If you need help with a new kitten, or if your cat needs assistance with social skills, manners, or confidence, I'm here for you! I address common issues such as soiling, aggression, fear, and adjusting to a new home. Using rewards and consistent routines, we'll create a loving and calm relationship with your cat based on modern cat behavior science.
Do bunnies and guinea pigs provide the same kind of relationship as dogs and cats? The truth is, any critter who is loved and nurtured can give us the kind of relationship we expect from a pet. If you're interested in adopting a smaller pet or need help with their behavior, I have the expertise to guide you. While I primarily work with dogs and cats, I have extensive knowledge of all types of animal behavior!
I offer in-person, virtual, and pre-pet counseling for all animals!
My in-person fees depend on the time it takes me to travel to your location from my studio in Katonah, NY.
TIER 1 — On Location or within 15-minute travel * $375 for stand-alone 90 minutes * $275.00 for 60-minute individual follow-ups * $1,225.00 for an 5-lesson package*
TIER 2 — 20-35 Minutes from Sarah's office * $475 for stand-alone 90 minutes * $375 for 60-minute individual follow-ups * $1,700.00 for a 5-lesson package*
TIER 3 — 35-50 Minutes from Sarah's office * $575 for stand-alone 90 minutes * $475 for 60-minute individual follow-ups * $2,200.00 for a 5-lesson package*
* Discounted prepaid package includes an initial 60-90 minute session plus four follow-ups.
“We have used a few dog trainers and attended a variety of dog classes over the last two decades and multiple dogs. ... Sarah's approach comes with a deep, deep understanding of dogs, compassion, logic and a human kindness that is never about dominance or obedience. ... We have learned a lot from her that carries far beyond just our dogs and I am grateful that we have had the chance to work with her with newest puppy, Petey! She is an amazing trainer.”
“I never thought someone could help my family train our dog to have good manners. We have been unsure of what to do and how to do it. Sarah has been wonderful! She takes her time with us and explains what she is doing. She demonstrates proper techniques and then allows us to carry them out. With her guidance, our dog has calmed down and is a better-behaved part of our family. She also lets us record parts of the session so that we are able to review the proper technique between sessions. I highly recommend Sarah to anyone that would like to train their pets.”
“I can't say enough wonderful things about Sarah! We recently got a golden retriever puppy. Not our first dog, just our first puppy. We were overwhelmed and so was our other dog (age 14). I quickly started researching programs. I immediately liked Sarah as a person - so effusive and also firm and so very knowledgable. I was a little skeptical about how much she could do with Georgia in just 1 week but we were happily surprised! Georgia came home a different dog. Best money spent and more importantly, we got our puppy joy.”
“There are no words to describe Sarah, she saved us! We adopted a dog post pandemic that was not socialized or trained, coming into a family with no dog experience, which resulted in a bad situation. We met Sarah at Bedford Barks and she and her family welcomed my family into their home. She comforted my girls with the help of her adorable litter from Peekaboo. As luck would have it, within time, a puppy became available. She has guided us through and will continue to be a member of our family, as she has so kindly done for us!”
“My veterinarian recommended Sarah to me years ago, and I have been working with her ever since! This is my third dog Sarah has helped me with. She is understanding, patient, and kind with both my dog and me, while encouraging us both along the way. Her knowledge and experience are impressive and ever growing. I have recommended Sarah to several of my friends and neighbors, all whom were more than satisfied with the end results. Sarah is professional while maintaining a warm and personal touch considering the individual needs of each dog and owner. Working with Sarah is always a successful and fun experience. I wouldn't work with anyone else!”
“100% recommend Sarah Hodgson for training your puppy or dog at any stage or temperament! I've worked with her privately and in puppy training class, and it's an absolute delight. She is incredibly knowledgeable and intuitive and is very gentle with dogs, believing in kind, positive training. I've watched my dog and others learn basic commands and proper behavior with a single lesson (but of course, parents must follow up with consistent reinforcement). Highly recommend!”
“I cannot say enough great things about Sarah. “Sarah says” has become a catchphrase in our house. She is not only a dog whisperer but she understands and works with the whole family system. My toddler adored her session with Sarah and our 6 month old puppy, Cleo, and I have loved my private training sessions with Sarah and group classes. She has given us so many tools to better train our puppy. We currently have her imprinting our new 8 week old puppy (yes, we’re taking on a lot!)! Stay tuned on our next review as we know she will work wonders on our little pup!”
“Sarah Hodgson is the very best!!! Not only does she know dogs but she loves them which to me makes the difference. I have a new puppy and was totally bamboozled over how to proceed. In two short sessions Sarah taught me so much about puppyhood, from housebreaking-to what toys they like-to nipping and grooming. What Sarah says goes. Sarah knows pets.”
“Winnie has really settled into herself after we started training with Sarah. She used to be very aggressive when new people showed up at our home, but now she greets new guests at the door calmly and moves on. She’s much better meeting new friends on the trail instead of making enemies with other dogs. Best of all she no longer lunges at people. Thanks for helping us get her on the right path! We couldn’t have done it without you, Sarah.”
“My family has worked with Sarah for years. She helped us find our dog Gilly at a local rescue, and she has been so supportive throughout the entire process: city transition strategies to basic puppy manners and sleep training tips. We wouldn't want to work with anyone else. We wish we lived closer so we could do all her group training classes.”
“We’ve been working with Sarah for a long time. She could tell us things about our puppy’s personality we would’ve never realized. She taught us happy techniques to replace punishments. Our kids, who were young at the time, still reminded me of what ‘Sarah Says!’ Years later, when we got our second Bernese Mountain dog, we used Sarah's puppy camp to get her off to the best start. Now we're using Sarah to help us learn to walk the dogs together-nearly 200 pounds of dog power!”
”I can’t help but disclose to you that I am a child psychiatrist with a new Goldendoodle puppy. On top of that, this puppy is a clone of our beloved dog that passed away. That’s a lot of pressure and also means she is a puppy not born into a typical litter. What drew me to Sarah’s philosophy for training animals is her focus on attachment and bonding. Her way of working with animals and their human parents is to establish strong trustful bonds where the dogs do all the right things because they are attached to you and want to please you. Sarah described our pup as a “drama queen” that was “high maintenance”. She spent a week with Sarah combined with some serious coaching of us to keep the good things happening, and they have. Sarah is a wise, creative, empathic, responsive teacher, and coach. Today, we still have a spirited pup to be sure, but she is a pure delight and a wonderful family member.”
“We started our new puppy, Blue, with Sarah because of the reviews that we had previously discovered. After only a small amount of time, Sarah was able to connect with Blue and instill obedience skills to our surprise.
When Blue first started, he did not understand basic commands such as sit, but time with Sarah reinforced positive behaviors and yielded shocking results considering the small window of time that Blue spent with her.
Blue is barely 3 months, and he understands restraint and even ring the bell to go outside, which Sarah worked tirelessly on with Blue.
To say that we are pleased with results is a dramatic understatement. We are grateful to have found a patient trainer that instills trust with not only her dogs, but also the families she works with-we are currently looking forward to next lessons with Sarah!”
“I was overwhelmed with Biscotti's behavior when walking on a leash; he would go frantic when seeing other dogs and people on walks. It was so bad that my walks became a chore instead of a comfort. With Sarah's guidance, I now have a dog that walks respectfully and plays delightfully. He fits in perfectly with our family; we just adore him. Biscotti loves Sarah, and so do we! She's a lifesaver.”
“I love working with Sarah! I am a former elementary school teacher who can really appreciate her philosophy, “Dogs are just like kids”. My smart but sometimes-stubborn Mini Schnauzer has learned so much from Sarah. I have had her come to my home for private lessons and it has been worth every penny!
Sarah is definitely a “dog whisperer “who knows how dogs think. As a result, my pup is turning into a wonderful addition to my family. Sarah helped Ruby and I to learn walking on a leash without pulling my arms out, minimizing excessive barking, meeting my grandchildren and socialization skills on a field trip to town.
Additionally, Sarah videotaped our sessions least I forget the right things to do. Her books are also really helpful when I forget what to do. I can’t wait to take one of her group classes to expand on Ruby’s basic manners and maybe even eventually try some agility training!”
“Sarah was absolutely terrific!! We learned so much in a quick session, and have already started implementing her techniques into the training of our 10-week old puppy. We will certainly continue the training sessions, as we restructured our entire training method - due to Sarah!! Her guidance has been immense, and we will continue to utilize her tips and tap into her expertise.”
“We were hesitant to send our 10 week old puppy Scout to Sarah’s imprinting program for one week. It seemed too good to be true! She wasn’t sleeping, and she was growling and nipping. After sending her to stay with Sarah her sleeping is amazing - nights and naps have been so so easy; she is so well scheduled, it is like night and day! She was tearing up and eating grass like a cow and now she barely touches grass, if at all. She also learned to control her nipping. Sarah helped us understand that staring at her directly in the eyes was frightening her (we didn’t know that only people stare face to face and that dog’s can get scared when people stare at them!). She learned to go to one place to potty and she’s picking it right up! She seems loves all the toys you selected based on what she loved in your care. My favorite favorite thing is all the videos and photos you sent while she was there: we never felt out of touch! Thanks Sarah—you gave us our life back and now we have an amazing little pup who we completely understand.”
“Our family hired Sarah for imprinting our new 8 week old puppy. She was incredibly easy to work with, explaining exactly what would happen, what to expect, and how often she would be in touch with us. The imprinting visit could not have gone better – in fact, I would describe it as a MIRACLE. Within a very short period of time our puppy was peacefully sleeping through the night, peeing and pooping OUTSIDE (even ringing the BELL to go out), coming when we called her, eating like a champ and at the end of the day winding down to quietly sitting in our lap. We were given a very precise schedule/plan which we have followed making the transition home so much easier. While not every day has been as picture perfect as with Sarah the experience was incredibly easier with Sarah’s expertise and help. Oh and did I mention Sarah has been completely available for follow up questions and reminders ? I could not recommend her and her team more. Thank you Sarah!”
"We met Sarah when we brought our new puppy home and ended up with legs and hands covered in scratches from a nippy pup. We were frustrated and at a loss of what to do until Sarah simplified everything, getting me and my puppy on the same page. Sarah's response was quick (thank god!) and she truly changed my entire understanding of puppyhood. She provided details on the science and inner workings of a puppy's minds, and how to "speak the same language", as well as tips for potty training, a sleep schedule and how to play together. Much of Sarah's lessons are in the form of games for your puppy, keeping you both entertained as well as learning. Fast forward a few months and we found ourselves in need of Sarah's help once again. We've been working with her regularly and have seen a vast improvement in our puppy's behavior. We also feel more confident and equipped with our training ability. Sarah has been a savior for us and we cannot thank her enough! "Sarah Says" is a phrase used daily in our home!”
I met Sarah when my boyfriend and I hired her to help our pets get along…I was so nervous that my boyfriend thought hiring anyone to enter our house was a waste of money. We were so wrong! Our dog and cat were playing around looking for treats in less than an hour. I learned so much! Her company so clearly loves animals—it’s effective, professional help that you, your dog, and your cats will love.
