Josh is an INCREDIBLE trainer! We reached out to K9 Optima after needing to find a place to board our 75lb lab mix, Duke, while we were going on vacation for 2 weeks. We are so glad we found Josh's business through Yelp because he treated our dog like royalty while he was there. A little about our dog: We rescued him right around Thanksgiving of 2020 and he is a really sweet amazing dog. However, he is very shy and skittish with new people. When we first met him he wouldn't even let us pet him; he would only take a treat from our hands and then cower down and run away if you tried to reach out to pet him. We worked really hard with him on getting more comfortable with people, loud noises, and the training basics like sit, down, look, leash walking, etc. And we worked really hard on him being comfortable being home alone for hours at a time. However, when we tried crating him while we were gone he started to show signs of separation anxiety so we backed off. We learned that he could be home alone uncrated but home alone in the crate was too stressful for him. This all being said, putting him in the average run of the mill boarding facility where your dog basically stays in a kennel for all but 2 hours a day was not an option for us. On top of this, we could tell Duke was not getting enough mental stimulation despite walking him 2x/ day for a total of ~4 miles, playing with him, petting him, etc. FYI - when dogs don't get the proper amount of stimulation that is typically when unwanted behaviors start popping up. Sure enough, unwanted behaviors such as extreme leash biting, tearing up the recycling, and counter surfing started to become regular occurrences. We also knew that we had capped out on our training knowledge and capabilities. I was nervous to leave Duke for 2 weeks while we were gone, but after I spoke with Josh for the first time about what Duke needed and what we were looking for in a trainer, I instantly felt a wave of relief wash over me. I took Duke for one training session about a week before our trip so Josh could meet him and Duke could get comfortable with him and the space before we left. When we got there Josh understood that when you have a shy, skittish dog the best way to approach them is to pretty much ignore them and to let them approach you and then give them a treat to create a positive relationship. During the first session Josh really took the time to learn about Duke and the things we are needing help with training wise (recall, heel, leash biting, and any other basic obedience he wanted to teach him). By the end of the first session Duke was so comfortable with Josh he was belly-up begging for pets. While we were on our trip Josh kept in contact and gave us video updates on Duke's progress. When we went to pick Duke up he explained some things he figured out about Duke like the fact that he is a high drive working dog and the unwanted behaviors were in fact due to not getting enough mental stimulation. He recommended that we continue reinforcing and practicing the obedience training daily with Duke to exercise his mind. He also helped us to understand that things like heel and recall are all about repetition; you have to do it over and over and over again making it into a fun game with rewards to get the results you are looking for in a well behaved dog. We've done exactly what Josh said to do and have spent ~30 minutes / day practicing Duke's obedience, recall training, etc and we are blown away by how much more easy going and more obedient Duke has become! Long story short - Josh understands dogs, dog behavior, body language, and what motives your dog to get results all without relying on e-collars or force. We will never hire another dog trainer besides Josh because he is truly an expert that gets great results and will love your dog like his own! read more

Josh is so great working with the dogs he see's and works with. No matter the issue your dog may have. I recommend Josh!!! I was at my wits end with trainers for my Enzo. We Started training with Enzo at 5 months ( when we rescued him). Three trainers later, they all would end up saying was use a shock collar! his training was using a choke collar if he did not do as asked, yank the leash to correct him. Well Enzo would lay on the ground and refuse to get up, kicking his legs, like a child having a fit. Since he would refuse to get up, and him being a large boy (as Bloodhounds are Giant breed dogs) trainers would give up on Enzo, and only recommend using a shock collar as that is how to train a hound as they would say cause they all looked online to figure out how others train hounds. Mind you I did ask if they could train a hound before going to them. Josh had Enzo for 15 min, after assessing Enzo, getting to know Enzo, Josh had Enzo sitting, laying, and placing. No corrections used (as in a Shock collar or chock collar) Only patience, understanding of his breed, needs, sensitivity, and good smelling treats. Though Enzo, was not an aggressive dog, Enzo at 10 months already weighed 110 lbs. and a very large boy. Him needing to learn control of his excitement and obedience was a must. Cause a 110 lb. dog running up on another dog, or a person can spell trouble, even though he just thinks all dogs and people are his friends. Josh thank you for Helping me to help Enzo. Thank you for taking the time to see what works for him, and not just lumping him into a singular training focused on corrections . You are truly great at what you do!! 1 read more

Josh is an educated, empathic and deeply trustworthy trainer who understands dog (and human) behavior in a way that makes working with him such a joy as well as very effective. Without him (and all his helper dogs!) we wouldn't have been able to keep our Leia due to intense fighting between her and our Rocco. It wasn't fixed in one session - we worked with both dogs individually on their issues and did sessions together over several months. Behavior change takes real effort and time - both in session and then applying it every single day at home. To go from attacking each other on-sight to being cuddle buddies that played all day and had no issues around food, bones, toys, etc felt like nothing short of a miracle - but what it really was was understanding dog psychology and behavior and working WITH them to help them both move past the issues. None of that would have been possible without Josh. After Rocco passed and it was time to rescue a new dog, we had such a better understanding of how Leia thought and what signs to look out for that we were able to integrate a new dog without any issues. We will be forever grateful to all we've learned from Josh (and Boo, Waffles, Juju & Gigi, of course!) and will continue to go back to him whenever new issues arise. read more

We are a small rescue located in the Central Valley of California and found K9 Optima via TikTok. I immediately noticed the transparency of his page and his dedication to each individual client. After months of learning from his page, I had a new dog come into my rescues care named Beckham. Beckham was trapped in the country of Kingsburg CA after being spotted with a ZIP TIE around his muzzle. I have never see a dog so shut down and scared of humans. Josh was able to help me virtually with training techniques to help Beckham out of his shell. Beckham went from cowering in fear in the back corner of our bathroom to being able to play in the yard. Josh even went a step further and used his platform to run a fundraiser for the extensive medical costs due to Beckhams less than ideal health upon entering our rescue. We have several stories to share about continued support from K9 Optima. I would encourage anyone who is looking for a trainer to do your research. If you've landed on this review because that's what you're doing, look no further. There is no dog trainer I personally know, and trust more than Josh. An absolute gem in the dog training industry. read more

I have been following Josh for the last year on TikTok and cannot say enough about the value he adds to my education and experience learning how to navigate the inevitable challenges of being a dog owner. His whole approach is one of kindness, respect and enjoyment for spending time with dogs, getting to know them and their specific traits and needs. He has a wealth of knowledge and humility to keep learning and developing best practices while teaching others the same. I admire the generosity and work he does in the rescue community, helping to rehabilitate and find excellent forever homes for dogs who would otherwise be deemed disposable. I also appreciate how he stands up and is willing to call out those in the field who are abusing their platforms as well as the animals. He is a fierce advocate for dogs and other trainers who also employ positive and compassionate training techniques. I am enjoying interactions with my dogs so much more and my training has evolved so much due to his guidance. Josh is a real one, and deserves all the recognition and support! read more

Josh was born to handle and care for dogs! Josh has been training our now 1 yr old husky since she was a 6 month pup full of husky energy. We've placed our pup with Josh for a few private lessons and his board and train programs. We love that it is an in-home board and train with his family of 4 dogs and kids. There is no off-site kennel facility. The dogs sleep with them, train with him alongside his own dogs and kids in a home environment which provides the pups a continuing familiar and comfortable setting. Josh has greatly settled down our pup's overstimulated play and improved her social skills with other dogs (thanks to his helper dogs), taught her the basics sit, down and place. He has a head full of knowledge and understanding regarding dog behavior, with years of experience, is quick to assess behavioral issues and to offer up insights for a fix. You can tell that he loves dogs and no force is used. We are grateful that we found K9 Optima. Our pup gives her ringing endorsement by her excitement upon arriving for her sessions! read more

You know when you meet someone who really knows their stuff AND really wants to help AND is a really nice person? Yup. It doesn't happen all that often, but that describes Josh to a "t". We met Josh a few months ago when a rescue dog needed intense help for resource guarding. I called Josh one day at the suggestion of a friend and went to see him the next day. He has a great setup at his place in Benicia. He exudes confidence but in a chill way that makes everyone comfortable - dogs and humans! Josh has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, so to speak, and the dogs love him and respond to his caring and confident manner. He engages with the dogs and with their people - and makes training a happy experience for everyone. After working with some other trainers who are more old school, it is totally refreshing to work with Josh. We really appreciate his positive training approach. Get on his schedule if you can - he's the real deal, and it's truly a gift to yourself and everyone else to have a well-trained dog! read more

I've worked with Josh on behalf of several rescue dogs during my time volunteering at Rocket Dog Rescue. I can undoubtedly say that Josh is the most brilliant, deeply empathetic and compassionate dog trainer I know. He understands dog behavior so accurately and intricately. He is always friendly and communicative to his clients. Josh is not only talented at training the dogs, he's talented at teaching people how to understand their dogs and build a solid relationship with them, which in my experience in dog rescue is half the work. Even though I live in Southern California, I tell anyone In California to go see Josh in person if possible or schedule a virtual consultation because there is just no other trainer like him in my experience. Highly recommend 10 stars out of 5. He has a heart of gold and a brilliant mind. I was very lucky to witness Josh's assessments and training of typically misunderstood dogs who deserve the kind of respect and knowledge that Josh consistently provides them read more

Josh really takes the time to study your dog to find out what is the motivating factor behind their behaviors. I've never had a trainer do that before, it really shows that he's trying to understand WHY a dog is behaving a certain way, instead of just immediately trying to fix the behavior. Both my dogs have seen him - one needing just small tweaks and the other likely being a lifelong work in progress. I don't know how he does it, but one of our dogs instantly listened to him, to the point where he said she didn't even need training - we just found out just how smart and stubborn she really is. Our newest adopted dog though, we were able to figure out he's not showing aggressive behavior, even though it comes across that way...he's just curious and lacked social skills and exhibited behaviors that other dogs don't understand. We have the tools now to help us navigate our walks and daily routine and it has helped immensely. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND. read more

I met Josh thru our rescue, NorCal Golden Retriever Rescue...We have taken so many different dogs, (all the same breed!?) to him and are always amazed at how he can pinpoint a dogs issues - and then give us great training advice as to solving the problems...but always from the dogs point of view! Not many trainers are as acutely aware of the physical/mental combination as Josh is...and can explain in very normal terms how it all interacts to help a dog learn what we want in the most basic and KIND way possible. We will continue to bring all our dogs to Josh, and highly recommend him to any other rescues that need help with theirs! Too many out there who use very frightening techniques to get results from a dog - it might help their egos, but definitely damages, even further, dogs who had a bad start to begin with... We are happy to tell anyone who needs confirmation, how highly we value this man and his very honest training methods! read more

From all the way north in French speaking Canada, Josh showed me that we don't always need verbal communication when working with our dogs. I have a mal dutchie, whom I adopted after having huskies and German shepherds, and Josh was the man for the job through virtual sessions to help me work through our challenges. Through redirecting, flirt pole, scenting games, and reading my dog's body language I can now communicate without hesitation or doubt with my dog and the result is not only a high performing mal who competes in agility, frisbee, rally, scent detection and dock diving but is also a wonderful pet in the home with my other canines (and no he doesn't live in a cage, only when we're out of the house). Josh and the K9 Optima Team (Natalie kicks a$$) gave me a relationship with Hawk the most symbiotic and I have a dog who sleeps every night completely fulfilled. read more

I can't say enough about how great Josh and Natalie are. They work wonders with dogs, in terms of training, but so much more! I lucked into finding them when we needed a board-and- train for a German Shepherd we were fostering. Though a real love with humans, she didn't interact well with other dogs and cats. When she arrived for boarding, she was so terrified of being in a kennel, due to her history, that they opened their home and hearts to her, keeping her in their house for 4 days with their 4 kids. Later, when we were having trouble finding her a forever home, they jumped in to take it on themselves to promote her in videos and find her a great forever home. This is so far above and beyond what anyone could expect from a trainer that there are no words. They truly care about and love every dog they work with. read more

I stumbled upon Josh/K9 Optima on TikTok. I reached out to him for a one-on-one virtual sessions to pick his brain and troubleshoot a dog I was currently working with in order to get a second opinion as I work alone. Josh absolutely knows behavior and training. After talking to him I was able to get through an obstacle I was having with a client dog. He gave me excellent advice, information, and a fresh perspective on how I might move forward with the dog. So what started out as a few virtual sessions online collaborating and learning from Josh. Has now turned into making a friend in the dog training industry for several years now. He's a stand up guy that is honest and trustworthy. If I was a client looking for a trainer in his area. He is exactly who I would take my dogs to. read more

Josh is the ONLY dog trainer that will stream his training sessions LIVE! Transparency speaks volumes because you get to see it ALL from start to finish of the session, in addition he explains what he is doing and why he is doing it in an intelligent and kind manner. His love of dogs is obvious as you watch him work, which is so refreshing to see in a dog trainer. He helped me learn how to deal with my resource guarding chihuahua in a positive way, and the results have made my life, and our relationship so much better! If you are looking for a kind, intelligent, and honest dog trainer, K9 Optima is where it's at! He also does virtual training sessions, which is helpful if you are too far away to drive. read more

we adopted a German Shepard mix via Rocket Dog Rescue a year ago and while she is very intelligent and loyal - there were behavior issues that were beyond our abilities and experience. so we had some problems and ALMOST resigned to giving her up to a rural safe place in Northern California. But luckily we found Josh. He quickly identified the canine traits we were not aware of and taught us great techniques as owners & handlers to implement. And what a difference that series of sessions made in our lives. Now I feel that I have the best dog we have ever owned. A smart, alert & attentive companion who looks to us for instructions to serve us and we now know how to read her. THANK YOU JOSH!! read more

We have used Josh for both dog training & boarding. We couldn't be happier with his service & expertise. My dog loved him & his wife. He has been so helpful with teaching us how to train her. My dog was a rescue found as a stray & she was afraid of everything & spastic. I wasn't sure if she was going to work out but with his patience & knowledge he has taught me so much & my dog is loved by everyone. She's turned out to be so loving, friendly & very well behaved. I owe so much to Josh for how my dog turned out. I have recommended him repeatedly to anyone who needs help with their dog. I couldn't thank him enough. He's the Go-to guy if you need help with your dog!!! read more

Admittedly, I'm very selective when it comes to choosing a dog trainer. I want my dog to have a positive experience that is both useful and rewarding. I also want to feel encouraged and supported, so I don't walk away feeling worse about myself. Josh is the best of all worlds - he's kind, thorough, attentive, and fun. As someone who's had both a very reactive, dog-selective, bully breed and a high-energy, out of control, retriever, I fully trust Josh in either scenario. He has experience with so many different breeds and behavioral issues. I'm sad that Josh is moving further away soon, but I don't mind traveling when it comes to finding the best care for my pup! read more

Have a reactive dog and don't know where to start? That is how I felt. My 2 year old German Shepard was really reactive towards other dogs and it was really disheartening to watch. I thought I could train him on my own by watching YouTube videos but I slowly found out this was not working. I came across k9 Optima on my TikTok feed and contacted Josh. He really took the time to break down things about German Shepard's and their inherit behaviors, and the type of mental and physical simulation they require to be a happy pup. I can say after leaving our training session I feel like a more empowered dog owner. I definitely recommend and you won't be disappointed. read more

I had a phone consultation with Josh because I was having an issue with conflicts between my two dogs. He quickly identified the problem and gave me detailed steps on how to resolve it. I was honestly not expecting that anyone would be able to help with a single video call but he did. Unlike a lot of trainers who will use methods that scare or force the dogs into behaving, he looks at the root cause of problems and approaches them in a way that the dogs understand and willingly (and excitedly) follow. He works with the dogs, not against them. I highly recommend him for all issues and especially if you have reactive dogs. read more