Top 10 local family-owned hidden gems with 5-star Yelp ratings that specialize in the type of training you need from obedience training to guard training to therapy dog training. Use the 6 tips for picking the right school and you are on your way to the dog training school of your dreams!

1. TOP 10 BEST DOG
TRAINING SCHOOLS IN
SAN DIEGO
BY T R A I N D O G H Q

2. WHY WOULD YOU NEED A DOG
TRAINING SCHOOL?
All things in life need to grow and develop. This applies to our relationships as well. This
also applies to our relationships with our dogs. Whether you just got your furry best
friend and want to plant the seeds of a harmonious long-term friendship, or you have
been living together for a while, and want to take your relationship to the next level, we
all need guidance sometimes. And just like you would go to a specialist if you wanted
more out of your relationship with your partner, you would go to a…dog training
school if you needed to work on your relationship with your dog.

3. T Y P E S O F D O G
T R A I N I N G S C H O O L S
W E W I L L C O V E R
How do you find a good specialist?
First, you need to decide whether you want to
work on general obedience, aggression,
separation anxiety, or maybe you want to take on
therapy dog training or a protection dog training
course.
And then you got to read on because we created
a list of local hidden gems in San Diego area that
specialize in exactly the kind of dog training
classes you want!
All of these gems have 5-star ratings on Yelp,
tons of happy clients and they are local,
oftentimes family-owned businesses, so you can
make great friends among your neighbors while
doing some training as well!
Dog Obedience Training
Aggressive Dog Training
Protection Dog Training or Guard
Dog Training
Behavior Modification Dog
Training - Dog Separation Anxiety
Training
Therapy Dog Training
Service Dog Training
Online Dog Training
In Home Dog Training
Group Training
Training Camp

4. 6 TIPS FOR
PICKING THE
RIGHT DOG
TRAINING SCHOOLT H E R E A R E P L E N T Y O F O P T I O N S O U T T H E R E
I N R E G A R D S T O D O G T R A I N I N G . H O W D O
Y O U K N O W W H I C H O N E I S G O O D F O R Y O U ?

5. 1. KNOW THAT DOG TRAINING
INDUSTRY IS UNREGULATED
That means that virtually anyone could call him or herself a trainer, sadly. However, there
are certifications and organizations that can help you identify those who actually have
the right designations and experience. Always check to see if the trainer has some of the
following certifications: The Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), The
Academy for Dog Trainers (ADT), the Certification Council for Professional Dog
Trainers(CPDT KA), the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior (KPAATB),
or the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. Being the primary
educational organization for trainers, APDT has a very useful resource called Trainer
Search that allows you to find trainers in your area based on your city or zip code. Great
tool! Note that if a trainer is certified by the APDT it does not necessarily imply that he or
she uses a specific training method, which brings us to the next tip.

6. 2. KNOW THE TRAINING METHODS
USED
Now, all trainers have different training methods, but here are a few basic things that
would help you swim confidently in the sea of trainer jargon. There are currently 4 basic
methods of training that stem from behavioral psychology: positive reinforcement,
negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment. Now, the
positive and negative aren’t representing the concept of “good and evil” here, they
function more like they would in math, with positive meaning addition and negative
meaning subtraction of something. It will become clearer in a second.

7. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
VS NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
Positive Reinforcement
is the most popular method today, and,
sure enough, you are all familiar with it.
Positive reinforcement has, at its core,
rewarding a dog for desired behavior
usually with a treat, a toy or play time,
depending on what motivates your dog
the most. The trick is to pick the right
timing: just as your dog does the desired
behavior, reward him or her right away,
and supplement the treat with a high-
pitched “good dog”, to make sure your
realizes how pleased you are with this
behavior. See how a treat is added here?
This is the positive part, the addition.
Negative Reinforcement
involves taking something
unpleasant away to reinforce the
desired behavior. That is how
electric fences work, for example.
When a dog gets too close to the
perimeter, it gets a shock, but the
shock disappears the moment the
dog moves away from the
boundary. This way, the dog learns
to stay away from the perimeter.
See the subtraction here – the
unpleasant sensations are taken
away to reinforce a behavior, this is
negative reinforcement.
VS

8. POSITIVE PUNISHMENT
VS NEGATIVE PUNISHMENT
Positive Punishment
With punishment techniques, the trainer is
trying to make a particular behavior happen
often. With positive punishment, the trainer
adds some unpleasant stimuli to discourage a
behavior. With excessive barking, for example,
trainer can add a spray bark collar to the
training, so that every time a dog barks, it gets
sprayed. The dog will associate nuisance
with being sprayed, and this will discourage
or her from barking all night long again. Did
see how with this technique a trainer would
(=positive) something to discourage a behavior
(=punishment).
Negative Punishment
This technique implies taking
something away (=negative) in order to
discourage a behavior (=punishment).
A good example would be if a trainer
turns away from a dog that is jumping
on him or other people
to get attention. He takes the attention
away from the dog to discourage
undesired behavior. This method is
often used together with positive
reinforcement to reduce the unwanted
behavior and reinforce the desired
behavior.
VS

9. 3. CHOOSE THE TRAINING TYPE
Group Classes, Boot Camps, In House Training or even Skype chats – there is every type
of dog training you might need under the sun. Consider the benefits and drawbacks.
With in house dog training the obvious advantage is that you will get more personal
attention. If your dog has some socialization issues, in home training won’t be as
effective as group dog training classes, where both you and your fido can learn to be
around other dogs and work around so many tempting distractions. If you want your
dog to get the experience of a full immersion, then a dog training camp will be the best
option. Whereas, if your budget is tight, online dog training might be the solution you
are looking for. Deciding on the type of training you need will make the task of finding a
good dog training school way easier.

10. 4. WATCH A CLASS BEFORE YOU SIGN
UP
Once you picked a class or a training school, take some time to come to one of the training
sessions and just observe. Pay attention to the following:
• How big is the class size and whether you will be getting enough attention,
• If puppies and adult dogs are trained separately,
• How many levels do the classes have (basic, intermediate, advanced),
• How the trainer interacts with the dogs,
• How dogs react to the training,
• Whether everyone seems to be having fun and enjoying the process.
If you ticked all the checkboxes here, and are comfortable with the environment, you have
found a good candidate.

11. 5. DON’T FORGET ABOUT
VACCINATIONS
Safety first! Make sure your dog is properly vaccinated before you start any dog training
and get the green light from your vet. Next, ensure that the training school requires
every dog to be vaccinated and is asking for a proof. This way you can rest assured that
the safety aspect of your training is covered.

12. 6. ASK ABOUT THE FOLLOW UP
Now, what happens after you have completed the course? Do you get a lifetime
membership and can come any time for future “tune ups”, or are follow up visits limited?
Maybe there are no follow up visits in case a problem does arise. Make sure to ask the
school or the trainer about what happens once you are done with their program.

13. TOP 10 DOG
TRAINING SCHOOL
HIDDEN GEMS IN
SAN DIEGO AREAW E A R E I N T R O D U C I N G Y O U T O T H E 1 0 H I D D E N
G E M S C H O O L S W I T H 5 - S T A R Y E L P R A T I N G S
T H A T S P E C I A L I Z E I N T H E T Y P E O F D O G
T R A I N I N G Y O U A R E L O O K I N G F O R .

14. P U P P Y T R A I N I N G S A N
D I E G O
It is a family-owned business run by
Samantha & Jon Mears, who both
immigrated from London 11 years ago.
Hence, the name of their dog training
school. Samantha Mears is a certified
professional dog trainer, who passed her
CPDT KA (Certification Council for
Professional Dog Trainlines) exam with
distinction. Samantha has worked with dogs
every day for over 10 years. She is also a
Member of the Association of Pet Dog
Trainers (APDT) and is a qualified Canine
Good Citizen Evaluator and a member of the
Pet Professional Guild (PPG).
559 Union Street
Encinitas. CA 92024
P: 760-929-1996
info@woofinghampalace.com
1 . W O O F I N G H A M P A L A C E
Woofingham Palace is our 5-star hidden gem
for specialized puppy socialization and puppy
training in San Diego.
Woofingham Palace offers plenty of different puppy
training options for you and your pooch all held within
a fenced training area in the shade of large sails. The
classes are small, so you will get that individual
attention. This dog training school puts lots of
emphasis on puppy socialization, and notes that pups
who have been socialized young tend to show less
behavior problems in the future than those pups who
haven’t. The prices for group puppy training classes
vary from over $100 to over $300, so you have plenty
of options.

15. K 9 D O G T R A I N I N G
Its trainer, Shannon, is a Member of the
International Association of Canine
Professionals (IACP), member
of APDT (Association of Pet Dog
Trainers), and is CPDT Certified. She also
holds a BA in Psychology and started
training animals in 1991 at Sea World.
Total K9 Dog Training offers a range of
classes, but specializes in dog obedience
training, both beginner and advanced.
Total K9 Dog Training serves the areas of
San Diego: Escondido, 4S Ranch, Del Sur,
Santa Luz, Rancho Bernardo, Poway,
Sabre Springs, Rancho Penasquitos,
Scripps Ranch.
2 . T O T A L K 9 T R A I N I N G
Now, an all 5-star hidden gem for dog obedience
training in San Diego is Total K9 Dog Training.
Total K9 Dog Training teaches the owners how to
become good leaders for their dogs without using any
intimidation or domination techniques. They focus on
building the trust and communication that would allow
the dog to follow the owner…even when he or she
doesn’t have that tasty food handy. Shannon puts a lot
of emphasis of training the whole family on how to
work with their dog, as this strengthens the bond
between all the family members and ensures that
everything a dog learns at school will be further
reinforced at home. The prices of classes vary, but the
general range is between $100 and $165 for group
classes.

16. S E R V I C E D O G T R A I N I N G
A N D T H E R A P Y D O G
T R A I N I N G
Its founder, Vanessa Melrose, is a
member of APDT (Association of Pet
Dog Trainers), certified by ABCDT (ABC
Dog Trainer) and KPA CTP (Karen Pryor
Academy Certified Training Partner).
She has been working with dogs since
2003.
1273 Crest Dr.
Encinitas, CA 92024
949.533.4756
vanessa@trainpawsitive.com
Service area: San Diego + Orange
County
3 . T H I N K P A W S I T I V E D O G T R A I N I N G
Interested in Therapy Dog Training/Service Dog
Training? A service or therapy dog certification requires
you to take a number of steps along the way. Think
Pawsitive dog training school can help you throughout
the process.
What Think Pawsitive offers in terms of service dog
training and therapy dog training: it offers to help you
with the entire process, from basic training to preparing
and passing the CGC Certification and Therapy Pet
Certification, which you must get in order for your dog to
become an official service/therapy dog. To start the
program, your dog doesn’t need to be a specific size or
breed, it needs to have a calm, friendly temperament. You
know, a therapy dog - boy, that patience! Therapy Dog
Evaluations are $30, and Think Pawsitive offers extended
discounts for referrals or recently adopted pets, so you
can email Vanessa directly to learn more about the
program and the pricing.

17. A G G R E S S I V E D O G
T R A I N I N G S A N D I E G O
Its founder, Alexandra Gant, graduated
from ACBDT animal behavior college,
and since 2012 has been working with
“unworkable” or “last chance” dogs
who are on the verge of being
euthanized or re-homed due to
aggression issues. Alex focuses on
teaching owners in need of dog
aggression training how to train the
dog by themselves, without relying on
professional help.
(303) 746-3487
resultswithbehave@gmail.com
http://www.resultswithbehave.com
4 . B E H A V E !
Behave! - another hidden gem that specializes in
aggressive dog training in San Diego.
Behave! trainers are knowledgeable about the
different forms of aggression and believe that
aggression is a symptom of a much deeper
problem, so they focus on fixing the problem,
rather than just the symptoms.
Behave! realizes that dog aggression training is
a big commitment, so it encourages all owners
who work with them to consider packages instead
of sessions. The classes are $80-$125 Per Session,
and they currently offer a 10% package discount.

18. D O G P R O T E C T I O N
T R A I N I N G S A N D I E G O
Chris Moredock is the head trainer,
certified by APDT (Association of Pet
Dog Trainers) and the Pro-train
institute of California.
(858) 274-0268
agooddog4u@aol.com
Serving area: the entire San Diego
County
5 . A M E R I C A N C A N I N E T R A I N I N G
So you were looking for guard dog training in San Diego?
We found a hidden gem for that too, all 5 stars – American
Canine Training.
American Canine Training has a number of different options
when it comes to dog protection training. You can choose
Security Alert Training, which will teach your dog to watch
out for strangers and warn you should they be up to
something spooky. It will also teach your dog to stop
aggressive responses on your command. Or you could go for
a Personal Protection Training (on and off leash), which will
teach the dog to protect his or her humans and property,
learn “attack” and “release” commands, etc. There you go,
you are on your way to getting that cool police-style dog
you’ve always wanted.

19. B E H A V I O R M O D I F I C A T I O N
D O G T R A I N I N G / D O G
S E P A R A T I O N A N X I E T Y
T R A I N I N G
Alyssa Rose (Lapinel), the founder of Legends, is a
CPDT-KA certified Canine Training and Behavior
Specialist with 15 years of experience in the area of
behavioral studies. She is also certified by the
Council for Professional Dog Trainers, and by Triple
Crown Dog Training Academy. Alyssa is an AKC
Citizen Evaluator, and a Professional Member of The
Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). She applied
her degree in Phycology to work with children and
adults diagnosed with serious disorders such as
schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder, and
later used this experience to start working with
animals. Alyssa designs behavior modification dog
training programs that address the root cause of a
behavioral problem and provide a systematic
framework for improving communication and
strengthening the bond between the dog and
his/her owner.
619.431.1233
alyssa@legendsdogtraining.com
Serving the City of San Diego and San Diego
County: Golden Hill, South Park, North Park,
Talmadge, Kensington, Mission Hills, Mission Valley,
Little Italy, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Escondido,
La Jolla, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, La Mesa,
Ramona, Poway, El Cajon
6 . L E G E N D S D O G T R A I N I N G
If your pooch needs some professional behavior
modification training, this is your local 5-star
professional dog behaviorist – Legends Dog Training
School. They specialize in dog separation anxiety
training, training for dogs with impulsivity issues,
fearful response to other dogs and many other
behavioral problems.
One consultation costs $150, but it is included if you
decide to pursue a training package with 5 classes for
$575. Mind you, different options are available, so
check Legends website and see their contact info
below to learn more.

20. D O G A G I L I T Y T R A I N I N G
S A N D I E G O
Its founder, Colleen Demling, is an accredited trainer
with 16 years of experience. She is an AKC Canine Good
Citizen Evaluator, is accredited by the CBCC-KA and
CPDT-KA, as well as IABBC. Colleen also designed the
Temperament Test for the Naval Medical Center’s
Therapy Dog Program here at San Diego. Colleen is
actively involved in many professional organizations,
including the International Association of Canine
Professionals, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and
the Animal Behavior Management Alliance.
858-414-7797
info@pawtopia.com
Service areas: South Park, Hillcrest, Mission Hills, North
Park, Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Sunset Cliffs, Mission
Valley, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Mission Bay, Bay
Park, Morena, Kearney Mesa, Linda Vista, Clairemont
Mesa, Normal Heights,University Heights, Clairemont,
Coronado, San Diego, Lemon Grove, , Linda Vista, Serra
Mesa, Tierrasanta, Sports Arena, La Jolla, Bird Rock, UTC,
Sorrento Valley, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Scripps Ranch,
Mira Mesa, Rancho Santa Fe, Crosby, Del Sur, Carmel
Valley, Torrey Hills, Del Mar, Del Mar Heights, Solana
Beach, Fairbanks Ranch, Cardiff By the Sea, Encinitas,
Encinitas Ranch, Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho
Penasquitos
7 . P A W T O P I A
You have sure enough heard about this dog
training school – Pawtopia. But did you know
that they had a specialized dog agility training
class? Yep, this one also made it to our hidden
gems list.
“Fun with Agility!” is the class Pawtopia offers for
dogs of all levels of training, so don’t look away if
you are not interested in competing – this is dog
agility training class for all those who just want to
have fun, run through tunnels and jump through
hoops, no pressure! The price is $170, and you
can learn more on the Pawtopia website.

21. I N H O M E D O G T R A I N I N G
The founder, Ben, is a graduate of
Northridge Animal Behavior College, is
AKC certified, and is a member of IACP.
Ben has been a dog trainer for 15 years,
and trained dogs with a variety of
behavioral issues. He also works with
local rescues and believes that every dog
can be trained and successfully
rehabilitated. His specialty is in home
dog training: a personal, one on one type
of training that allows him to assess the
environment and find the right solution.
And allows you to save time on commute
of course.
Garfield Ave, El Cajon, CA 92020
619-500-4787
devotiontodogs@gmail.com
8 . D E V O T I O N T O D O G S
For those of you looking for in home dog
training, Ben of Devotion to Dogs offers
just that, and takes a place in our list of
hidden San Diego gems.
Devotion to Dogs offers a variety of
packages. The starting package includes a
2-4 hour in home session as well as a 1 hour
follow up session, which goes for $500. Call
Devotion to Dogs for more information.

22. O N L I N E D O G T R A I N I N G
Tully’s Training team is comprised of
trainers with experience in exotic,
domestic, and marine mammal
training, which allows it to look at
animal behavior from different angles.
One of their most titled trainers is
Meghan McLeod, who reportedly
trained with a number of well-
recognized behaviorists such as Karen
Pryer and Dr. Ian Dunbar. Meghan is
also a certified CGC evaluator. Check
out Tully’s team of trainers with a
whole spectrum of different
backgrounds here.
925.603.3647
tullystraining@gmail.com
Service area: San Diego and Los
Angeles
9 . T U L L Y ’ S T R A I N I N G
If you need some flexibility or are on a budget,
Tully’s Training offers not only private in home
training and group classes, but also basic
obedience positive-reinforcement online dog
training - via Skype.
According to Tully’s, online dog training has
been working great for them and their clients, as
they are able to get that same individual, one on
one session that you would get in person for a
fraction of the cost. So, if online dog training suits
your needs, this is the school for you. Training
packages are highly customizable, so get in touch
with Tully’s for more information.

23. D O G T R A I N I N G C A M P
S A N D I E G O
It is a family-owned dog training
school founded by Graham Bloem, a
professional dog trainer with 17+ years
of experience and a recipient of
numerous awards, including American
Red Cross Real Heroes Award and the
Honeywell Life Safety Award presented
by Larry King himself. Graham’s team
consists of a number of seasoned
professionals that together have
accumulated numerous accreditations,
including certificates by IACP, APDT
(Association of Pet Dog Trainers), NADOI,
ABSCDT and others. Graham and his wife,
Kyrie, also actively support nonprofits,
shelters and rescue organizations.
Pacific Pet Resort, 2909 San Luis Rey Rd
Oceanside CA 92058
855-287-8659
1 0 . S P E C I A L T Y D O G T R A I N I N G
Were you looking for a dog training camp in San
Diego? Then this is the place for you – Specialty Dog
Training.
Specialty Dog Training focuses on using positive
reinforcement and discipline in their training.
Their dog training camp, i.e. in-kennel training, dog
board and train or a boot camp is a structured
environment where your dog will be taught all the
obedience basics he or she needs to be a great
companion. Being away from the usual environment is
a good opportunity for your dog to “reset”, while the
trainers can work on his/her behavioral issues in a
controlled environment.
Specialty Dog Training offers plenty of packages, they
also have a Boot Camp Special for the month of March,
with 25% off all dog training camps. The price varies
between $1575 (with the discount) for a 2-week
program with 2 private sessions, to $5400 for an 8-
week program with 2 private lessons.

24. THANK YOU
W E H O P E T H I S H E L P E D Y O U F I N D T H E
B E S T D O G T R A I N I N G S C H O O L F O R
Y O U R N E E D S . A N D I F , A F T E R A L L , Y O U
A R E S T I L L L O O K I N G , Y O U C A N C H E C K
T O O L S L I K E T H R U M B T A C K F O R O T H E R
O P T I O N S I N S A N D I E G O
A R E A H T T P S : / / W W W . T H U M B T A C K . C O M
B E T S O F L U C K W I T H S C H O O L
H U N T I N G !