Doug Calhoun

Adding to an already long list of production industry awards, Doug Calhoun, the innovative producer, cinematographer and editor at Canine Training Systems is gaining notoriety and has been named to StudioDaily’s esteemed Top 50 list. The inaugural list was compiled by the leading and award-winning news source for creative digital media, StudioDaily, with a focus on innovation in the production of movies, TV shows, commercials and music videos.

Recipients were announced and honored at the prestigious Prime Awards held by Studio Daily, during NAB, the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas, one of the industry’s biggest and most anticipated broadcast production industry conferences. The event was streamed live from the show floor world-wide.

Doug's first experience with training occurred in 1975 at the age of 5 with his family dog Daisy. She was a beagle from hunting lines with a gentle, steady temperament. The team failed miserably in obedience class. Equipment for the class was a choke collar and lead and at the age of 5, Doug failed obedience class. The instinct of 'nose to ground' proved too strong for a gangly 5 year old but he persisted. Because of her tremendous scenting ability, Doug would lay training tracks in the yard and then leash Daisy, allowing her to follow the track to conclusion which was, inevitably, the slice of American cheese she'd faithfully pursued. Daisy was useful in locating hamsters and pet rats that would mysteriously and routinely "escape" from the cage only to be found after a "track". Daisy was a beautiful, gentle dog with strong instincts that fueled an interest in animals and shaping behavior that endures to this day.

In the early 80's he bought, How to Train Your Pet Like a Television Star by Hollywood trainer Ray Berwick. The book was a fascinating account of teaching simple behaviors to animals for movies. Using the techniques, Doug's pet cockatiel, Pete, was taught to wave and fly to a target stick with the use of a clicker as a marker. After aquiring a menagerie of pets, the training fever was in full swing. Likely because of the strong hunting instinct of Daisy, he dreamed of having an upland game bird dog that would point and retrieve- a Brittany actually. The instincts they possessed was fascinating, and understanding the innate behaviors of dogs was soon a passion.

Between semesters in 1991, while a Pre-Veterinary Medicine student at Colorado State University, Doug was observing surgeries at a Veterinary office in Littleton, CO. During a lunch break he walked next door into a used bookstore and the first book he saw was a first edition copy of Schutzhund Theory and Training Methods by Susan Barwig and Stewart Hilliard. After purchasing the book, he contacted Sue Barwig and was put in touch with Centennial Schutzhund Club. From that contact on, he made the 140-mile roundtrip drive weekly to train his dog.

In the 90's, after being hired by Canine Training Systems to work and oversee the dogs, he coached multiple USPCA Region 14 Police Dog Champions and titled multiple Schutzhund dogs. He also served as training director for Centennial Schutzhund Club and High Sierra Schutzhund Club in Colorado. In 2000 he achieved Jack Russell Terrier Club of America 'A' Rated Working Judge status for Natural Earthwork. He currently keeps earth-working terriers, having earned many achievements for their success afield.

Doug earned degrees in Behavioral Sciences and Business Management and has been involved in all of Canine Training Systems Award Winning productions, earning over 50 broadcast awards for writing, shooting, editing and graphical design. Adding to an already long list of production industry awards, Doug is gaining his own notoriety and has been named to StudioDaily’s esteemed 2016 Top 50 list. The inaugural list was compiled by the leading and award-winning news source for creative digital media, StudioDaily, with a focus on innovation in the production of movies, TV shows, commercials and music videos. It's a tremendous honor to be selected from an incredibly deep pool of content producers.

When not working, he spends his personal time with his amazing wife, 3 brilliant kids and team of working terriers. He enjoys working his dogs, fly fishing, CrossFit and supporting his kids in sports and school activities.  Doug is tremendously grateful for the generosity of the trainers and mentors he was fortunate enough to begin his time with dogs among. Hartmut Beckmann, Gottfried Dildei, Joanne Fleming, Jack Lennig and Nick Stevens were instrumental in shaping his vision of, approach to, and appreciation of working animals and the bond and teamwork that be achieved through positive training techniques.