Reviews

Ella is a Brittany with 1/4 French lines. She is smart and sweet. This is our second Brittany so we know the characteristics. Ella knew what we wanted her to do but she wanted to do it her own way more. We tried local obedience trainer and made some progress but insufficient. We were struggling and knew we needed professional help to get her to come on command and get her started in the field. Fortunately we found Caleb. He took her in this season and encouraged us to visit monthly. He also gave us weekly reports on her progress. She was clearly coming along well and by the time she got past obedience and in the field she was a different dog. Josh did a lot of the hunt training and both Caleb and Josh are kind , patient and firm. She was responding well. When we got her home after 12 weeks she was totally responsive to all commands. The collar is a reminder but rarely requires more than a tone. She comes in command EVERYTiME. Her spirit is still cheerful and sweet. A firm No is all it takes to correct. She is a pleasure. Her first hunt was yesterday at SSJ Farm in Hilliard. 10 bird 5 station hunt first 3 stations went like clockwork 6 birds up, 6 birds down. Ella showed her skills and training. Hold on point, steady to wing and shot. Found dead birds but did not lunge to recover. She showed me everything I needed to know. Station 4 position error on my part. Free blocked shot. We skipped last station due to heat. All in all I could not be more pleased. Caleb and Josh are honest, patient, firm and kind. You will be amazed at the progress. You cannot choose better than Southern Tradition Kennels.

I sent my Lab to STK in hopes that she would make a nice gun dog. I am an avid waterfowl and dove hunter, so having a good retriever is very important to me. After talking with Caleb, I knew STK was where I wanted to send Goose for training. One of Caleb's employees, Josh, was Goose's primary trainer. He taught her everything from basic obedience, force-fetch, and casting. One of my favorite things about STK is that they are honest with you about how your dog is progressing. Josh always kept me up to date on Goose's training, and he made sure to tell me the things she was doing good with and the things that she was not handling so well. I loved how they kept me up to date and how they were honest about everything going on.



Goose stayed at STK for 6 months total. While she was there, she was well taken care of. Every time I would go see her, she looked and acted healthy. They have nice facilities for the dogs to stay in and they feed extremely high-quality feed, which is a confidence booster for keeping your pet safe and healthy while they are staying at training. They take great care of all of the dogs and treat them all very well. Goose still gets very excited when she sees Josh!



This is not my first rodeo dealing with dog trainers. I have had sub-par experiences more than once, and this is definitely not one of those times. Caleb has a great kennel, and he and his employees work hard to reach the expectations that you have for your pet.

Took my 4mo English Cocker pup down to Caleb and co. for gundog training while we moved cities. 4 months later, I picked him up and went straight to North Dakota. Finn hit the ground running and had a blast as well. Fetch, retrieve, and pattern was tight, and he was a dream to have in the house. He even ran down several crippled birds and brought them to hand. 10/10 and I'll be sending him back in a few years when he inevitably needs a tune up.

Our two year old field spaniel Henry is now a joy and delight because of training at STK. He walks on or off the leash and is easy to recall even from a distance on our farm walks. Henry is still a lovable happy go lucky dog as spaniels tend to be but now he is also a respectful member of the family and takes his cues from the humans! Even the little ones in our family. Thank you!

I tried training my wild Chocolate Lab and eventually tapped out. I contacted Caleb and dropped Gus off for on and off leash training. Gus was a stubborn wild child doing only what Gus wanted to do. Caleb was able to redirect his energy in a positive way. I thoroughly enjoy walking and running with Gus these days. He no longer pulls me on walks and is very good at obey commands. The work Caleb was able to do with Gus was nothing short of a small miracle! Caleb provided ample one on one training with me and Gus to ensure we both understood what was needed for both of us (Gus and I) to be successful. Very highly recommend for any type of dog you have!

My German Shepherd Bogie just finished his training with Caleb. I couldn’t be more happy with the results. Caleb, his wife Ashleigh, and his staff are amazing. I received updates on his progress and one on one instruction by Caleb with Bogie. He even did a follow up session to help my mother with him since she helps me care for Bogie when I’m at work. Bogie was well fed and cared for while he was there. I highly recommend them!

Nispey is a Heeler/Bulldog mix. He was found dumped under a bridge. We had just lost our Dachshund and when we saw this little tri colored spotted dog on Facebook, we rescued him. He really rescued us. He grew in the next few months to be big and clumsy and out of control! We found Southern Tradition Kennels online and gave Caleb a call. We were impressed with the price and we set it up. We just picked him up yesterday, and he is a totally different dog! He listens and obeys. We couldn't be happier with the progress he has made in one short month. Thank you so much for making our lives easier! We plan to work with him every day and reinforce the good behaviors he has learned.

Absolutely wonderful experience with help with my rescue dog. She is a totally different dog. Can’t say enough positive things about Caleb and his staff.

After a successful training of our Brittany, Lucy, last year, we went back to have her half-brother Beau trained. We were able to rescue Beau after he failed out of Field Trial school. He was a mess! After his first year of little human socialization and living in a pack he had few skills. He was stubborn and submissive (head always down) and needed some intense therapy and training. Caleb and Noah did a wonderful job creating confidence and structure as well as basic skills for a safe life. Beau has been home just a few days now but is listening well, responding to commands, and appears very happy. We are very pleased that both of our Brittany's have this wonderful foundation! Thanks guys!

I just picked up Abby from Caleb today and I am so impressed and happy with the results! I did not have time for Abby due to work and my masters. I got Abby as a early birthday gift from my boyfriend and I thought she would be easy to train since I have another cavalier and I trained him on my own but oh man was I wrong! We got her from another owner and she picked up on so many bad habits so there was so much skeletons in the closet that I did not know how to deal with it and it got overwhelming to me. I thought with my other well behaved dog as a role model she would get it but she did not. She was terrified of the leash, did not know what it was and would scream every time I put it on her even with treats. She would just stay in one spot and yell. She had no knowledge of any commands and since her old owner would just leave her all day in a crate with a pee pad, she was not housebroken at all. I needed help and I searched and I found Caleb. He works with his brother and reading all the good reviews I knew this was it, he was the one I could trust with my dog and have results. So I left Abby with him for a month, getting updates from him through texts and when I picked her up today, it was everything I expected and more! Abby on a leash is like second nature now, she knows all the commands that I wanted her to know like sit, stay, heel and lay down. I was so amazed of her progress and how far she has come from the girl who was terrified of the leash like a monster was on her neck to not sitting at all to now staying in the same spot as I walk around her and not moving one bit. I’m so happy with the results! Caleb and his brother has the patience, love and heart to work with dogs. They took care of Abby, gave her medication when she was not feeling well and bathed her. He said I can always contact him for advice which is more than what you could ask for. Future pups that I cannot handle will definitely go to Caleb and his brother! Highly recommend A++++