunity to train and work, dogs get to learn HOW to use their instincts. Contrary to popular belief, herding isn't a bunch of chasing and biting. Outside of rare and dangerous situations, dogs should employ a variety of tools in their toolbox such as movement, eye, and pressure before escalating to teeth. Learning how to use those gentler tools will help your dog make better choices in day to day life.

5. Herding uses impulse control, obedience skills, etc. all with a very powerful functional(non food) reward. Life has many reinforcers for those who look. We use treats, praise, play, freedom, and on and on. But being released to go back to work for a down? That packs a powerful reinforcement punch. You can get the rock solid obedience you want by having fun with your dog. What's not to love about that?

Pictured is Kai, a young Belgian Tervuren, during his first big boy sheep sesh. He had the time of his life practicing valuable skills with day to day life applications.

08/03/2026

My last trainee, Kato, went all the way to Idaho to start his new job on a large beef and dairy cattle operation. He is absolutely thriving, loved, and appreciated in his home and as a cowdog. I couldn't be more proud. This right here is what it's all about. ❤️

"Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU!
Yesterday I was cleaning pens. My old deaf dog had 1 100% reliable command “clear the gate”. She would push everything out and keep the gate area cleared.
Yesterday, Kato did a great job of moving the calves back over and over again. Dairy calves will live and die by their nosiness!
He still gets overexcited and forgets to listen, but overall he’s trying hard to dial in to us. He prefers Darren, which is fine, but will work for either of us.
I cannot thank you enough for all of the time you invested in him and for trusting us with him."

Ready for a hard to swallow pill? In the overwhelming majority of cases, your dog is doing most of the heavy lifting. Ye...
08/02/2026

Ready for a hard to swallow pill?

In the overwhelming majority of cases, your dog is doing most of the heavy lifting. Yes, even your "stubborn" dog, your independent or primitive breed, your difficult to motivate dog, etc. They are doing the leg work to bridge the species gap and they deserve a big thanks for putting up with us humans. The vast majority of dogs are naturally human oriented and want to work with us. They try.

If you want to be a better dog trainer and dog owner, branch out. Teach silly tricks to cats, ducks, quail, etc. Volunteer with feral kittens at the shelter. After an hour of carefully controlling conditions, choosing your reinforcers, maintaining a high rate of reinforcement, adjusting your posture and movements to minimize pressure, allowing your pupil time and space to learn at their pace, and raising criteria as snail pace, you will go home with a new appreciation for your dog. And your dog will thank you in turn for fine tuning your training mechanics.

This is my duck, Brain Cell. Her training goal today was to step onto my palm, allow me to lift her, and stay on the platform where I set her. Mission accomplished!

✨️Now introducing sliding scale payment and bartering✨️Let's talk money. Since the very beginning of my career, before I...
07/27/2026

✨️Now introducing sliding scale payment and bartering✨️

Let's talk money. Since the very beginning of my career, before I was even confident enough to take my own clients, I have wrestled with the money problem. My goals have always been to help dogs reach their fullest potential, help families succeed and keep their dogs for life, and to do so regardless of a dog owner's finances.

I was told to raise my rates otherwise clients will not value my time and expertise or follow through with training. I was told that *I* need to value my own time and expertise more, "charge what I'm worth". There is a sliver of truth to those sentiments. But now in the year 2026, the rising cost of literally everything is causing shelters and rescues to hit critical mass with owner surrenders, I think it's past time I debut a different payment model.

Sliding scale is honor system based. I'm not going to check your credit, audit your assets, or any other yawn inducing, privacy invading hoop jumping. Hoop jumping is for agility and trick dogs.

Bartering is TBD. Maybe you have the blackbelly ram that I need to sire my next lamb crop? Maybe you have parts I need for my truck? Or maybe you have hay and feed to spare? Do you teach welding? Are you bilingual and willing to help a monolingual out? Whatever you might have to offer, just ask. Worst I can say is no.

Now for the fine print:
•All bartering agreements will come with a written contract. This protects both parties and ensures we've been fair to one another.

•I still reserve the right to refuse or refer out prospective clients and I reserve the right to end services at any time.

•Payment is still due up front. I have bills to pay and animals to feed. I owe yous do not keep lights on or bellies full.

•Travel fees will remain the same.

If you're ready to put your working dog to work, change bad habits, create a stronger bond and better life with your dog, message me. Let's talk.

We've moved on to greener pastures. Literally! CDD training and behavior is now in northern New Mexico. And as luck woul...
06/21/2026

We've moved on to greener pastures. Literally!

CDD training and behavior is now in northern New Mexico. And as luck would have it, we are still very close to the continental divide.

The dust is beginning to settle from the move. The sheep are eagerly mowing overgrown portions of the property. And once Kato here departs for his new cowboy job, I will open the schedule back up for new trainees.

Big things coming to Continental Divide! Right now, they're still little things. 🐑🐏🐑
03/31/2026

Big things coming to Continental Divide! Right now, they're still little things. 🐑🐏🐑

What is old dead dog syndrome and why does it matter? Old dead dog syndrome is not a recognized disorder. You won't find...
02/11/2026

What is old dead dog syndrome and why does it matter?

Old dead dog syndrome is not a recognized disorder. You won't find diagnostic criteria for it. It's a term dog folks made up for the rose colored glasses people apply to their departed old dog. Grief, recency bias, etc. are absolutely at play with ODDS.

And before I continue, I want to say these things are completely normal. It's normal to love and grieve our departed dogs. It's normal to cherish all our great memories of them. It is actually really concerning if you think back and say,"Wow, Bella was so dumb and awful".

ODDS becomes a problem when we don't recognize it in ourselves and when it affects the new puppies and dogs in our lives. Those problems can manifest as selective amnesia such as,"Aspen was potty trained at three weeks old. She never would have peed on the floor". Which first of all, no she wasn't and second of all, you still need to potty train the puppy in front of you. Or maybe you haven't forgotten what a teen terror Breck was but memories of all your chewed up possessions are a lot funnier than cleaning up the latest mess from a bored adolescent. Worse yet, maybe you are repeatedly setting your new puppy/dog up to fail and blaming them for being less than Cooper.

You need to remember to focus on the puppy/dog in front of you. You need to give them the grace to be young and need training. You need to accept that dogs are individuals, even if they're related, even if they're raised in the same home by the same people.

Grieve however it is that you grieve. Reminisce about how Brody walked on water and saved Timmy from the well. But remember, comparison is the death of joy.

Pictured is my own old dead dog, Kaki, having a good roll in the grass. She once shredded a down comforter. Cleaning up thousands of tiny feathers was not at all fun and I thought, "I'm going to be finding feathers for the rest of my life". And I am, because I got a bunch of ducks. It's a lot funnier in hindsight with my rose colored glasses on. I think of her every time I find a feather that somehow made its way into the house.

Enjoy some recent shots of goobers in training. Kai is a teen tervuren, training to be a great adventure buddy and best ...
02/09/2026

Enjoy some recent shots of goobers in training.

Kai is a teen tervuren, training to be a great adventure buddy and best friend for his family.

Kato is a young adult herdy mix that came to me with a whole lot of go and not a lot of whoa. But he is a brilliant young dog and has been a quick study in so many different skills. He's ready to find his forever home.

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Hartsel, CO
80449

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