DOGGY BOOT CAMP-Santa Barbara

Joe at Doggy Boot Camp changed my life for so much the better! I used to walk with my 22 pound Australian Terrier held tightly on a leash, in terror that he would lunge after another dog and attack. I could not walk him off leash as I did when he was younger. The bigger and scarier looking the better for him, as I learned from Joe that what I was doing at home had made him my protector and the little guy would put his life on the line for me! After a week of “homework,” during which I changed some of the ways I was engaging my dog, and giving him jobs to do at home, and then a few days with Joe I had a completely changed dog; one whose job was no longer my protector. He was walking off leash, running up to big dogs he would previously attack, and wagging his tail! When you work with Joe he is available night and day to answer questions, plan for the next day’s strategy, and help your dog become the best dog he can be. Joe has a wealth of knowledge and he is full of great tips, to help owners. His knowledge and compassion for dogs, and dog behavior is unmatched. He is a gift to the owners and dogs of this community, and like others have said, worth every penny! Do not hesitate- go with Joe, I wish I had three years ago, but I am so glad I did now- seeing my little guy running around socializing and having fun is such a joy! Thank you Joe!!

I highly recommend Joe at Doggy Boot Camp. He is absolutely the only dog trainer you will need. We tried 3 other trainers before we discovered him. My daughter and I both adopted dogs this last year. They are both very different, with different issues. My daughter's dog, Hazelnut, was incredibly reactive with zero recall and a few bad habits. My dog, Coconut was a shy, nervous puppy with barking tendencies. First, Joe worked miracles with our family and Hazelnut, helping her to be much calmer, non-reactive, social and happy. She has 100% recall (since meeting Joe the first morning!) and is great on the trail or in the mall. Coconut came a bit later. We worked with Joe to help her become more confident and less fearful. She no longer cries when approached by a big dog nor does she disappear when she sees a hang glider. She is a fun, playful, happy dog with 100 percent recall, easy off-leash and no-tug leash-walking. I no longer worry that she will bolt out of fear. Joe helped teach us how to help our dogs be dogs. He is a master at understanding dogs and what drives their behaviors. He also teaches you the importance of truly understanding how to have a healthy relationship with your pet. During your time with him, he will focus on what you and your dog need and he will create those experiences as he assesses and reassesses. He is a wealth of information. When you are working with him, he is easily available by phone to talk you through the process. Joe does use a correction collar, which is often misunderstood. It really is a safe and humane way to communicate with your dog without yelling or tugging a leash. Once you get used to the idea and how to use the equipment, it is a relief that you "have your dog's ear" at all times. Do your family and your dog a favor and get on board with Joe and his program. It is a commitment that is well worth the time. Your dog will thank you.

I was oscillating between regret and resentment. I got Hazelnut from a shelter. A gentle girl with beautiful markings and a silly side… up until we went on a walk. If she even thought she saw a dog across the street she transformed into a monster, an uncontrollable, bark-yelling monster. When we saw one she would bark, jump up and down, and twist herself around me. There was nothing I could do but apologize and drag this writhing beast further down the block until the other dog was out of sight. Then there was the off leash problem. I learned quickly that this dog was going to get herself killed if she was let off leash. She would sprint in the opposite direction and it was just a matter of time until she would sprint right into traffic. I had tried other trainers, one that suggested a prong collar which was only a momentary superficial fix, and one that was against all forms of prong and e-collars and suggested that I give her treats to get her to come to me and to redirect her when she was reactive. I’ll tell you, no amount of hot dogs, turkey meat, or even a fresh rotisserie chicken would get that dog back to me if she was let off leash, trust me I tried. I began to think about what I would say to the shelter when I brought her back, imagining myself sheepishly avoiding eye-contact, and saying something to the effect of, “no, she’s great, but I just not in a good place right now”, or maybe invoking my 100 year old grandmother, “Yeah I thought I could handle a dog but my grandma, well, she’s 100 years old, and she seems to be taking a turn, and well, I just can’t have the added stress of a dog right now” the shelter attendant would take the leash, rolling their eyes thinking about how stupid a person must be not to foresee complications for a 100 year old lady, it's not as if this sort of thing happens overnight. The worst part of this is that my grandma is 100 years old, and happens to be doing just fine, but I was ready to give her some terminal prognosis just so I could return this dog without getting too much flack from the shelter attendees. And then I got my first call from Joe. I had sent a message on his website listing a couple traits I needed help with, and he called me 30 minutes later. He has a voice that you might think belongs in a movie trailer, and for the first week he was the faceless omniscient narrator of our lives, checking in and offering suggestions and foretelling the future, “once you start ignoring her, watch as she resists you, acts like you are not there, and goes shopping for attention elsewhere.” His accuracy was uncanny. And then came the evaluation. I kid you not, he had this dog off leash and coming to him IN THE FIRST HOUR. And she was running around with his two dogs, and walking on leash with one of them within a foot of her. NOT A PEEP, not even a hint of the monster she was before. And as Joe had told me over the phone, “she is going to prove to you that it was all a rouse, that she doesn't need Joe!” He was right. Now I can go on a long hike with my off leash hiking buddy, or a walk on the beach where I can watch her run in and out of the waves and be around other dogs without the fear of a severe rotator cuff injury. And did I mention, this transformation took one week of preparation before meeting Joe in person, and then ONLY FOUR DAYS OF IN PERSON WORK. Every dog and every owner is different, and Joe can tell what you need and what the dog needs in that first phone conversation. As I told my mom after the evaluation, “I have been converted, don’t even try to have a debate with me about different training methods or trainers, I have the only trainer I will ever need for the rest of my life. Period.” And for the slim percentage of you reading this that are still contemplating getting a dog, CALL JOE FIRST, he will expertly match you with your furever friend. And for everyone else who is at wits end, or trying to be proactive, CALL JOE before it gets worse… because, trust me, it will.

Joe is worth every single penny. I don't have a ton of money to spend, and I am about as skeptical as they get with approaching someone that I have researched online. I am also hard to teach at times because I am emotional about my pets. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy education, and enjoy learning and taking direction from others. However, I am most comfortable with taking the role of training others. I am an educator. My professional duties somehow do not translate into being a successful dog owner. Training a dog requires a specialist. I am now a firm believer that no one should own a dog unless they are willing to work with a dog specialist. Although I did my due diligence with friends and family who are "experienced" with training dogs, I knew how important it was for me to seek help with my rescue dog KiKi that was having aggression issues on and off leash. KiKi was an angel when I first adopted her. She was timid and shy, yet played well with all of the other dogs at the rescue. She even played well with my housemates' puppy, and other dogs at the beach! I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw her lunge at my neighbor's dog, and I felt embarrassed and uncomfortable walking around my gated community. She pulled my arm so hard that my shoulder issues came back, and I felt like she was always walking me. So? My natural response was to buy a leash that wrapped around my waist so that it was easer on my body. Wrong decision. I wish I had met Joe so much earlier on. Luckily, I was able to find him after 1.5 months of adopting KiKi. KiKi began to learn from Joe's advice even before our first training. His advice is heartfelt, a bit harsh at times, but to the point. You might be worried about working with trainers that use a chain or a shock collar. I was too! Yet, when Joe first put the collar on me and showed me how a level 1 shock actually felt, I didn't even notice he was shocking me! It reminded me of when my doctor gave me a chicken pox update when I was 13, and I jumped off the table in fear--not realizing that he had already given me the shot! The shock is a last resort, and he uses it with caution. Kiki only needed it once, and within less that one minute she was recalling straight to Joe. Not impressed yet? Kiki is what I used to call--a man hater. Please don't ever say those words about your dog again, and get ready because Joe is all about changing your mindset and the way you speak about your dog. I have to say it here in my review for you to truly understand how negative my mindset was with her, and how fearful I was of what she would do or how she would act. She would nip men, lunge at them, and do anything she could to get them away from her. Yet, I witnessed her go right back to Joe in less than a minute and within 5 minutes off her leash with him for the first time--EVER. I could not believe my eyes. As I sit here this evening writing this review, I am in awe at the new inner peace that I have as Kiki's owner. I am respectful of Joe and grateful that a trainer like him is out there! He has the biggest heart, and will respect you and dog! Go with Joe! And most importantly, believe in your dog!

Joe's training method is incredibly fast and simple! We adopted a sweet 1 year old Min Pin Rescue Zoey a few months ago from living on the streets of Bakersfield with her pack. She came to us with extreme prey drive, no leash/walking skills, and was always trying to eat anything she could find on the ground including dead animals. Walking was constant pulling, sniffing and correction and off leash it was chasing her down the beach to pull her off her finds. After a few weeks, we started noticing her becoming protective of me, and would often bark and lunge at people on our walks. Even though we never saw her bite, we were worried about her escalating or just scaring people. She also was exhibiting separation anxiety unless in her crate. The training we were doing (avoidance/positive reinforcement) was teaching her some tricks and working somewhat in the moment, but not actually addressing the underlying issues. Well, Joe put us (mostly me) in our place, and has changed our dynamic to where Zoey is no longer my protector, but she is our dog like she is meant to be!! He uses tools for correction and taught me how to use them, so instead of yelling her name, chasing her, constant treats and commands, I can use the tools for minor corrections and she looks to me and follows me! She is an entirely new dog after a week and a half, to the point where we walk trails with lizards, bunnies, droppings, dead birds, dogs, people OFF LEASH with rare corrections, she has learned new tricks and games, and acts much more calm and happy. I can't thank Joe enough for showing me how my actions were causing negative behavior and how simply I could change that to make our lives better. If you talk to Joe, you will hear him say "no bed, no couch" and control collar and that might scare you off, but if you want to save thousands of dollars, and months or years of time give him a chance and trust the process! I highly recommend Joe!