We cannot say enough good things about California School for Dog's and Susan Dalton. We rescued a…read morestandard Schnauzer named Molly two years ago. She was found wondering the street's of LA and had been both physically and mentally abused. She had serious separation anxiety, a huge fear of bikes, motorcycles, and skateboards and felt the need to protect any space she was in. Being experienced dog owners, and having previously rescued dogs, we thought we were up for the challenge of rescuing Molly and helping her overcome her multiple issues. Wow, were we wrong! The first six months of having Molly we were going out of our mind trying to help her and get her adjusted to our home. We have a miniature Schnauzer (Max) as well and thought he could help Molly adjust. The opposite happened where Max started to become aggressive to other dog's on leash and in greeting people as they came in our home. We tried multiple self help books, DVD's, and web sites, as well as other trainers in the area and nothing helped. We felt helpless and felt that we were going to have to put Molly up for adoption, but feared that no one would adopt her and she would be put down. Our last ditch effort was to try another trainer and we found California School for Dog's web site. Susan came to our home and listened patiently as we rattled off all that was wrong with our poor Molly. Then she put a plan in place to address each of her major issues through a combination of group class training and one-on-one sessions. After only one session, we began to see Molly begin to change. And, even more importantly, we began to see how WE COULD change to help Molly. Within a few months Molly overcame most of her problems and fears and became a wonderful addition to our family. Susan even helped our other Schnauzer, Max, get back on the right track to being the good boy he had always been. To sum up, Susan is like no other dog trainer we have ever worked with. She uses a very unique, calm approach and has a deep understanding of dog's and what their owners need to do to help them. Needless to say, we think of Susan as a miracle worker and highly recommend her.

From the owner: Professional dog training, obedience classes, private training, trainer-led group walks. Locally…read moreowned and operated, we provide the best dog training in the greater Santa Barbara area.

Many thanks to Eric Smith's K-Nine Solutions and their talented crew for accepting our dog Piper…read moreinto a 4 week immersive training program, with Adam as our #1 trainer. We highly recommend K-Nine Solutions training services, and appreciate their attention & holistic approach that included a final training session at our house. Piper was perfect, we saw leaps and bounds in her demeanor & behavior within our own social backyard setting with neighbors and few friends, it was great! Our program was an inclusive building agenda that also sets out to train the owners as well. Clearly, it's a big investment & a long term commitment but well worth it. Our goal is to have us all communicating the same way - with us decidedly in the lead, and everyone more confident & calm. Piper, is a 4 year old female Bohemian Shepherd. She was a rescue pup and had become an overly reactive dog in public. Our trainer Adam was amazing with her (& us!) His first words to all of us were "Ahhhhh a Muzzler, I love Muzzlers!" - an apparent favorite staple of his for the last twenty years! Adam would take Piper home with him the full four weeks of her 24 hour training. He generously shared his family & his own dog with her every day, which is no small thing. Besides fearlessly taking Piper on with patience and enthusiasm, his animal behaviorist training has offered us a better understanding and insights into reading her emotional triggers. He's offered us a structured living approach that's in the nature of a working dog. He's been both very patience and encouraging with my husband Eric and I along the way. We are grateful. Piper is a smart & sweet working dog and needs the structure and clarity through repeated training to be relaxed and manageable and happy. We did not know how to always recognize & navigate the best methods to that end. Now we do. It's basically a two party proposition with us leading. If we work well, she works well. So we needed the boot camp training as much as Piper, and continue to train. We are all a work in progress, but they have set us all up for success and that's all new welcome territory for us! We look forward to ongoing pack walks with K-Nine, and are happy to know Eric Smith & Adam are there for the occasional tune ups as needed!

This was a wonderful investment for me as a first time dog owner. I did the AKC STAR puppy classes…read morewhich came with 6 private lessons and 2 half day PAL socialization sessions. Our trainer, Kelly was thorough and very knowledgeable. Going in, my puppy was very energetic, jumpy and all over the place. By the time we were done with our individualized classes, I felt so much more confident in my ability to care for him and keep him safe and felt like I was in so much more control. My puppy was super excited as soon as we turned into the parking lot each time, he loved Kelly and enjoyed the PAL program. I still continue to take him to PAL for their half day socialization when I can! I love knowing that the play time is supervised and they'll do what's necessary to ensure proper socialization! We definitely recommend K-Nine solutions!!

I sit here on my couch after doing my own morning training session with both dogs and I am in…read moretears. I cannot begin to explain the amount of relief from anxiety training my dogs with Ricky has brought me. No amount of therapy could touch how I felt previously. I have learned patience, clear communication (with my dogs), and appreciation of the minds ability to change after years and years of ingrained unwanted behaviors. Ricky does not sell a one size fits all package - each of my dogs are VERY different, and while the fundamental approaches and concepts in training are the same - the method and timing in which we applied and reinforced these were vastly different. Ricky is able to connect with two leggers and four leggers alike - he gives clear feedback to dogs and human and uses metaphors that we humans understand (driving the speed limit and getting speeding tickets haha) on how the concepts of his approach effects dog behavior. I couldn't be happier. I am humble and I know I need to continue management (and one of my dogs I am holding to higher standard so we are going to continue our own sessions based on what I have learned) but my dogs are completely different. I'm getting complimented by family, friends, and people on walks - impressed with how well behaved my dogs are. I smile and tell them "thank you it's lots of continued hard work" and move along. This morning in particular we walked during trash pick up, had lots of people distractions, and both dogs stayed heeled and attentive to me on their separate walks. Do not hesitate to consider Ricky for your training needs. Also, if you feel alone with your dogs behavior - please know you are anything but alone. The fact you are looking at reviews for dog trainers is a clear indicator that you want the best for your dog and intend to give them them best. :)

We have tried a lot of dog trainers. Ricky is fantastic…read more Apart from learning a lot at EPT, my dog now somehow seems a bit more mature, in a good way! Highly recommended.

This review is a bit late, but I did the 3-lesson training package with Ronit last year, and it…read moremade a huge difference for my maltipoo (she was 1 year old at the time). She helped us teach our dog to walk calmly right next to us, come reliably when called, and how to correct unwanted behaviors immediately and effectively. Ronit also gave us some really helpful tips on easing our dog's anxiety during car rides, which have been super helpful. She's patient, knowledgeable, and truly understands dog behavior. I'm so glad we worked with her -- highly recommend her training if you're looking for real results with a gentle, clear approach!

Ronit was so lovely to work with! I reached out with a new rescue dog more or less in a panic…read moredealing with some separation anxiety. Ronit made herself available for us so quickly! We did a few sessions in my own home as well as local parks and were able to work on multiple different skill areas, including building comfort with "place" and how we can turn that into stability home alone. I also learned a lot about what I can do with my own behaviors to help my new dog as well as some awesome massage/relaxation techniques! I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for some help with their dog, young or old.

We have an older Boston Terrier "Bruce" that we always felt was skittish around other dogs; thus we…read morealways found it challenging boarding him solo. After a Rover appointment canceled our Thanksgiving arrangements, we contacted Ruff Ranch in desperation. Ruff Ranch is located off the 154 just before Los Olivos. It's in a beautiful, ranch setting. While we needed to have a free trial stay first, we took half the day off on a Friday, dropped Bruce off and had a nice lunch in Solvang. The facilities are spacious and perfectly clean with zero odor. All the personnel were happy and friendly, as were the dogs. We were skeptical at first when they said they would put Bruce in a group with older, mellower dogs. When we returned, they said he did great and even made some friends. My wife and I were both shocked and pleased. Ruff Ranch was on our way to a Northern California Thanksgiving stay. He boarded for 3 nights and we included the pre-pickup bath. At pickup, he was happy, squeaky clean, nails trimmed with zero issues reported. We are thankful and relieved to have a place to board Bruce in the future with people that really know and love dogs - and it showed in our dog's demeanor at pickup. They also offer obedience training, which I believe is how they can so quickly tailor an optimal setting and experience for your dog, and get them adjusted and safe. Ruff Ranch even offers a shuttle pickup service from SB. We are very relieved that we have a reliable and comfortable boarding solution for our dog in the future; I can't recommend The Ruff Ranch enough.

I would NEVER consider leaving my dog here ever again. I let them know that my dog was allergic to…read morebees, and always gave them Benadryl, just in case. When I picked him up nothing was said to me; however, within an hour I knew something was wrong because of the way he was acting, and he showed the signs of being stung. I took him to an emergency vet, and, as expected, they advised he had an allergic reaction to "something, most likely a bee." He was treated and released the next day. After I took him in, I called Ruff Ranch, and they admittedly said they gave him Benadryl, but again, didn't bother to let me know. Completely negligent operation at Ruff Ranch as our dog could have died had I not been home with him or preoccupied and was not closely monitoring him.

These people are friendly and outgoing.I leave out of town for a week every month and there always…read morethere to take care of my English Bull Dog.There service is great and they go above and beyond what I ask of them.Very appreciative and thankful for Fur,Feathers,and Scales.Trust worthy and loyal to my family and dog. Thanks again

If your pet is part of your family, these are the people to trust! They are both friendly and…read moreknowledgeable. Highly recommended!

Highly recommend! We…read moreneeded help with our nearly 2 year old Olde English Bulldog! Though overall our dog is friendly, she is stubborn and needed help to follow commands, stop jumping on people and harassing other dogs into play. DDG has the most amazing trainers. They worked daily with our dog at Doggie Camp for 28 days and never gave up on her. All of the staff told us how much they loved her and can't wait to have her back for daycare and boarding! We appreciated the detailed weekly reports on how she was doing. As a camper grad, we also have free private lessons at the facility for her lifetime! It's a great way to brush up on all the skills we all learned. Special shout out to Santiago for training me and my husband so we can be the best dog parents for our furry kid.

I hired Doggie Do Good to teach some manners to our adopted Boston Terrier, Ripley. Ripley is very…read moresmart and loving but needed to apply the commands he had already learned, learn new ones, and control his energy and enthusiasm. He was dog aggressive and very hard to handle on walks if dogs were present. Being very stubborn, he needed a full four weeks of camp, but came out as a very pleasant companion, obedient and easy to walk. The people at DDG are fantastic, very personable and great dog trainers. They kept in touch weekly, sending pictures, discussing the tasks accomplished and the problems to be worked out. During the thorough check out experience , they trained me how to handle Ripley so that he wouldn't forget what he learned. This was altogether a great experience and money well spent. Thank you from Anna and Ripley.

We've only had two visits with Michael so far, and the difference in my dog is absolutely…read moreincredible. My boxer was anxious and very reactive, but now he's noticeably calmer and much less reactive. It honestly feels like we have a new dog. Michael is truly the best. He's patient, knowledgeable, and always happy to walk us through any situation or question that comes up. You can tell he genuinely cares about both the dogs and their owners. I can't thank Michael enough! He's made a huge impact on our lives and completely changed the future for my dog. I'm so excited to see the progress we continue to make!

I want to start by saying the trainer we had Michael is a kind and responsive person. You can tell…read morehe really cares about dogs and takes his work seriously, which I truly respect! We spent over $1,000 hoping to improve our dogs' reactivity issues. We followed the homework that was given to us, stayed consistent, and while there was some minor progress, we eventually hit a wall. The BAH method is the foundation of their training approach, and while it might work for others, it just didn't lead to the results we needed unfortunately. What made it more disappointing for us is that even though the company offers lifetime support, it didn't feel like there was anything drastically new or helpful to move us forward after a certain point. Again, I commend for the trainer for trying his best and truly caring, but we hit a wall. We were basically told we were doing everything right, but the problem still wasn't getting better. This review isn't meant to discredit the trainer or the business. I'm sure he's helped many other clients successfully. Unfortunately, in our case, it didn't live up to expectations given the cost and the goals we had. Sidenote: I'm not looking for a debate or follow-up--just sharing my personal experience in case it helps someone else make an informed decision.

Sarah is an excellent trainer. She really understands dog behavior and can help you establish an…read moreexcellent training framework. She won't disappoint!!

From the owner: Find us on Facebook @syvalleydog…read more Basic to advanced obedience, problem behavior solutions, manners and socialization, and experience working with fear/aggression issues. Private 1-on-1, in home training. Group classes are in the works but not available at this time. Email or call to be placed on a waitlist to receive notice when classes become available. Call, text or email for rates.

I first met Joy in a pet CPR class she was teaching a few years ago. Since then, she has been…read moregracious in allowing me to shadow her while she works with certain aggression cases. As a pet sitter, I use techniques she has taught me everyday. More recently, I adopted a feral pup and, with Joy's guidance, a lot of patience and hard work, my girl has (almost magically) pretty much overcome her separation anxiety and we are looking forward to soon joining a fearful dog workshop. Joy is a wonderful trainer who really understands the psychology of dogs, and is very careful in her approach. I recommend her to clients often, without hesitation. I only refer my clients to the best!

I wish there were more than 5 stars to rate Joy - she is beyond amazing and the best dog trainer in…read morethe area. I love her careful and smart approach to dog training - she really understands dog psychology and trains with soft methods that make your dog think and figure things out. Joy is currently helping us train our 3 months old Labradoodle puppy. I am beyond grateful for her input and guidance. Our puppy is growing into a wonderful dog and I can't wait to get to know the adult he will be. I want to show him off to everybody and recommend Joy to any puppy owner. Starting training early is key and helps prevent behavioral issues and establish a good communication and relationship with your dog! Not only is Joy knowledgeable, experienced and professional, but also a great person with a BIG heart for dogs. She is very dedicated and passionate about what she is doing. She responds to any of my many questions - let it be in one of our meetings where she listens patiently to my concerns and questions or the email(s) I send her. She is really there for us and our puppy when we need her and you can feel and see her excitement when we succeed in training our puppy a new trick or behavior. I highly recommend Joy and am grateful for her!