About Ruff-Rodes Dog Training

Who runs it

Ruff-Rodes Dog Training is David Rodes. He writes that "Since 2016, I have been committed to the behavioral development and teaching of canines and their handlers", and that "In 2020, I passed certification and started holding CPDT-KA credentials with a commitment to continued education and LIMA training." That certification is a claim made on his own site; it has not been checked against a registry here. He describes himself as a former correctional officer who moved into training, and says "I have worked with thousands of dogs and handlers over the years" and "I have mentored dozens of trainers".

How the training is described

He is explicit about method. He calls himself "an independent force-free dog trainer in Huntington, WV" who practices "using only current, fear-free methods of training", and writes that aversive tools "such as prong collars, choke collars, and electric shock collars are not only outdated, but extremely unnecessary." His stated goal is "to strengthen the human-dog bond through current, scientifically backed positive reinforcement training", motivated by dogs being "relinquished to shelters due to behaviors that are fixable".

What is offered

The services page lists group classes, marked "Group Classes (Returning Soon!)", along with private lessons, in-home dog training, dog walking, drop-in services, and exercise strategies; workshops and seminars also appear in the site footer. The site carries a long-running blog on behavior and training methodology covering potty training, reactivity thresholds, bark collars, storm fear, and socialization, which is the clearest published guide to how he works.

Practical details

The site lists 1772 US-60, Huntington, WV 25701, with hours of Monday to Saturday, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. Note that this directory record carries Barboursville as its city while the site gives a Huntington address, and that the same street address is also used by Berk & Kai's House, a separate business at which he is the trainer.