Best Dog Trainers in and Near San Francisco, CA

Aaron Teixeira is an Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist through the Animal Behavior Society, and his site lists an M.S. He trains in your home, where your dog is in a familiar place. He covers puppy training and basic obedience, along with fear, anxiety, aggression and reactivity. His stated goal is to train pet dogs with positive reinforcement, and he counts teaching your family as part of the job. He has taught classes at Oakland Animal Services, and his site mentions past work with the San Francisco SPCA.

Amy McPherson runs Canine Coaching in Marin County, and her site says she has more than 28 years of experience with dogs and their people. She starts with an in home consultation of 75 to 90 minutes, listed on her site as $165, to look at your dog's behavior, history and home. You can pick private coaching, where she works alongside you, or day training, where she trains your dog first. She also runs reactive dog walks for dogs who struggle around triggers. Her training is positive reinforcement based.

Bark Busters Oakland and Alameda County trains in your home, where the team says your dog feels most at ease. Its territory runs from Albany and Berkeley down to San Leandro and San Lorenzo, with Alameda and Oakland in between. Karen Gaines became a trainer after Bark Busters helped Jake, the pit mix she rescued, and Gusty Minyard brings veterinary technician experience. Puppy programs cover crate and potty training, and behavior work ranges from separation anxiety to aggression. Bark Busters calls its methods humane and teaches you to use body language and voice tones.

Dan Lan Franco is the local Bark Busters trainer for 20 inland East Bay towns, from Alamo and Danville to Concord, Pleasanton and Vallejo. Training is one on one in your home, and the page says there are no group classes and no kennel based board and train. He works on leash pulling, reactivity, recall and separation anxiety, plus puppy and obedience training. Dan is a Bay Area native and a former Bark Busters client. Ongoing support comes with the Gold Service package at no extra cost.

Camille Koué runs East Bay Behavioral Health for Dogs and holds the CPDT-KA from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. Her approach looks at why a behavior happens, using positive, science based training with a separate plan for each dog. She works on fear, anxiety, reactivity and jumping, and on skills like recall and loose leash walking. She also supports senior dogs and families with young children. Sessions run in person in Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley and Lamorinda, or over Zoom.

Dan Broin is a NADOI associate member in Richmond, and his business, dogHEART Service Dogs, has operated since 2017 per its site. He runs an owner trained service dog course for adults and youth with cognitive, neurological, physical or medical differences, plus refresher training for existing teams. He also trains pet dogs in basic to advanced obedience and does behavior modification. His site describes Applied Behavior Analysis with fear free and LIMA methods. He serves San Francisco along with the South Bay and East Bay.

Dog Dynamics says it has trained dogs since 1989, with an office listed in Martinez and service from Walnut Creek and Lafayette to Oakland and San Francisco. You can join group obedience classes, including agility, or book private sessions in person or online. Board and train camps keep your dog with a trainer for a stretch. Puppy training can start at 8 weeks, and the team also works on reactivity and aggression. Its site describes a balanced approach that mixes rewards with corrections, with tools including leash pressure and remote collar conditioning.

The East Bay SPCA, based in Oakland with a second site in Dublin, runs a long class menu. Puppy Stars takes puppies under 16 weeks after two Da2PP shots, and Canine College has four levels for older dogs. Specialty classes rotate through Nose Work, Tricks, Agility, Canine Good Citizen and Recall. Calm, Cool, and Collected is a six week class for dogs who bark or lunge at other dogs. Private training runs in person or virtually. Classes use reward based, force free methods and don't allow prong or choke collars. Students get a clicker at the first session of each class.

Golden Gate Dog Sports teaches in a modern indoor facility in San Francisco, so classes run year round. The lineup starts with an Introductory class and Basic Manners, then moves into Beginner and Advanced Agility, Tricks, K9 Nose Work and a Sports Sampler. Private lessons are available, and current students can drop in on classes or join a rental club for extra practice. Our listing notes that it also hosts fun matches and UKI agility trials, which helps if you might want to compete later.

Heidi Kooy has run Heidi's Hund Haus in San Francisco since 2012. She is an honors graduate of the Academy for Dog Trainers, holds the CTC and has a master's degree in cultural anthropology. Her training is grounded in applied behavior analysis and positive reinforcement, and she calls her coaching humane and evidence based. She builds a custom plan for leash manners, house training, socialization, fear or aggression. Her services page also lists day training and coaching, plus playgroups and boarding. The business is bonded as well as licensed and insured.

Johanna Hadam runs Laska Dog Training from El Sobrante and holds the CTC. Her site calls her a certified force free trainer with a background in animal rescue. With day training, she teaches key skills at your home or around your neighborhood, then coaches you to keep it going. Her private option pairs a plan built around your goals with weekly sessions. She works with puppies and dogs with behavior challenges, and our listing shows aggression and reactivity as specialties. She serves Berkeley, Kensington, Albany, El Cerrito and Richmond Hills.

Karyn Ellis runs Moxie Mutts in San Francisco, which says it has offered professional pet care since 2005. She trains with force free positive reinforcement and draws on applied ethology. She follows the LIMA approach of least intrusive, minimally aversive methods. Her credentials include the CTBC, Separation Anxiety Pro Trainer, Family Dog Mediator and Aggression in Dogs Master Trainer. Training covers behavior modification and a separate separation anxiety program. Moxie Mutts also runs pack hikes, and you can start with a free phone consult.

Keshau Henderson runs The Mindful Pup, a private dog training and behavior modification service for the San Francisco Bay Area. The site describes force free, reward based training grounded in science, with a relationship focused way of teaching. Each client gets a personal training plan. Our listing shows a CCPDT credential and lists behavior consulting, with aggression and reactivity as specialties. The home page centers on private training, so ask which other formats are open before you book a first session.

Lesley Podesta runs Peak Pup Dog Training in Oakland and works across the East Bay. She graduated from the Academy for Dog Trainers, holds its Certificate in Training and Counseling and is a Fear Free Certified Professional. Her services include puppy training, day training, leash walking and help for reactive dogs, built on positive reinforcement. She has raised puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind since 2014 and has led the Berkeley Puppy Raisers club since 2019. Our listing also shows group training and behavior consulting.

Marin Humane runs its dog training program from its main campus in Novato, for dogs from new puppies to seniors. New Puppy is the starting class for young dogs, and Just Adopted is for people who recently brought a dog home. Companion Dog covers manners for older dogs. On the sports side, Nose Work and Agility sit beside Rally Obedience and a Flyball Club that keeps a waitlist. Training is built on positive reinforcement. Behavior consultants also help with problems like reactivity on walks and separation anxiety. The site posts downloadable handouts, plus a training guide in Spanish.

Miri Levy runs Dog Training With Miri from Richmond and serves nearby towns from El Cerrito and Berkeley to Pinole and El Sobrante. She offers a drop and train stay in a home setting and in home coaching at your house or a local park. Online behavior consultations by video are also available. Her training is positive reinforcement only. She is a DTIA certified trainer and a graduate of Michael Shikashio's Aggression in Dogs Master Program. Her site lists initial consultations at $175 and starter packages from $340.

Nicole Peisl runs OkayCharlie dog training with home visits in Berkeley, North Oakland, Albany, El Cerrito and Kensington. Puppy Prosper is for puppies up to six months. Real Life Manners is for older dogs and new rescues, with work on loose leash walking and staying calm instead of barking or lunging. You start with a free 15 minute call, then a 60 minute consultation that leads to a plan. She is a Certified Behavior Adjustment Training Instructor and an Academy for Dog Trainers graduate. Her site says a need based sliding scale is available.

The Oakland Dog Training Club has taught people to train their own dogs since 1947, and purebred and mixed breed dogs are both welcome. Puppies start in Kindergarten Puppy and older dogs in Beginning, then move up through Intermediate and Advanced, which covers off leash control. Students can go on to obedience trials or prepare for Rally and Agility. Classes meet in an indoor facility near Point Isabel dog park, close to where Richmond meets Albany and El Cerrito. Visitors must leave their dogs at home.

Off Leash K9 Training San Francisco is part of a national franchise and serves the Bay Area from San Francisco and Daly City to Fremont and Palo Alto. Its programs center on private lessons, including an eight lesson obedience package and an eight lesson Aggressive Dog Package. A two week board and train camp focuses on off leash obedience and behavior work. It also has a puppy consultation for dogs under five months and a therapy dog program, and training can take place in or around your home. The page doesn't describe its training tools, so ask about methods first.

Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA in Burlingame offers training classes for dogs of all ages, sizes, breeds and abilities, and class proceeds support the shelter's dogs. Its behavior team also runs consultations and supervised playgroups, and you can send a behavior help application if your dog has a problem at home. Registration runs through a separate behavior site linked from the main page. If you adopt from PHS, the shelter says you also receive free training classes. Check the class listings for methods and schedules.

PrimePaw is a training center in the Mission next to the SF SPCA, and its site says it uses positive reinforcement only. Foundations is a four week group course for up to six dogs, listed at $280. Barky, Pulley, Lungy is a four week class for up to four reactive dogs, listed at $325. Private training is listed at $585 for three sessions at your home or the center. Puppy Kindergarten uses structured play groups for fully vaccinated puppies, and day training is an add on to daycare.

Ren Volpe runs Family Dog in San Francisco, offering private one on one training and coaching with positive, force free methods. She holds the CBCC-KA, an advanced certification for trainers who do behavior modification, and is a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer. Our listing also shows Fear Free certification. Her site lists a Master Class in Dog Aggression and a separate page on separation anxiety. She also offers in home, family style boarding, and the business holds San Francisco and GGNRA commercial dog walker permits.

Tamara Bricker runs City Manners Dog Training in Oakland and lists a price for each service. A consultation of 60 to 90 minutes ends with a management and training plan, listed at $225. Puppy Training is a four week package that includes pre puppy prep, listed at $525. Day training at your home or on field trips is listed at $130 per hour, and virtual training by video at $115 per hour. Our listing shows the KPA-CTP. Weekly coaching sessions are available too.

The Dog Wizard Walnut Creek is a franchise location with in home and mobile programs. You can choose private lessons, board and train, day training or group classes on social skills, with ongoing support for graduates. Training runs from puppy level up to advanced AKC work. Behavior programs cover aggression and separation anxiety, along with resource guarding and a program for rescue dogs. The trainers use balanced techniques with tools that include food and remote collars. The site offers a free evaluation and says programs start at $250.

Zoom Room Belmont is an indoor dog training gym on El Camino Real that uses rewards based training only. You stay with your dog for every session, since the gym doesn't take drop offs. New students start with a free 30 minute orientation without their dog that covers clicker basics, or with a 30 minute evaluation with your dog. Programs include puppy training, obedience, agility, tricks and scent work, plus playgroups for socialization. Classes are booked ahead, with no long fixed commitment. The gym is closed Tuesdays.