Owner/head trainer: Clover
Clover has a BS in Captive Wildlife Care and Environmental Education. He contracted for the US Army and spent time working the medical aspect of military working dogs as an animal health specialist at Schofield Barracks, in Hawaii. He took to studying more on obedience work and earned his certified dog trainer certificate. He didn't just stop there as field experience was a must, so he apprenticed underneath one of the island of Oahu's top trainers and built his own client base. He learned to work personal protection canines, and developed an ability to read a dog and manipulate drives to reach certain outcomes and goals. During his down time away from MWDs he hovered around the sport world in Hawaii. He picked up some aspects of that could be applied to training street dogs before he left Hawaii. He became a police decoy under the tutelage of s police K9 vending and training entity, in Utah, and started working as many dogs as he could. He traveled to seminars and he learned theory and practicum as to how and why certain methods are used. He compiled all that he's learned into a variable method that can be used to strengthen the trust between a dog and their owner whether they are a K9 team on the street or deploying, or a person and their companion as home. And thus, MarathonK9 Academy, LLC. was born! Three years in Colorado Springs led to much success for MarathonK9 Academy, with two years nominated as Best Dog Trainer. Three years in North Carolina, while also being nominated for Best of the Pines Dog Trainer, allowed him to learn more from the sporting dog world, competing in Protection Sports Association with his now deceased Dutch Shepherd, Uhtred. He was also able to certify as a trial decoy, February 2020 (the only one of 18 in his testing class!) . He constantly aims to improve himself to provide a quality service for civilian, military, and law enforcement personnel. He is eager to bring his growing skill-set back to Colorado. MarathonK9 Academy, LLC is fully insured. He also is the Training Director for Rocky Mountain Protection Sports club where he competed with his Belgian Malinois, Atlas, having earned their entry level title in August 2022. Clover currently, trains his dog Riggs in explosives and firearms detection.
- Former veterinary technician for US Army
- Professional Decoy
- Certified K9 FTO Program Supervisor
- Certified K9 First-Aid & CPR
- Member of Association of Professional Dog Trainers
- Certified PSA Trial Decoy
- 2015- Member of 50th State Schutzhund (former)
- 2017 & 2018 - Best of Colorado Springs: Dog Trainer (nominee)
- 2018- Mountain State SWAT Competition Decoy (Provo, UT)
- 2019- HRD Police K9 Seminar (Castle Rock, CO) Decoy
- 2019- Protection Sports Association - Member
- 2019- HRD Police K9 Seminar (Shelby, NC) Decoy
- 2020- HRD Police K9 LLC, Adjunct Instructor
- 2021- Best of the Pines: K9 Trainer (nominee) (North Carolina)
- 2021- Founded Rocky Mountain Protection Sports Association Competition Team (Denver, CO)
- 2022 - Blueline K9 Training Conference - attendee (24 hours continuing education received- Pittsburgh, PA)
- 2022- 2nd Annual Rocky Mountain K9 Conference and Challenge Instructor and Judge (Fort Carson, CO)
- 2022- Featured in Shoutout Colorado Magazine
- 2024-Testified in front of Colorado Senate FOR SB24-1074 proposing harsher punishments for criminals who would harm police service animals
TRAINER AND Behavioral specialist: SOFIA
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Hello! My name is Sofia, and I am a graduate of Kennelwood Academy for Professional Dog Trainers. Through school I’ve been fortunate enough to learn everything from basic/advanced obedience all the way to tracking/trailing, specific odor, and hunting retrieves. After being able to train my personal dog, Blight, in those areas, we now have a focus on competing in Protection Sports Association trials together. Although I look forward to now becoming the teacher, I'm equally as excited to remain a student throughout my career.
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Trainer & Behavioral specialist: Kait
Kait graduated with degrees in Animal Science and Natural Resource Economics from Colorado State University. She has been running her own pet care business for over 8 years and spends part of her time volunteering with wildlife. The pet care business started as a part-time way to make ends meet in college and evolved into a full-time business with loyal clientele. After several clients expressed interest in training their dogs, she put her energy towards learning as much as possible about different training philosophies and techniques. The Protection Sport Association was her introduction into the working dog world and preparing her Dutch Shepherd for trial has made her a stronger and more innovative handler and trainer. Kait attended the NePoPo® New Silver School taught by Michael and Bart Bellon in 2024, followed by New Gold School taught by Jason Loong one month later at the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. Kait is certified in teaching the application and use of e-collars using the NePoPo® system through the four quadrants of operant conditioning. She has some experience decoying for sport dogs and police canines in addition to some tracking and detection work. Kait thoroughly enjoys both the learning and teaching process with a constant goal of bettering herself as a trainer. Helping pet owners better understand their dog is amazingly gratifying! Her versatile experience in the animal world from both a practical and educational standpoint provides a unique edge in her approach to training sport dogs and pet dogs.
-2024 NePoPo Silver School (Missouri)
-2024 NePoPo Gold School (Colorado)
-2024 Colorado Police K9 Conference attendee (Colorado)
-2024 NePoPo Silver School (Missouri)
-2024 NePoPo Gold School (Colorado)
-2024 Colorado Police K9 Conference attendee (Colorado)
Adjunct police trainer & decoy: dustin
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Dustin started working, professionally with animals in 2008 as an Animal Keeper/Caretaker for a wildlife sanctuary in Apopka, FL. While at that facility, he worked hands-on with Big Cats, Bears, Crocodilians, Snakes, multiple species of large birds, and various domestic animals. Dustin has always had a passion for working with animals and joined the military as a Military Police Officer. Working as a military police officer before being medically retired in 2019, alongside the K9 handler teams, Dustin learned compliance tactics and use of force appropriation, as well as deployed to combat areas. Dustin moved to the Colorado Springs area and immediately started working with Clover learning how to decoy. Dustin grew to become a professional decoy, working dogs for local depts. and traveling to Utah to also learn under the folks at RightHandK9, all while assisting Clover in training dogs for personal protection, and law enforcement. Now residing in Georgia as a police K9 handler for a local municipality, with a dual purpose patrol and narcotics detection dog, Dustin will occasionally assist in seminar instruction, alongside Clover. Alongside his police K9, Loki, he and his family have another Belgian Malinois, as well as a Golden Retriever, a Jack Russell Terrier, and Chihuahua, while his wife trains dolphins at the Georgia Aquarium.
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Featured on Denver7 National news.
Featured on local, Colorado Springs news channel 13 KRDO!
MarathonK9 Academy has had the pleasure of working with dog teams from:
- Aurora Police Department (Colorado)
- Lehi Police Department (Utah)
- 21st Security Security Forces Squadron (Peterson AFB, Colorado)
- Davis County Sheriff's Office (Utah)
- Spanish Fork Police Department (Utah)
- American Fork Police Department (Utah)
- Navajo County Sheriff Office (Arizona)
- Rexburg Police Department (Idaho)
- Lone Peak Police Department (Utah)
- Roy Police Department (Utah)
- Alpharetta Department of Public Safety (Georgia)
- Saratoga Springs Police Department (Utah)
- South Jordan Police Dept (Utah)
- Boulder County Sheriff's Office (Colorado)
- Littleton Police Dept. (Colorado)
- Adams County Sheriff's Office (Colorado)
- Greenwood Village Police Department (Colorado)
- 69th MWD Detachment (Fort Carson, CO)
- 10th Special Forces Group (Fort Carson, CO)
- Bentonville County Sheriff's Office (Arkansas)
- Rogers Police Department (Arkansas)
- Decatur Police Department (Arkansas)
- Frederick Police Department (Colorado)
- US Fish & Wildlife
- Boulder Police Department (Colorado)
- Weld County Sheriff's Office (Colorado
- Douglas County Sheriff's Office (Colorado)
- Abilene Police Department (Texas)
- 17th Security Forces Squadron (Texas)
- 7th Security Forces Squadron (Texas)
- Riverdale Police Department (Utah)
- Ogden Police Department (Utah)
- Erie Police Department (Colorado)
- Greeley Police Department (Colorado)
- Missoula County Sheriff's Office (Montana)
- Craig Police Department (Colorado)
- Iron County Sheriff's Office (Utah)
Garfield County Sheriff's Office (Colorado) - St. Mary's Hospital Security (Colorado)
- Bureau of Land Management
- Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office (Colorado)
- Glenwood Springs Police Department (Colorado)