Best Dog Trainers in and Near Santa Clarita, CA

Bark Busters San Fernando Valley is the local office of a national in home training franchise, run by Stephanie Curtis and Kevin Hagan. Its service area names Santa Clarita, Valencia, Canyon Country, Newhall, Castaic and Stevenson Ranch, plus Acton and the northern San Fernando Valley. Sessions are one on one at your home.

The site lists help for aggression, reactivity, barking, leash pulling, nipping, resource guarding and separation anxiety, plus puppy training and basic obedience. Trainers teach you to use voice tone and body language, and the site says they use no shock or prong collars and avoid unnecessary treat training. A Life of Dog Support Guarantee promises follow up help at no added cost; ask for the full terms.

Drummond Ranch is a year round herding facility on 40 acres in Acton, about 40 minutes northeast of Los Angeles. Training uses a real flock of sheep, with a large fenced field, two arenas and a round pen.

New dogs start with the Introduction to Sheep Herding instinct test, listed on their site as $85. A trainer watches how your dog reacts to a small flock and sends you a written report with training suggestions. Dogs that take to it can join the four week herding class, listed on their site as $225, with two lessons in each weekly class. The site welcomes working breeds and curious companion dogs alike, so a mixed breed with interest in sheep can give it a try.

Bark Busters Ventura County is led by Michael Hagan, who calls himself a dog trainer and behavioral therapist. Our listing places the office in Agoura Hills, and its service area covers Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Westlake Village, Calabasas and Woodland Hills, along with towns up the coast. Training happens in your home.

The site lists aggression, barking, chewing, digging, housebreaking, jumping, leash pulling, running away, separation anxiety and conflict between dogs in the same house, plus new baby preparation. Michael says he uses humane methods and doesn't rely on bribes or punishment. He got his first dog, a rescue, in 2011 and moved to Ventura County in 2019 to take over the area. The office offers the same Life of Dog Support Guarantee as other Bark Busters locations.

Bow Wow Bungalow in Burbank is mainly a boarding and daycare business that also offers training. The site says it has run for more than 15 years, with caregivers on site around the clock for boarding dogs, plus bathing, nail trims and ear cleaning.

Training uses reward based methods, and the site links to a daycare and train option. It doesn't say whether training comes as private lessons, group classes or a stay, and no trainers are named on the home page. A van picks up and drops off dogs, and the site marks transport as limited availability. This listing fits best if your dog already needs daycare in Burbank. Ask what a training day includes and who works with your dog.

J9's K9s Dog Training is run by Janine Pierce, who holds the CPDT-KA certification and belongs to the Pet Professional Guild. Her site also shows Karen Pryor Academy certification and AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator status.

The school uses science based positive reinforcement and offers group classes and private training for puppies and dogs of all ages and breeds, from basic through advanced obedience, plus behavior modification. Our database also lists separation anxiety, aggression and reactivity and assistance animal training among her specialties. You can book a free 15 minute phone consultation through the site. Our listing places her in Canoga Park, and the site says she serves Southern California.

Jump City Agility in Encino is a dog agility center that says it wants to keep the sport fast and fun for competitors and recreational students alike. It offers group and private classes for dogs and handlers at every level, so you don't need a competition dog to sign up.

The center hosts frequent workshops and seminars by visiting trainers, and its site keeps an event calendar and a results archive for trials. Cara Callaway is the instructor named on the home page. Class levels, prices and entry rules aren't on the front page, so check the registration page or ask. Agility goes best for a dog that already knows basic cues and can focus around other dogs.

Best Dogs Ever is a private, in home training business in North Hollywood run by Hudson Shock. He holds the CPDT-KA certification and belongs to the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the Pet Professional Guild. His site says he works as a studio dog trainer.

All training uses force free, reward based methods, according to the site. After an initial visit, you can choose day training, where a trainer works with your dog at home four times a week while you're at work and then shows you what the dog learned. Coaching teaches you to train the dog yourself, and Puppy 101 is a single session for new puppy owners. The site lists 18 zip codes it covers, so check yours first.

The Snake School teaches rattlesnake avoidance at a 20 acre ranch in Bouquet Canyon, inside Santa Clarita. Each dog gets 30 minutes one on one through a 12 station course built around the scent, sound and sight of a snake. The rattlesnakes are live and caged, and two handlers work with each dog.

Scott Quashen is the founder and lead trainer. The method pairs low level electronic collar stimulation with praise and treats. Ranch sessions run on weekends through the season and book online, and private sessions at your home cost extra for travel. The site recommends a refresher once a year and says same year refreshers are free. Pair it with a general trainer if your dog also needs manners work.

Zoom Room Sherman Oaks is an indoor dog training gym in the San Fernando Valley. You train alongside your dog in every class. Programs include puppy training, obedience, agility and socialization, and the site also mentions tricks and scent work.

The site says it uses positive reinforcement only. Instead of a fixed six week course, you book classes ahead like a gym, which helps if your week changes a lot. New members start with a free 30 minute orientation without the dog that covers clicker basics, then a 30 minute evaluation with your dog to set a plan. Private training passes appear in the policies. Class prices sit on a separate page, and the gym is open seven days a week.

Coach Krasno Dog Training is a Simi Valley business founded in 2017 by Janet Krasno. She holds the CPDT-KA certification and a bachelor's degree in biology, and she belongs to the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. Before starting the business she spent several years as an animal control officer in Ventura County.

She uses science based, modern positive reinforcement to build trust and cooperation between you and your dog, and she works with dogs from puppies to seniors across Ventura County and nearby areas. Our database lists private training as her focus. Her site doesn't say whether she comes to your home, so ask about that and what a typical package includes.

Laura Southwick is a dog trainer in Simi Valley listed in our database as an Associate Member of the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors. NADOI has been active since 1965 and offers associate and certified membership levels.

We didn't find a website for this listing, and no specialties are on file, so start with her profile card. On the first call, ask whether she teaches group classes or private lessons, whether she takes puppies or adult dogs with behavior problems, and which methods she uses. A trainer in Simi Valley can save owners there and in Moorpark the drive into the San Fernando Valley.

Valley Hills Obedience Club is a dog club with group classes for owners who want to train toward titles. Beginning Competitive Obedience and Open and Utility Obedience meet Thursday evenings at a private home in Simi Valley with Patti Rovtar. Both are listed on their site as $150 for six weeks, and non members may enroll.

The club also runs agility on Monday nights at a fenced site in Reseda, scent work at a farm in Moorpark and a continuing nose work class in Chatsworth. Classes cap at six to eight teams, and agility needs instructor approval. Beginning Competitive Obedience asks that your dog finish a basic manners class first, so treat it as a next step after puppy school.

LA's Dog Trainer is a Studio City business run by Jacqueline Gaillard, and the site says it has been in business for more than 21 years. Training uses positive reinforcement and behavior modification.

Private sessions cover aggression, nuisance barking, jumping, separation anxiety and basic obedience, with a custom training plan for each client. Group classes and workshops cover obedience, socialization, agility and preparation for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test, and the business gives the test as well. A two hour Precision Timing Workshop is a prerequisite for some advanced classes. Board and train is offered for new, shelter, rescue or bred dogs. The team also trains cats and birds if you have a mixed household.

Mutts + Munch is a training and daycare business in Tarzana that uses positive reinforcement. Its group puppy classes run six weeks for puppies from four months to one year old and cover sit, stay and loose leash walking.

Private training is one on one and suits behavior problems, older or rescue dogs, or puppies you'd rather train at home. A board and train option is listed without details, so ask about length and follow up lessons. One hour pack hikes on local trails work on exercise and leash manners, and hike staff hold canine first aid training. The service area includes Encino, Woodland Hills, Sherman Oaks and Chatsworth.

Daphne Green is a dog trainer in Thousand Oaks listed in our database as an Associate Member of the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors, a group active since 1965 that offers certification and continuing education to trainers.

We didn't find a website for this listing, and no specialties are on file, so her profile card is the place to start. Ask on the first call whether she offers group classes, private lessons or both, which ages of dog she works with, and how she handles pulling or jumping. Owners in Newbury Park and Westlake Village may find a Conejo Valley trainer easier to see every week.

Zoom Room Thousand Oaks is an indoor dog training gym that also serves Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Moorpark, Camarillo and Simi Valley. Programs include puppy training, obedience, agility and socialization, with tricks and scent work on the training menu.

The gym uses positive reinforcement only, and you attend every class with your dog. Classes are booked ahead, starting with a free orientation without your dog and then an evaluation with your dog. Cancellations are accepted up to 24 hours ahead. Hours vary a lot by day, with a short Monday evening and longer hours late in the week, so check the schedule first.

Linda Goldin is a dog trainer in Tujunga. Our database lists her as certified through Animal Behavior College and a member of the Pet Professional Guild, and it records private and group training among her services.

We didn't find a website for her, so start with her profile card. Tujunga sits at the top of the San Fernando Valley, a shorter trip from the Santa Clarita Valley than many trainers farther south. On your first call, ask where group classes meet and how many dogs are in each, whether private lessons happen at your home, and how many sessions she expects your dog's main problem to take.

Paul Owens Professional Dog Training is run by Paul Owens, who describes himself as a positive training expert and best selling author. His site says he is celebrating 50 years as a professional dog trainer.

The first visit lasts 90 minutes, listed on their site as $240 at your home or $230 at his Raise With Praise headquarters, and covers an evaluation plus a step by step plan for chewing, jumping, barking, house training or separation anxiety. Follow up sessions are listed as $160 at home or $140 at headquarters. A 60 minute virtual session by Zoom is listed as $115 and is open to clients anywhere. Our database also lists assistance animal training among his specialties.