Hidden Gems: Meet Koltan Nelson of Clembo Dog Training

Today we’d like to introduce you to Koltan Nelson.

Hi Koltan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up loud, queer, and troublesome. I couldn’t relate to kids my age, and adults watched in wonderment as though I was an exotic zoo animal. I was bullied, desperate for understanding and release, and feeling as though I was broken and incapable, and I turned to drugs and alcohol at 15 years old. Do drugs- get high. Ah, something finally made sense.

For a week throughout that experience, I developed grit, tenacity, and a healthy level of apathy and perspective. At 20, during a bout of homelessness and after a night at Red Rocks, that culminated in a solo 6-hour walk to Colorado Mills because, as I told the kind person who offered me a ride, “where else will I go?” I’d had enough. I went to rehab, spent several years entirely abstaining, and have found myself at a point in life where a second glass of wine isn’t worth an itchy nose.

Post cleaning up, I spent five years in the restaurant industry and went back to school with a Double Major in Math and Gender Studies, doing everything in my power to remain as far as possible from a degree while still clutching the shield of “student,” October 2019; enter Clementine, the brindle Boxer. I had a childhood dog named Chloe, who I loved endlessly but had no communication with, so this was my first real dog on my own. After about six months, our bond had grown, and I’d begun to realize how interested I was in canine behavior. We met with a trainer as clients, I found a mentorship, then another mentorship, entered a certification program, and before I knew it, I was networking with people whose names were on my bookshelves.

While I am part of an up-and-coming generation of dog trainers who did not have to make the admirable and uncomfortable switch from traditional methods of coercion to science-based animal communication, that does not mean I never screwed up. I will never forget sobbing into my pillow because I got so frustrated with Clementine for not sitting down outside that I mashed a hot dog into her face. I’m still making living amends for that. Communicating with a dog in a way that is safe, comfortable, efficient, and works for them is not an easy task, but it’s the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done and what I was put on this Earth to do. Communicate. I’ve learned and am still learning.

Dogs taught me that it’s okay to be taken care of, words oftentimes make the connection more difficult, that humans are the only animals who know who we think we are, and that effective communication involves acknowledging the audience’s reality. A dog’s agency, comfort, independence, emotional welfare, and safety are tantamount to everything I do. I am always reading and learning more about how best to have our dogs live happy enriched lives. Formal obedience behaviors come second to relationship building and mutual trust between my clients and their dogs.

In March 2021, I formally opened my dog training/walking business. The ability to work for myself, make business decisions myself, be a human first, and allow the business to take a small hit instead of my mental health, has been life-changing. I am very grateful for the opportunity to curate a base of clients who I can work beautifully with and who work well with me, Clementine and I live a very fulfilling life these days- our days mostly consist of (her) eating bones and hiking and (me) cuddling her a tiny bit more than she’d like. Occasionally, she jumps on stuff in exchange for jerky.

I am the person I am because of women who told me I was special. I am the person I am because of women who said, “Closed mouths don’t get fed. Ask.” I am the person I am because of women who helped me understand that I can talk about myself in a positive light without comparisons. I am the person I am because of women who, upon my announcement of the fact that I wanted to be famous as a child, said, “What sort of impact will you make?” I am the person I am because of women who, when I told them I was being bullied, told me, “Can you imagine feeling like that’s the only way to communicate?”

I am passionate about hiking, dogs, being outside, genuine connection and presence, awareness, drive, purpose, intensity, and the full spectrum of human emotion. I recently acquired an entry-level digital camera and have been enjoying practicing some photography. Once I have enough photos to create a portfolio, I will be offering donation-based pet portraits for my clients, which I cannot wait for. Having at least one of my services on a “pay what you can” system has been a key goal of mine for the first year of business ownership. By the end of next year, I would like to be able to offer at least one scholarship training program.

If someone wants to scholarship training/walking for someone (you refer or I vouch for), I would be honored to help to connect those who need training/walking assistance with those who have resources to share. I have a 16-year-old little brother who is one of the most charismatic people I have ever met and an 18-year-old brother who has just started as a freshman at CU Boulder.
I have a beautiful mother who has a strength I constantly admire. Renovated a vintage trailer the day until major surgery, wore heels with a walker to a Christmas event a month after shattering her femur, and still carried me to term even though I broke three ribs in the womb (oops! Sorry, mom!).

I have a dad who I love very much and who I can tell is proud of me despite my rejection of a more traditional path. I have a grandma who means the world to me, and while I may not be the favorite, she thinks about me the most. I intend to make a couple of differences: I have been diagnosed with ADHD and would love to help change the cultural understanding of what ADHD is so that future generations can have their symptoms taken seriously, medication handled appropriately, and not have their experiences invalidated. I am looking forward to the day when there is regulation and licensing requirements in the dog training industry.

At present, there are no protections for the consumer or the dog, and there is no legally mandated transparency. Would you take your child to an unlicensed psychologist? If your trainer is using tools, do research on your own to find out potential side effects, and please consider reading the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s Statements on the use of aversive training methods.

Love yourself (Even if you’re a murderer. Don’t be a murderer with a victim complex. That’s terrible), remember that other people’s opinions are just opinions, and consider the possibility that nothing is real; it can help clear the air about what’s important.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s only bumpy if I call it a road – if I reframe it as a path, it’s just right. I have struggled with accommodations in academic settings and the workplace. I wouldn’t give any of my other experiences back because I quite like how they’ve formed me. ADHD is much more than distractibility or a lack of focus – it’s a dysregulation of dopamine. My brain is literally bored to death.

If I had been able to have a fidget toy in school, it would have been game-changing. If I had been able to fold a note up and put it in a tissue box on the teacher’s desk, instead of interrupting vocally, it would have been game-changing. If I had been allowed to stand up and move in class, it would have been game-changing. If I had been scheduled 30 minutes prior to me needing to be there, it would have been game-changing. If, after repeated patterns, someone had noticed that my memory was not the same as everyone else’s, they might have given me a stack of post-its, and it would have been game-changing. Kids don’t WANT conflict and strife, so if it’s there, some things is wrong. Accommodate them. Work with them. You’re an adult, and they’re a child.

As I’m sure many people can relate, financial mobility can be difficult. I hope that we, as a culture, can better prepare people to get out of tough times. I have been trying my best to get out of the financial hole I dug myself into at 18 years old. Seven years later, I still have no savings. It is a near-constant source of anxiety, and I don’t know what fixing that looks like or how to accomplish it, but I’m going to try. If I didn’t have the resolve I did, I’m not sure I would have it in me to make an effort to get out of financial strife.

My heart aches for people who’ve lost hope of ever being financially comfortable, and if I can help one person get out of that place, it will have been worth the effort.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Clembo is, at present, a dog training and walking business. I utilize current, science-based, humane methods with an emphasis on animal welfare. My focus is on a mutual understanding between dog and human – an acknowledgment that we are equals can communicate via body language and clear contingencies and that dogs deserve as much agency as we can safely give them.

Dog training is an unlicensed industry. There are few protections for consumers; for example, a trainer is not required to disclose potential behavioral fallout of the use of aversive tools. As such, I have decided to pursue a CTC designation from The Academy for Dog Trainers, a very well-regarded and scientifically current certification program. Until completion, my services focus on walks and outings.

A big part of business ownership, for me, is the ability to be a human. I get to decide what works and what doesn’t, along with my clients. My business can take a hit instead of my mental health.
I know myself for my passion, curiosity, intensity, drive, and awareness. My clients remark on my connection and patience with their dogs, as well as my ability to help modify explanations of certain things to help ensure understanding. My friends remark on my sense of self, my firmness and resolve, my boundaries, and my willingness to have an honest discussion.

They also tell me that I’m pro-grade equipment, and sometimes they need to recharge their batteries. I’m grateful to them for letting me know, so I don’t have to wonder. What sets me apart from others is my willingness to be wrong. As a result, I am able to grow and learn incredibly fast.
Clembo is named after my dog, Clementine. She taught me how to communicate, how to listen, how to acknowledge someone else’s reality, how to be still, and how to set boundaries. Brand-wise, I am most proud of what she (and my brand) represents – growth, connection, atonement, passion, and knowing what you deserve.

I am currently working on building my photography portfolio and expanding my skill set. At some point, photography will become part of my services as well. I’m also open to discovering new passions!

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I see the dog training industry shifting towards current, science-based methods, I see the dog industry acknowledging a dog’s rich inner life, and I see the dog training industry FINALLY focusing on the dogs themselves. Aversive training methods work to obtain behavior.

I wouldn’t threaten someone, then brag that “They gave me their wallet!” People do this with dogs all the time. Aversive training methods do not, however, align with my ethics, current research, and the desire to brighten the light I see in a dog’s eyes. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recently (as of September 2021) released several position statements on the use of punishment in training, dominance in dogs, and about Cesar Milan (who is an uncredentialed reality television entertainer, not a dog trainer).

I see the dog-owning public raising their standards for who they let help them understand their dog. I see the dog-owning public asking for scientific evidence, as opposed to “tradition” and “instinct.” I see a lot of happy people and happy dogs.

Contact Info:

• Email: koltan@clembodog.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clembodogtraining/