The Puppy Academy in Hermosa Beach has been crucial in my family's journey in raising a puppy. We…read morehave a Doberman Pinscher puppy who started at the Puppy Academy around almost 3 months old. They built a structured routine for our puppy which set the perfect foundation for good habits and positive behavior. Our puppy learned many things from commands such as sit, stay, proper walking, come here, lay down, place, house. I think the most important thing built though was the potty training and the socialization provided. Puppies NEED early socialization to develop into confident and friendly dogs. We have happy to see our puppy grow (and still growing) into a friendly, brave "teenager" puppy. Friendly play style! A Doberman is a high energy and demanding dog breed. Normally I would train our puppy fully on my own as I did with prior Dobermans I had in the past, but due to demanding work hours and obligations, I am so grateful for the opportunity The Puppy Academy provided during these critical socialization and learning periods. They train and interact with the puppy all day until I pick him up after work. Then I can continue with following their training methods throughout our time at home and on the weekends. It made it so easy! I wish I had the Puppy Academy all along for my prior dogs too. I'm impressed with the friendly staff and how well they did with our puppy! Even though our puppy has completed the program and graduated, we have still seen ease with the teenager/adolescent phase and training on our own again because of all the Puppy Academy set up for us. Thank you!!

Could not ask for a better experience for my little guy . Everything about this was great- all the…read morestaff made me feel welcomed and comfortable. More importantly, they took such great care of my little Mochi. As a first time puppy mom, it was intimidating but Puppy Academy was the safety net I needed. I get compliments on Mochi's calm and sweet behavior all the time. From his dog walker to the groomer, they all love how well-behaved he is and it's all thanks to the trainers who put in the work. It speaks to the fact that the trainers took the time to get to know my puppy and really understand what his learning experience would require. Definitely recommend taking the homework seriously, the time you invest is absolutely key to your puppy's success!

We can't say enough good things about A Bark Idea. Frankie is a very shy dog, so finding a boarding…read moreplace where she feels comfortable has been difficult. At other places she comes home anxious and unsettled, but that has never happened here. The staff truly cares about the dogs, and the personalized updates they send are thoughtful and reassuring. We love that they keep the number of dogs small so the environment never feels chaotic or overwhelming. Every update shows Frankie looking relaxed and genuinely happy, and she always comes home healthy, calm, and in a great mood. It's completely worth it for the peace of mind when we travel. And the occasional complimentary surprise bath before pickup is such a nice bonus!

For the past 5 years, A Bark Idea has been such a special part of Summit's life--and mine. :) I've…read morebeen bringing my Golden Retriever there since the day I brought him home, and he has truly grown up with Cami and Kelsey and the Bark Idea Team. I honestly can't imagine those early years (or now) without them. What means the most to me is the complete trust I have in their care. Even when I've been traveling for work in other countries--literally on the other side of the world--I have never worried once. I always know Summit is safe, loved, and having the very best time. And he does have the best time--he still runs in with the same excitement as he did on day one. (I cried that first day when he was just a pup and it was my first time leaving him, but Cami hugged me and told me he was going to be just fine and most happy there - and those words are still true to this day!) It's truly his home away from home. He loves all of his fur friends (he made so many, and even I did too from A Bark Idea), lives for water time with the hose (those pictures are the best), or the time they brought in bubbles and Summit has never been more blown away, and I absolutely love the daily photos and updates that keep me connected no matter where I am. :) There is simply no place better in the South Bay (Hermosa), and now with their beautiful new location in Marina del Rey/Venice, it's even more convenient for us. :) I recommend them to everyone I know with a pup--and when you go, look for Summit on the walls... he's one of their photo models! :)

Highly recommend Zoom Room Torrance for training your puppy/dog! We've been taking classes there…read moresince Nov 2025, when our pup, Astro, turned 4mo. Astro (as well as my husband and I) have enjoyed and benefitted from all the classes we've taken (Puppy Training, Puppy Agility, Obedience). The training content and methods are logical and effective (especially if you put in extra time outside of the classes). One of the most beneficial aspects is taking the class with other dogs, people, and distractions nearby. The staff is incredibly kind and knowledgable. We also love the flexibility of booking classes around our busy schedule.

Everything! The nicest most efficient methods of training for owners and everyone has a great time!!read more

Tim, or as my doggies and I like to call him, "Mister Tim," is a lifesaver! His training works,…read moreand he's changed our lives for the better. If your dog's behavior is causing you stress or worry, call Tim today. He's the perfect person to help you. My doggie was found on the street when she was little and had scratches and scars as a puppy from being beaten up by other dogs. She understandably had a lot of fear aggression toward other doggos. When I got her when she was 6 months old, she would bark, lunge, and generally act like the apocalypse was coming every time we saw another doggo on leash. It got to the point where I dreaded walks with her. We found Mister Tim on Yelp, and he started helping us. He was quick to respond, always on time, and easy to schedule appointments with. As a single woman, he always made me feel safe, and was always professional. He came up with techniques to help us that were specific to my dog, not generic stuff that you find on YouTube. He was also so understanding and gentle with my pup. He quickly became one of her favorite humans. We took lessons with Mister Tim on and off for about 5 months. 2 years later, my pup is able to walk, sit, heel, and interact with other dogs on-leash in a calm and safe way. We get compliments from strangers multiple times a day on how well-behaved she is. What she has learned has even transferred to her interactions with other animals, like the cats at her pet sitter's house. What I find most important is that the things Tim taught us continue to be helpful, and my doggie continues to improve over time. At this point, her behavior is way better than anything I ever thought I could expect of her. Thank you, Mister Tim, for helping us!

We had such a wonderful experience with Tim during Coco's 10-day Advanced Obedience training! From…read morethe very beginning, Tim was kind, experienced, patient, and genuinely caring with Coco. Because of his calm and positive approach, Coco was always excited whenever it was time for his lessons. Since the training was done privately in our home, we were also able to see how attentive and happy Coco was whenever Tim came through the door. He also helped Coco learn how to behave appropriately and interact with other dogs at the park. Before his training, Coco was often scared and hesitant whenever we took him to the park. Now he is more confident around other dogs. Seeing that change has been amazing for us! We are very grateful to Tim for his patience, expertise, and dedication to Coco. You can truly tell that he loves what he does and understands dogs very well. We highly recommend Tim to anyone looking for an experienced, professional, patient, and compassionate dog trainer. We couldn't be happier with Coco's progress! Thank you, Tim, for helping our little Coco become a more confident and well-behaved dog!

We've had a fantastic experience working with Justine from Bark Busters m. She works with both our…read morepuppy and our 4-year-old dog together while still paying close attention to their individual needs and personalities. Her calm, knowledgeable approach makes the training easy to understand and practical to apply in our daily routine. We've already seen great progress with both dogs, and Justine does a great job explaining the "why" behind the training so we can stay consistent between sessions. She's reliable, encouraging, and clearly cares about helping both the dogs and their owners succeed. I highly recommend Justine and the Bark Busters program to anyone looking for thoughtful, effective in-home training.

Justine from Bark Busters came to my home for an initial lesson, and I paid $300. My dog Happy is a…read more4-year-old Maltipoo and a small dog. During that visit, Justine explained the Gold Lifetime program ($1,895) and said she would come to my home about every 2-3 weeks for continued training. Based on that explanation, I decided to purchase the program. However, the first session under the program lasted only about 30 minutes. When I asked about the next visit, Justine said future sessions would be done through FaceTime instead of in-home training. During the initial lesson, I clearly explained that Happy does not pull on the leash. Despite this, Justine brought a metal collar designed to prevent pulling and tried to put it on Happy, which was confusing and disappointing. I also explained that because Happy is a small dog, I wanted to learn proper heel training so he could walk safely beside me. Instead, Justine said it was fine for him to walk behind me. I do not feel this is safe for a small dog, as he could easily pick something up from the ground or encounter larger dogs from behind. As a result, I paid $1,895 but received only one 30-minute in-person session. My request for a partial refund or reassignment to another trainer was denied. I am sharing this experience so that other customers can fully understand the training approach and contract terms before committing. Clarification: The three-hour visit mentioned by the trainer, Justine, refers to the separate $300 initial lesson, which I paid for in advance and which actually lasted about 2.5 hours. The first session under the $1,895 Gold Lifetime program lasted about 30 minutes. Update: The owner responded claiming I "refused to book lessons." Attached are text screenshots proving the opposite. When I requested in-person visits every 2 weeks, the trainer replied: "I don't work that way" and offered only FaceTime instead. I did not refuse -- the trainer refused to provide the service I paid for.

Took advantage of their Spring Break special, which included a bath, to board my pup for a week…read more(Sat-Sat). It had been almost a year since we last boarded but Ethan helped us get acclimated to the new policies and was super accommodating, even working with me on pick-up when my return flight was delayed. A true life-saver. All the staff are always kind and helpful and they really love on the animals, which I appreciate. They also regularly update with photos and emails to keep you in the loop which is very reassuring. Loki loves it there and is always wiped out when she returns. (She's been napping all day. Very clearly a happy girl ).

A little long but it's been nothing less than eventful with this place. I had hight hopes for this…read moreplace as the hours are so convenient for our family's busy schedules. Unfortunately, this place was a HUGE disappointment and had a huge negative impact on our pup. Long story short -- Everything here is a sales grab. The few girls care for the animals but the "managers" and men there are just there for the commission of your packages. I had a whole conversation about their unethical sales pitching with the employee while picking up my dog lol. It's "how they keep the place open" - the employee's words, not mine. Astounding. Said employee also asked what I did for a living because I questioned their sales pitch tactics -- I'm in sales. Also, If you need their VIP services for your unspayed or neutered pup, please spend your money elsewhere!! Before committing to a membership, we did a trial day and spent hundreds on drop in days, grooming, and overnight boarding to see if it was a good fit for our high energy pup. Our dog is not neutered and we don't plan on getting him neutered so we chose their VIP rooms. His breed is also extremely high energy and they promised they could accommodate. I also inquired about training multiple times and they kept saying the trainer would contact me. Everything went great after those few visits, they seemed caring and said he was a great fit for a membership so we end up signing up. Then everything went downhill. Upon the first day of the membership, our dog all of a sudden had behavior issues and needed to be picked up. In the middle of my work day I call the shift manager, and he states that if we want our dog to stay, he needs training ... (from their same trainer that I've inquired 3x about before committing to a membership, still haven't heard back). I asked why this wasn't communicated ever before committing to a membership and they didn't have an answer. I informed them that I would've paid for training before committing to a membership if they would've let me know that there were any issues. Our dog went a couple of more times until they could finally get me in touch with the trainer, 6 visits later. Actually I had lost complete trust at this facility. To add insult to injury, I was able to speak to one of their actual workers that is with the dogs and she let me know that our dog is only let out for about 10 minutes at a time, maybe 3 to 4 times a day during a 12 hour stay. This is their VIP option. So not only is he left in a room for about 12 hours a day, with dogs barking all around him, he's not being stimulated nor played with just being let out to go to the bathroom. Contradicting everything they say that they offer. Their "trainer" is also a joke. He is supposed to be from the Marines and well-versed in the breed of dog that we have. Upon washing him for 5 minutes, as I was told, he said that our dog needed to be neutered before he could be trained because of his energy. Our dog is a Malinois and is not supposed to be neutered before 2 years of age. We've since went elsewhere to get our dog trained from someone who is actually educated on his breed and he's worked on all of his anxiety and reactivity issues that our pup got because of this place.

I absolutely love Sandy Paws! My dog waits by the door for his walker to arrive and always comes…read moreback happy and tired (which he definitely needs!). Every walker I've had over the years clearly loves dogs, and they always send a personalized update after each walk along with the most adorable photos. Since we only have one dog, the group walks are also a great way for him to socialize with other dogs in the neighborhood. It's so cute when we're out walking and he spots a buddy from his walks, they immediately gravitate toward each other. I couldn't be happier with the care and attention Sandy Paws provides!

I have a bit of a.... stubborn.... Bulldog (Winston)and Serena and team do a fantastic job at…read moreproviding both walks and pet sittings. Sandy paws is the only service I have tried where Winston is actually super excited when he sees them. Her team is attentive, caring, reliable and extremely professional. They even offer this amazing service where they pop in a few times a day to feed and hang out with him when I am away for long day. I cannot recommend Sandy Paws enough for your pet!

My husband and I were first-time dog owners when we rescued Ziggy, a…read morehigh-energy Australian Cattle Dog with a lot of love and personality. We feel incredibly lucky that we found Brian. We were well-intentioned, but we didn't fully understand how to best meet Ziggy's needs or channel his energy. Brian's guidance was invaluable in teaching us how to raise a confident, well-adjusted dog and how to better understand what Ziggy was communicating to us. He helped us learn how to socialize Ziggy thoughtfully with other dogs, people, bikes, vehicles, animals, and all the stimulation that comes with everyday life. He also taught us how to recognize what was driving certain behaviors and how to respond in a way that helped Ziggy learn, build confidence, and develop good habits. Ziggy is now nine months old, and people constantly comment on how calm, social, and well-behaved he is--especially for such a young, high-energy dog. We credit so much of that to what Brian taught us. What makes Brian's program so unique is that he doesn't just train your dog--he teaches you how to understand and raise your dog. I genuinely believe our experience as first-time dog owners would have been very different without his guidance. We now have an incredibly happy, confident dog who plays well with others and fits beautifully into our lives. I could not recommend Brian more highly. Thank you, Brian, for everything.

TL;DR: The Way of the Dog is, quite literally, the best dog training experience in Los Angeles…read more Brian Lee is a pillar of the South Bay dog community. Across Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Palos Verdes, and beyond, a surprising number of dog owners I've met have trained with him at some point -- and without exception, they speak highly of the experience. That reputation alone says a lot. What you get is not a typical obedience class. The program consists of five focused, no-nonsense behaviorist sessions grounded in a deep understanding of dog psychology, plus ongoing, supervised pack-socialization events (think structured dog parties, not chaotic dog parks). The emphasis is on how dogs think, not on rote commands. The training style is dense, unconventional, and unapologetically dogmatic -- in a good way. Brian does not start with commands. Instead, he teaches you to understand your dog as a born hunter with physical, mental, and social needs. Once you understand that framework, behaviors fall into place naturally. Watching him settle a dog mid-zoomie without a single command honestly looks like magic. If your goal is to teach tricks or formal commands, I'd recommend pairing this additionally with a balanced-method obedience school. I would not recommend "positive-reinforcement-only" programs like Zoom Room. In my experience -- and based on what I've seen firsthand -- that approach often fails in real-world situations. Many of the worst-behaved dogs I've encountered came out of those programs, including ours. So why listen to Brian? He has over 40 years of experience and has worked with more than 40,000 dogs. And in a time when "positive reinforcement only" has become the fashionable -- and often misleading -- default, The Way of the Dog is one of the few remaining programs that actually produces calm, stable, well-behaved dogs. We ended up here because Zoom Room training failed us badly. Our puppy was biting us so severely that I seriously considered rehoming her. This program changed everything. We learned how to be kind and strong leaders, how to meet our dog's core needs, and how to train both her and ourselves consistently -- especially through the very real chaos of the "teenage dog" phase. This business deserves five-star reviews across the board. If you look at the rare one-star reviews, they simply don't add up -- and Brian has already addressed them directly. Complaints about "teaching commands" are fake; and complaints about "fear-based training" miss the entire point of the program. Brian is direct, honest, and doesn't sugarcoat reality -- which is exactly what many people need, even if they don't want to hear it. In short, based on both my own experience and consistent feedback from other dog owners, our dog now behaves 10x better than most dogs we encounter -- calmer, more disciplined, and far less reactive. And yes, I'm officially a dog snob now. I have zero tolerance for poorly trained dogs at parks -- especially humping, biting humans, or owners who excuse bad behavior. Once you've seen what good training actually looks like, there's no going back.

Zeddicus is awesome. I love that he does in home and out and about appointments. He showed us all…read morethe right training tools to use and we have had a great time learning how to better understand our dogs. He helped me get my dog to get along with my boyfriend's dog which was great. He is very responsive and I definitely recommend him

We had an amazing experience working with Zed! Our dog Rocky had a few behavior issues we were…read morestruggling with, and Zed completely changed the way we understand and work with him. From the very first session, it was clear that Zed really understands dogs and knows how to communicate with both the dog and the owner. He was patient, knowledgeable, and gave us practical tools that actually worked. Rocky responded so well to the training, and we started seeing improvements almost immediately. Walks are calmer, Rocky listens better, and overall he's a much happier and more balanced dog. What I appreciated most was that Zed didn't just train Rocky--he taught us how to be better dog owners. The guidance and support made a huge difference. If you're looking for a trainer who truly knows what they're doing and cares about the dogs they work with, I highly recommend Zed. Rocky and I are so grateful!

At the last minute I had to find a pet sitter and found Fancy Tails thru social media. After…read moretalking with Tracy I realized she is a true pet lover:) because my Bruno is a Service Dog I knew she would take good care of him, and he'd be safe and happy. After I spoke with Tracy I told my friend that I was going to the event with and he said "I know Tracy, she is highly recommended and has a stellar reputation with taking care of our furry friends. While I was at my event she sent lots of pictures while he was on his walk and hanging happy with his new puppy friends, it gave me peace of mind. She even offered to pet taxi him back to me when I returned home. 5 stars to Tracy & Fancy Tails

Tracy watched Princess Buttercup while I was having surgery. As the name says, she is a Princess…read moreand requires such treatment. My dog is super picky who she chooses to like and be nice to, and Tracy took her in with open arms to help me out during my time of need. She's local which I love and had so many great reviews online. This is also her only and full time job which was also very important to me when searching for the right pet sitter. I used a Vet Tech once, but I preferred Tracy over the VT because she has all the time in the world to spend cuddling with Buttercup (and she has vet tech skills)! I will be using her again. Grateful to have found Fancy Tails.