DOG TRAINING - Key Persons
Andi has been a trainer at BSKD for over 2 years and a client for many years! She began as a junior handler and has all sorts of titles on her dogs: Dual Champion, Show Champion, Field Champion, Amateur Field Champion and Junior Hunter. She currently owns Brittanys. She is most proud of (1) watching dogs she has bred or dogs sired by her males do really well not only on the field trial circuit but in the show ring as well; (2) Getting Reserve at her National specialty and the next year getting into the final pull in the breed ring with the same dog; and (3) She put the show championship on the 10th Dual Pointer (yes, there are only 10!)
She enjoys teaching Conformation to people because she likes to see them come back and make progress with what she's been helping them with in class. Every dog/handler combination teaches Andi something new that hopefully, she can help someone else with down the road. She feels that the most important concept to teach a dog and owner team is how to read their dog. "They give you signs of what they need/want all the time; you just have to pay attention!" She also believes it is important to not get frustrated with our dogs; after all, they can't ready our minds!
Ann has been showing dogs for over 50 years, and has shown in Conformation, Obedience, Agility and Rally.
She's had several breed champions in Irish Setters, English Cockers and Standard Poodles, several of which she also bred, and while several of her dogs have competed in Agility with her friends handling, obedience has always been her first love.
She has trained her dogs at Blue Springs N Katydid for almost as long as she's been showing.
She enjoys working on the desk, helping folks find the appropriate class for their dogs and loves helping Sheri O'Brien with the Friday evening classes.
Carol joins us from Rockwind Kennels and will be teaching Conformation D/I classes on Wednesday afternoons. She is a professional handler and has been teaching handling for more than 40 years.
Cathy has been associated with Blue Springs 'n Katydid since 1984. Originally she was the main office staff and one of the trainers.
For the past 20 years she has been representing BSKD to the movie trade by handling the Dog Talent division. Cathy has trained and owned a variety of dogs over the years. Her first dog was a Cairn terrier that she put a championship title on when she was 13 years old. Since then, she has shared her life with a West Highland White terrier, Irish Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten terrier, Australian terriers, Border Collies. Currently she has a German Shepherd and Papillon rescue.
She has competed in conformation (several CHs), obedience (UDs), Tracking (TDX), Herding (HX), and agility (MACHs).
Deb has Golden Retrievers and has trained her dogs through CD, CDX, CGC, Carting Novice and Colorado Conformation Associate plus an RE. She has been a trainer at BSKD since 2002 and enjoys teaching novices especially when clients come in just wanting basic obedience and then enjoy it so much they go on to put titles on their dogs. Deb writes, "Of course my first CD with my first dog will always be special." She is also proud of getting HIT in Carting Novice since Goldens are not a breed to pull carts. She also loves to watch her students do well in the obedience ring. She loves playing wheelchair softball - watch out for her pitches!
She believes the most important thing to teach a dog or owner is
Freda has been training her Golden Retrievers at Blue Springs since 1994. She has put several titles on her dogs in conformation, obedience, tracking, hunt tests and rally. She has had multiple Conformation Championships, Tracking Championships and Utility titles.
She became a trainer at Blue Springs in 2004 and is presently training and showing her dog Mack. Freda teaches Junior Beginners and Beginners on Mondays and APC (Advanced Practice Class) including Novice on Tuesdays.
Prior to training at BSKD, I trained my previous dogs in obedience. Novice - open, and freestyle.I have been a trainer now at BSKD for approximately seven years. I teach puppy kindergarten, jr. beginners, beginners, novice obedience, tricks and freestyle. I am also a CGC evaluator. My current dog participates in obedience,rally and is a champion freestyler. She is also competing for her Perfect Dance Partner title. I have recently taken a course from the Service Dog Training School International for psychiatric service dogs and diabetic alert dogs.
Job Titles:
- Judge for the Working Group and Jr. Showmanship and Conformation Trainer Who Started in 2014.
I am somewhat a newcomer to the sport of purebred dogs, compared to a lot of my fellow judges. As a child I was not allowed to have a dog. I got my first show dog, a Great Pyrenees, in 1982 and the rest is history. Although I have bred only a few times, they have included 19 Champions, WD, RWD, BBE, BOW and Best in Futurity at our National Specialties. I am a past President of the Great Pyrenees Club of America. For that club, I co-chair the Judges Education Committee and serve on the Health and Rescue Committees. I have been chosen to chair three Great Pyrenees National Specialties, including the 2010 which was held in conjunction with the 4th Great Pyrenees Club of America, the Pyrenean Shepherd Club of America and the Swedish Great Pyrenees Club. Also the National Specialty Sweepstakes for the Newfoundland Club of America and the Rottweiler Club of America, Junior Showmanship for the Kuvasz Club of America and the Saint Bernard Club of America. Also the regional the day before the Leonberger National Specialty, an honor that is humbling and the greatest honor that any breed club could bestow.
I am a founding member and past President of the Pyrenean Shepherd Club of America, Treasurer of the Mile High Great Pyrenees Club, founding member and President of the Peak To Peak Working Dog Association in Denver. Throughout the last 30+ years I served in several positions in all-breed and regional breed clubs. Have been the show chair for 7 of the 8 Peak to Peak Working Dog Association Group shows.
I am married, have three grown children and five grandchildren. My non-dog hobbies include travel, exploring wineries, cooking and reading. My family currently includes one Pyr and 2 Ragdoll cats.
Many of you know Jim from his long-time handling of Shiba Inus, Akitas & Sammies. He has over 15 years of professional handling and will bring those skills to BSKD. Jim will be assisting Robin and Andi on Tuesday evenings with the new Puppy Conformation course and be a main trainer on Wednesday evenings for Conformation D/I.
I began training dogs in 4-H many, many years ago and got my first competition golden retriever right after I got out of college and got married. When kids arrived on the scene I became a soccer and baseball mom with a snotty little corgi who never did anything. As the first child went off to college I got my next Golden, who quickly became my heart dog. He became my first Utility Dog, my first tracking dog, and my first to run master hunt tests. When rally came along he was my first Rally Excellent dog.
Since then I have competed in obedience, conformation, rally, and hunt tests. I have had 5 UD dogs (completing the latest title in 2021), 1 UDX dog, 3 Champions, 5 RE dogs, 3 SH dogs, and 1 TD dog. My current dogs both have their UDs and REs. One will continue competing for his UDX, while the other will continue competing in master hunt tests. Both are also tracking.
Linda Suttle loves working at BSKD! She started in August last year, and has learned so much from all the pros here. Linda retired from Littleton Police Department in December 2019. She was the Victim Services Coordinator there for 32 years. She has 2 Boston Terriers, one is 12 yrs old girl, and the other is a very rambunctious puppy named Tyrion.
The first CD obedience title earned by Lynn was with her Flat-Coated Retriever in 1976 and that sealed her fate in canine performance events forever. Each of her dogs since (GSD, Afghan and many Pembroke Welsh Corgis) has had a CD and all but 1 have had tracking titles. While her conformation experience is limited to her CH Afghan, she has found performance events to be more rewarding. She currently owns Corgis who are in training for tracking, agility, obedience, herding and nosework.
Tracking has been a part of her life since training her GSD in Schuzhund in the 70s. Her first AKC tracking title came in 1980 with her first Corgi. Since then, she has completed 4 Champion Tracking titles and has shown other breeds to the title. She especially enjoys training her own dogs in tracking and teach others the sport. She loves to see her students excel in tracking and obedience.
Lynn has been teaching obedience and tracking classes in the Denver area for more than 20 years. She is an AKC CGC evaluator and has classes at BSKD for CGC certification. In addition, she teaches Jr. Beginners, Beginners, KPT and Advanced Novice drop in and serves as Manager for BSKD. She feels that the most important thing to teach an owner is consistency, love and respect for their own breed and other breeds.
Lynn also has a passion for the Broncos and Washington Football Team and her many beloved friendships.
Mickey has been working at BSKD "far too long" in her own words! She is very active in the lure coursing world, as well as obedience and conformation with her Basenjis and Whippets. She is most proud of the puppies she has bred who have made their owners happy and proud. She has enjoyed handling the dogs to their titles and learning from and with them and having had such remarkable dogs as her friends. Her titles include CDX, CD, RA, LCMIV, and FCH.
Mickey feels that the most important command a dog can learn is the recall. The owner's most important understanding is to respect their dog and be consistent.
Patty's first experience with dog training was through 4H participation in county and state fairs with her Miniature Schnauzer. Bernese Mountain Dogs have been her passion for the past 13 years.
She is very proud of her very first BMD, who was a puppy mill rescue and had extreme shyness issues. With love and training, she improved enough to visit hospitals as Delta Society therapy dog with Denver Pet Partners. She also completed an AKC/UKC rally and obedience titles.
Her next Berner, Cooper, went on to win 55 titles in his career including obedience, rally, conformation, scent work, barn hunt, tricks, herding and various manners titles. Patty likes the variety of different venues and has participated in AKC/UKC/ASCA/BHA/USCSS/NASCW.
Patty's favorite activities are rally, obedience, and scent work, but her newest passion is FastCat with her latest dog, Kelly.
Patty enjoys experimenting with new ideas and attending educational seminars on dog training. She is a member of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America and the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of the Rockies where she has served on the board, written articles for the newsletter and chaired rally at several BMDCR regional. She was previously a member of Mountain States Dog Training Club. She loves watching people interact with their dogs and improve their relationship through training and fun activities.
Look for Patty offering virtual tricks and virtual home manners testing through AKC. She also promotes Blue Springs n Katydid by maintaining the Facebook page and posting classes & events on various social media sites.
I began showing and training dogs in 1962 at the age of 12. My first dog was a stubborn Toy Poodle. I learned a lot about patience and persistence from this dog. She achieved a U.D. in 1966. I continued showing 2 Shetland Sheepdogs In obedience and conformation. They both earned U.D. titles, multiple Highest Scoring Dog in obedience trials and Dog World Awards of Canine Distinction. In 1968, I had the 9th highest scoring Shetland Sheepdog in the United States. I taught Beginner dog training classes from 1966 - 1974. I have owned a variety of breeds - a Golden Retriever, a Lhasa Apso, a Bichon Frise, a Belgian Tervuren, a Border Collie and 2 Bouvier des Flanders.
In 2005, after a career as an elementary school teacher and high school Special Education teacher, I returned to dog training at Blue Springs Katy Did Dog Training Center. I have been on the staff as a trainer for 4 years. I teach Pre Beginner, Beginner, and Advanced Beginner classes and an Advanced Practice class. I currently own 3 Belgian Sheepdogs. In addition to obedience training, my youngest Belgian is in training to become a Service Dog. I have earned a total of 8 C.D. titles, , 6 C.D.X. titles, 3 U.D. titles, and 3 Rally titles for my dogs. My Belgians also participate in Canine Nosework, earning 3 NW2 titles and 1 NW3 title. My passion is working with Beginner obedience students. I believe that obedience training helps to form a strong bond between owners and their dogs and increases canine communication and confidence. Every dog needs a job!
Robin has been involved in dogs for over 30 years with Australian Shepherds at first (yes, before AKC recognized them), then Akitas, Borzoi, Petit Basset Griffon Venden, and her final and permanent love for over 20 years, Alaskan Malamutes. Her husband, Joseph, and Robin have been gratifyingly successful in the conformation ring. In the last 8 years, their dogs have won the Top Twenty events three times, in 2001, with "Strutz", and in 2005 and 2006 with his grandson, "Stewart". Both of these dogs are Breeder-Owner handled. The Hugs have also put obedience titles on their Malamutes and have participated in weight pulls.
Robin is an AKC conformation judge as well as a dog trainer. She enjoys teaching Puppy Kindergarten, Conformation and Junior Beginners. She is also a believer in "Date Night with Your Dog".
I joined BSKD to teach Rally, both Course and Drop-in Sessions. I currently own two Australian Terrier Roachans. My first is Kayi Drifting Snow who has an RN, RE, RA, RAE, CGC, CGCA, BN, CD. Kayi also has two agility titles: NA, NAJ. My second Australian Terrier's name is Temora Kylie Boomerang and has received her TKN title and is currently training toward Rally and Agility.
I am most proud of the RAE and CD titles as they were the first titles I put on my dog Kayi. My second favorite titles also acquired by Kayi are the two agility titles of NA and NAJ. We worked really hard to achieve these titles and had a ton of fun along the way.
Rally-O is the class I've enjoyed the most with both Kayi and Kylie as well as teaching others. Rally really teaches teamwork between handlers and their furry companions. I believe that it is very important to make training fun for both the handler and the dog.
Sheri owns Cardigan Welsh Corgis and has earned UDX2, 3 UDs, 3 CDXs, 3 CDs, a Versatility title, 2 REs and 3 RAs. Sheri taught basic and competitive obedience in Pittsburgh and has been teaching at BSKD since 2012. She especially enjoys teaching advanced obedience because of the difficulty and challenge it presents both the dog and handler. "These dogs can really make us think!"
She is a Physical Therapist and that is her primary interest. She has recently completed her Canine Rehabilitation Certification and she can't wait to start practicing her skills on our best friends. She loves the mountains and hiking and in general, being outdoors. Teaching is a passion of hers and she teaches at Regis University in their PT program. Finding the best way to help a person learn and grow is very rewarding to Sheri.
Sheri's notable achievements in the dog world include being invited to the National Obedience Invitational 5 times with her Novice A dog and competing in it 3 times. She believes that the most important thing to teach a dog and owner is to keep emotions out of training. Teaching requires consistent information delivered calmly to provide the best information to our dogs and to be more effective teachers and dog owners.
Sheri has shown dogs competitively for 20 years. While she lived in Pittsburgh, she taught pet dog training classes. She has been a competitive trainer at BSKD for 9 years and may have already met you.
She has been a Physical Therapist for coming up on 25 years, and Certified Canine Rehab Therapist for 6 years, and has owned her own business for the past 5 years.
While Sheri may implement some small changes to BSKD (such as credit cards), mostly the operations will continue as is with the same excellent training as in the past. Lynn Kaemmerer will stay on as the Business Manager and the Trainers and Desk Staff remain steady.
Sheri is excited about the next phase of growth for BSKD as we bring more opportunities for you and your dogs! Happy Training!
Sister Mary Ellen Roach has been a member of the BSKD staff since 2014 and can be found on Tuesday evenings on the desk. She also fills in quite often on Mondays and Saturdays. Please introduce yourself to her when you arrive!
Sister Mary Ellen owns Pembroke Welsh Corgis and has owned them for over 40 years. She has obtained multiple titles in Agility, Tracking, Obedience, Rally and Nosework/Scentwork in both AKC and NACSW. Besides training dogs, she loves the Broncos and trips to the Colorado mountains. Her most notable achievement in the dog world is the day that her beloved Misty earned her Champion Tracker title in 2014.
The most important thing to teach a dog or owner in Sr. Mary Ellen's heart is to ENJOY and LOVE your dog because we only them for such a short time.
Since 1999, Sue has been a trainer at BSKD and her passion is teaching freestyle dog dancing because of the creativity and challenges involved. Sue love to teach her students to excel in this sport. She has several students who have attained the highest titles in dog dancing. Some students have gone on to teach dog dancing in other cities in Colorado. KPT is also one of her favorite classes to teach because she thinks it is so important to teach owners how to train their puppies correctly from the beginning. Besides dog dancing and KPT, Sue also teaches Jr. Beginners and Beginners.
Sue has 3 dogs present: 2 yellow Labs and a Golden Retriever. Her titles are numerous: AKC CD, CDX, RN, UKC-CD and in the world of dog dancing: W-FD/MF, W-FDX/MF, W-FDM/MF, W-CH.FD/MF, W-PDP-FD, WFD/HTM, W-FDX/HTM, w-FDM/HTM, W-CH.FD/HTM. She has accomplished a lot of dancing titles with her other dogs as well. Sue enjoys learning as much as she can regarding obedience and dog dancing.
Sue has always said that her yellow Lab, "SIR' made her look good. The pair attained the highest title in dog dancing on 4/27/13. That title is the PDP in Musical Freestyle (Perfect Dance Partner). During their journey in dog dancing, they never NQ'd. They won the trophies each time they competed. She is especially proud that in 2008, they competed in dog dancing with others from different countries and won the prestigious "Attila Award" which is equivalent to High In Trial in AKC obedience. Now Sue has another Lab, "Love" who she feels makes her look good also. Love has yet to dip her paw into the obedience world but time will tell on what she can accomplish! Love has started her journey in dog dancing and is doing very well and has also never NQ'd.
Sue feels the most important things to teach a dog owner is how to bond with your dog. How to gain the dog's trust, love, attention, motivation, and desire to want to do whatever he/she can do for you. Look for Sue on Saturdays and a dog dancing class on Thursdays.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Trainer in Puppy Kindergarten Courses and Conformation Practice Sessions since 2014
Susie's dogs are Spinone Italianos. Previously, she's had Irish Wolfhounds. "I have enjoyed everything I've done with my dogs: rally, obedience, tracking, hunt training, nosework and conformation."
"I love working with the puppies in KPT. They are so eager to learn and everything is new to them. I also love the conformation classes. I learn something new every time I'm there about movement, structure and the characteristics of the various breeds. As a trainer, I believe it's important to be consistent and to make sure the dog understands what you are asking. To me, the most important commands are the 'leave it' and the recall."
Terri has a long resume in dogs, being the former owner of a doggie daycare center for many years. She believes the most important thing to teach an owner is to be patient with their dog when training and be consistent in your training.
She currently owns an English Springer Spaniel and a Newfoundland. She is very proud to have obtained many titles! In AKC, CH, UDX, RM, RAE, BN, TD, OA, VST, OAJ. In UKC, U-CH, U-CDX, U-RN, Total Dog, UAGI. In ASCA CDX and RN. She is very proud to have obtained a DDX (1st Colorado dog to get Draft Dog Excellent) and a WRD (Water Rescue Dog which is the highest level in Rescue). She also has a Carting Intermediate title.
Terri enjoys training and showing her dogs in all dog sports and activities. She especially enjoys obedience. Another of her favorite activities is rescue training and draft with her Newfie. Outside of dog activities, she enjoys golf and gardening.
The classes she enjoys most and looks forward to teaching at BSKD include all levels of obedience. She enjoys seeing people work with their dogs and seeing them develop from basic puppy commands to more advanced skills. She feels the bonds people make through training their dogs are awesome to see.
Her most notable achievements in the dog world include getting both "High in Trial" in an AKC all-breed show as well as the Regional Specialty for Newfoundlands. In UKC, she received both the "Total Dog" award as well as "High in Trial."