Hodge Canine

We hired Hodge Canine for five private lessons, and it was one of the best decisions we've made for Suki, our high-energy, one-year-old cattle dog mix from the county shelter. I'd never trained a dog before and really wanted a positive start to life with my new pup. Joe taught me how Suki learns, not just what commands to give, and that made all the difference. I feel like I now know how to effectively communicate with her. The results speak for themselves: Suki waits at the door until invited outside, and she’s getting better at walking calmly on a loose leash, even with distractions around. She’s great at “sit” (she’ll stay seated until we tell her it’s okay to get up), and she’s close to mastering “lie down”. We wanted a dog we could bring to dog-friendly patios, and she passed her first outing with flying colors. If you're looking for a trainer who teaches the "why" behind dog behavior instead of just quick fixes, I highly recommend Hodge Canine.

Joe and Hodge Canine were absolutely crucial in helping my sweet Aussie mix gain the confidence he needed to succeed in life and be a functioning member of society. Oakley was terrified of everything before we met Joe. He would cower at the sound of trash cans, refused to walk out the front door, and would run inside at every loud noise or unfamiliar sound. My goal with Oakley was to be able to bring him everywhere with me and for him to be well-behaved and trusted regardless of where we were or what we’re doing. Oakley is a completely changed pup! At only 9 months old, now Oakley is a 100% confident boy who actually listens AND enjoys his training! Within 3 training sessions, Oakley was already walking out the front door on his own and going for walks. I was SHOCKED and incredibly grateful. I’m now able to take Oakley on hikes, to parks, travel around, and even bring in a scary garbage can from outside with him right by my side. At the sound of Joe’s voice, Oakley would perk up and get SO excited to see him. He absolutely loves Joe and enjoyed each training session. Joe made everything digestible and understandable for me to recreate on my own throughout the week. I couldn’t be more appreciative and grateful for the effect Joe & Hodge Canine has had on my sweet boy and our family. RUN don’t walk if you’re thinking of hiring Hodge Canine for your beloved fur baby. Don’t even question it. I’ll use Hodge Canine 1,000,000 times over. You’ll be so glad you did too!!

If you have any form of a “doodle” you know they often need some solid training! After a few months with our sweet boy, we realized that he needed formal training or he would rule our home. We reached out to Hodge Canine and had a zoom call with Joe. We decided on the 4 week board and train when our puppy was around 8 months old. Joe also visited our home for 4 transition trainings to train our family as well. Joe is an expert and understands canine behavior so well- he is gentle and firm and will tailor training to the specific needs of your pet. Before training, our puppy would jump on us over and over -bark every minute he was apart from us and was so stubborn (smart) - yes all puppy behaviors but he would not obey unless he knew a reward was coming. It was exhausting even though he is so cute and sweet! Joe helped to him to do the work and gain the confidence he needed. We continue to implement all that we learned and we are so happy to have a calmer, confident and less anxious pet! Every pet needs some type of training and many pets need professional training! If you want to set your puppy up for success or you have a dog who rules the house then call Hodge Canine! Emily is an amazing admin for Joe and everything was communicated seamlessly from the first zoom call to the last transition appointment. Thank you, Joe and Emily!

We cannot recommend Hodge Canine enough! We have a Goldendoodle who tends to bark frequently, and we wanted to get to the root of the behavior and help address it in a productive way. Within just a few sessions, we saw a huge improvement. He took our dog back to the basics and helped him learn how to make good decisions, which ultimately translated into understanding when barking was and wasn’t appropriate. He was incredibly knowledgeable, gave us practical ways to reinforce the training between sessions, and was wonderful to work with throughout the entire process. We are so grateful for his help and highly, highly recommend Hodge Canine!

We have a very energetic 2.5 year old Australian Shepard. We had difficulties controlling him on the leash and with greetings when we or our guests would come into our house. With Joe’s help, we have seen significant improvements in our dog’s leash etiquette and he is much easier to control when people are entering the house. Joe is respectful, kind, and patient. Not only is he amazing with dogs, but he is a great teacher and gives you all the tools you need to continue training your dog yourself. Joe observes you and your dog in various situations and tailors his training specifically to what is needed most. His services are very reasonably priced, especially given the value you receive. If you need help with your dog’s behavior, I highly recommend Hodge Canine.