We sleep, eat, and breathe dogs.
“The relationship I’ve had with these dogs is indescribable. Traveling together across the United States and relying on each other to make a living has forged a bond that goes beyond pet and owner. I am incredibly thankful for that time of my life and the opportunities I had with these exceptional animals.”
-Sonny
As far back as I can remember, I was always drawn to animals and wanted to have a better understanding of them.
Late 80s & 90s - In my early twenties, I was introduced to the pointing breeds; this is when the real passion and obsession became alive. A pointer was such a different animal, and I was on a mission to learn and master it. I aspired to train dogs professionally, full-time, as a career. I had a good job, benefits, a wife, kids, and a mortgage for a new home on the land I grew up on. Despite my obvious responsibilities, I quit my job to pursue my dream. Looking back, I’m not sure what the hell I was thinking. It was crazy. Looking back now, I know that’s what GOD called me to do.
I did my research on the top pros in the country and narrowed it down to George Hickox and Rick Smith. George’s seminar was full; Rick’s had one spot left, so that’s where I went. After attending Rick’s seminars, I mentored underneath Ronnie Smith of Smith Kennels in Oklahoma and pursued all they had to offer and received my Gold Level HuntSmith Certification. We hosted seminars, instructed seminars, and certified people using the HuntSmith Silent Command System.
2000-2015 - My understanding and relationship with the dogs began to grow deep. The dogs that came through the kennel were held to the highest standard. I trained hundreds of dogs for both upland application as well as obedience. Some of my favorite dogs to train were the fear-based, human and/or dog aggressive dogs and I was their last stop before being euthanized. We were able to save many of them and it was incredibly rewarding.
I produced some of the absolute best South Texas quail dogs and Wisconsin grouse and woodcock dogs. During this time, I studied the dogs profusely. This is when I learned to interact with the dogs like we were a part of a pack. Although, I did lose some of the emotion that came with a human to dog interaction, the connection I gained with them was much deeper. The discipline and attention to detail were off the charts, there was never a need for or excessive training to force the dog into submission.
Although, commercial guiding is no longer a part of my career and those dogs have since passed, what they taught me about myself, as a trainer is indescribable. I didn’t realize it at the time because my focus was on making producing the best dogs possible, looking back now those were some of the best times of my life.
2015 - The Method™ is a training format that I, alongside Jordan Wells, created to better help the people understand not necessarily the technical side of dog training but the mindset of the dog, the relationship, and the body language. Our mission is to convert the human into a dog. With a personal hope that the human will experience a piece of what I have felt with the dogs. Currently we are doing seminars for the public across the U.S. The Method™ isn’t just for hunters and bird dog enthusiasts, but for all pet owners that wish to better understand their dog. For me this is also some closure, maybe the next chapter, and the icing on the cake to step away from everything I have known my entire career and open the next chapter of my life.
2017 - While guiding a hunt, a client introduced me to the concept of detection dogs. We flew to Kentucky to talk about the concept and from there i was instructed to find the best in the business in detection. I made multiple connections with many different facilities before meeting Bart Rogers and Dr. Waggoner at Auburn University.
With Auburn University’s help, we produced our first round of detection candidates who were ready for their sale. Within that week, Covid erupted and destroyed our first attempt.
Spring of 2022, Auburn contacted us to see if we’d like to give it another go.