HUGE fan of SF Puppy Prep for its day school, socials, and workshops! This is a long review because like other folks reading this review, when I was about to bring my puppy home, I was debating between SF Puppy Prep and similar places in SF. Choose SF Puppy Prep! DAY SCHOOL: I sent Goji, 10 week puppy to prep school as soon as I was able to. The confidence and manners he developed over 4 weeks was invaluable. When I dropped him off for school his 1st day, he was trembling with fear when I left; by the 2nd day he was leaping out of my arms at drop off bc he was so excited to be at school. I'm positive that it is because of SF Puppy Prep that I get compliments EVERY time we are in public on how well behaved he is because he is so calm. He approaches larger dogs with curiosity and confidence; when other dogs bark at him, he remains quiet and checks in with me; he is rarely afraid of new sounds and environments. He also has shown a ton of improvement with obedience /commands and crate training at home that I was struggling to train myself. I see small things come out at home that I can only assume puppy school taught him (bc I sure didn't!) that make a huge difference. For example, when I put his food down in front of him, he will sit automatically and wait until I release him to eat. He also runs into his crate and puts himself to sleep at night when he's tired. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Big shoutout to Tiro, Isaiah, Lindsay (sp?), Adrian (sp?) and all the other wonderful counselors that made my puppy's days so happy![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] PUPPY SOCIALS: Best in the city - I've attended a LOT of them and the reason these folks are better than any other is because they explain beforehand what good puppy play looks like, they narrate what's going on while the puppies are playing, and gently include owners in intervening or helping take breaks as needed. Because of this, as the owner, I am also more educated on how my puppy should play with others when he meets them in less structured environments. WORKSHOPS: I love the specialty workshops that are offered! I took my puppy to a recall workshop as it's very important to me he functions well off leash. [[HIGHLIGHT]]He was a little young for the workshop but Amrit, the teacher, was so accommodating, and what we learned has been so helpful for me to continue training my puppy as he gets older.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I typed this all on my phone and my thumbs are SORE now but in conclusion, if you're a new puppy parent debating sending your dog here, DO IT! read more

See all

Ellie graduated puppy prep in 2016. This review is a bit delayed, but we wanted to honor her recent passing by giving gratitude for those who helped shape who she was. She was a such a wonderful pup who always minded, was great with children and strangers, and never barked at the vacuum. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Sending a heartfelt thank-you to the team at SF Puppy Prep[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

[[HIGHLIGHT]]After the initial phone consultation with Mac, Emmy and I jogged to 6th and Howard early weekday mornings where she'd play, socialize, learn and thrive.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The Puppy Prep trainers put my mind at ease as soon as we arrived. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Each day after work, I went to pick her up smiling from ear to disproportionately enormous ear.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The trainers provided daily summaries on her progress.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] What impressed me was how calm, professional, and reassuring the trainers were even when unexpected things came up. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They communicated clearly, kept things moving, and never seemed rattled.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Puppy Prep taught Emmy to laugh, love and live her fullest life. Most of all, the program gave Emmy opportunities to learn just by being her joyful, gorgeous self--while making a packful of friends on the process! read more

See all

SF Puppy Prep has been a godsend for my new pup. As a new pet parent, I did my best with training and crating from eight weeks onward, but the puppy prep school program really helps to fill in the gaps for the things I can't train (or can't train very well); he gets to learn how to play with other pups and has a fun time learning new skills. He comes home tired but happy, and I've seen so much improvement in his behavior. The staff is great and I love that puppy socials are available to test the place out. read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

To be honest, I was a little cynical about Doggy Daycares in general but I am SO glad we signed up with our terrier pup Ziggy. From the first play session we noticed a difference in Ziggy's behavior regarding playing, biting, and obedience. The focus the pups get from the teachers and the reinforcement of good behaviors is fantastic and helped to fast track Ziggy's training. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The reports and feedback are thoughtful and actionable and although his training is not 'done' it's advanced much more than I anticipated.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I thoroughly recommend this school if you're able to sign up. read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

[[HIGHLIGHT]]We took our dog to the puppy socials on Thursdays which helped so much with his socialisation - as he was a few months old we were hesitant at larger parks.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Then we also did Level 100 and Level 200. The classes are for four consecutive weeks, great content and the instructors are experts. We learnt a lot and our dog is well behaved. Thank you SF Puppy Prep! Highly recommend you to other puppy owners. read more

My pup, Yuca, just graduated from a month at Puppy School and [[HIGHLIGHT]]I can't say enough good things about the business and especially the staff.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I know some of the changes in Yuca over the past month are due to her getting older. But that's a very small part because I truly believe that left to my own devices my pup would have stayed in the velociraptor stage for a year with me constantly yelling "No" at her to no avail. Thanks to the professional, welcoming and caring staff who worked with her every day, Yuca is on the path to being a well-trained dog. And I deeply appreciated the tips I got for continuing her training at home. Parking was fairly easy. read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I'm so thankful to SF Puppy Prep for creating a safe, fun, and loving environment for our Cavapoo puppy. Luna started the dayschool program 2 months ago as being so timid around other dogs that she would completely avoid them. Within a few days at SF Puppy Prep, she started to make major strides in her confidence which we got to see first hand at one of the Puppy Socials the first week. You really can't ask for a better team of trainers. They were all super helpful & informative, and so accommodating of her dietary needs on days when she was dealing with a sensitive tummy. I genuinely miss seeing Isaiah's & Amrit's smiling faces in the morning, and how ELATED Luna was to see them every time that I dropped her off. She practically jumped out of my arms. Luna graduated a month ago, and it still makes me so happy to see how sweet & confident she is approaching other dogs on the street and at the park, and that's all thanks to SF Puppy Prep. read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Unfortunately did not have the best experience with SF Puppy Prep. I signed up for the 200 class which I expected to be a building foundation class but was more of a beginners class (loose leash walking, sit and stay, "go to your mat") if that is what you're looking for then this may be the class for you! However, my pup attended the puppy's beginner class at Jeffreys Natural Pet and was taught all of these skills + manners - so not really what I was looking for or what I was told would be appropriate when inquiring about the class over the phone. Additionally, did not like that the dogs did not have any socialization activities or time. Part of the reason I like dog training classes is to familiarize my dog with other dogs and improve her socialization skills. Jeffrey's does a good job in this area too - the dogs are able to meet each other and get to know one another throughout the weeks spent in class, unfortunately puppy prep does not do this and the dogs are shielded from one another by barriers which in my opinion creates friction. Aside from all this, my low rating is mainly for the instructor who taught my class. Unfortunately I did not feel helped by my instructor, she constantly would avoid helping my pup due to her reactivity (which I figured would be worked on with this class - it was not), she would call my pup by the wrong name and gender, and did not form any sort of connection with me or my pup to help me with my training needs. Last point - the location of SF puppy prep is a little sketchy, please do your research as SF crime has increased and a lot of classes are held in the later hours of day. read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

My partner and I adopted an 8-week-old puppy about a month ago and the first week we had her was one of the most stressful times of my life. I've raised a dog with family before, but had never raised one that's this young with only one other person. At first, our dog was vocal, peeing all over the place, and had difficulties focusing and listening. I was not prepared for this total lifestyle change, and had a hard time approaching training her with confidence and optimism. A month later, after her first classes, puppy socials, and office hours, I've found that while these activities that SF Puppy Prep are "for" our dogs, they're really for dog parents. Each week, we've been equipped with more and more tools to help our puppy build her confidence and obedience. While she's still vocal, peeing everywhere, and has difficulty focusing, we've learned how to mitigate her barking, potty train effectively, and command her attention. And as she continues growing and we continue to need more tools, I know we'll be back for more classes and socials. Thank you so much for all that you do, parenting will still be difficult, but I can say with confidence that it'll get better. read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

SF Puppy Prep might just have saved my sanity and relationship! We're not new to dog ownership but this is my first puppy. I was really starting to get frustrated about her insatiable energy when it came to being alone or playing with my older dog. Working from home, and she was proving to be a major distraction; I could not turn away for 2 seconds in case my puppy started pawing at him! We are very grateful to SF Puppy Prep for introducing her to new pups and naptimes in a controlled, professional environment. Her manners and recall improved a lot over the month, and she's no longer so overeager with new dogs. They also offer many opportunities to consult with the trainers and pros that run the program. I actually found that I wasn't even able to leverage these fully due to my own availability, nor did I need every single one because she was improving quickly. Shout out and thank you to the warm and professional staff who were able to get us enrolled so promptly. read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

The first weekend we got our puppy we took him to an obedience/puppy play class through a different program. He was so shy he ran into the corner and was shaking & afraid. After that class I found out about SF puppy prep & was able to enroll him into the daycare program. He was still scared the first day, but as more time went by he really blossomed. The staff did such a great job working with him. You could tell he liked being there because he would rush from the car to class/ always eager to get there. He became more social, less fearful and started to play with other puppies...When we went back to our original obedience class, he was more confident (no hiding in the corner) and he was interacting and playing with the other pups! So grateful to SF Puppy Prep for the great care and training they gave our puppy, Moochi! read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

We cannot say enough great things about SF puppy prep. Before SF puppy prep, we were really struggling with our sweet, but highly energetic and disobedient goldendoodle puppy Pico. SF Puppy Prep was recommended to us by our dog trainer who praised them for their supportive, positive reinforcement driven methods and genuine love they have for their pups. After just one month at SF puppy prep, the difference has been so profound. Pico is now so sweet and obedient, and consistently wins the praise of any dog owner who meets him for his temperament. SF puppy prep deserves all of the credit for this! What is most important is that was clear that Pico LOVED SF puppy prep. Each morning I would drop him off for dayschool, his tail would wag faster and more excitedly than I had ever seen! And this continued every time we brought him back for socials. It's clear that Pico was treated with love at SF puppy prep, and this set him to learn lessons and training that will serve him well for his lifetime. read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

LOVE love love this place. If you have a puppy, don't think twice, go to this place! My puppy started puppy prep a super shy girl afraid of other dogs and many other stuff. But after just 10 days of day school, she's a changed girl who loves to play w other dogs! She's also braver and more confident. I can't thank SF puppy prep enough! We are also doing private training w Amrit and shout out to how great she is! Really hoping to enroll her pup in the outdoor education program too which sounds great but seems to have a waitlist as we haven't heard back yet. Fingers crossed. So perhaps sign up early if you're interested! read more

I signed my dog up for Puppy Prep, after only three days of having him. I quickly realized how difficult it is to raise a Puppy while working full-time and knew that it would be better for him in the long run if I left it to some professionals. And I will say that my puppy is not the most social with people, but he got so incredibly excited every time I dropped him off for puppy school. It almost made me jealous that he was more excited to see them, and looked pretty disappointed whenever he had to leave! The people who work there genuinely love the dogs and are great influences and energies. I loved that they worked on alone time training, which was my puppy's most difficult challenge. His play style greatly improved over the weeks and now he is the ultimate dog's dog. I would 100% recommend this program whether you work full-time or from home, as it's such a good opportunity to get the puppies socialized at such a young age, and I can see how this will have a lasting effect on him as he gets older. I'm so grateful that I found a place that cared about my dog just as much as I did, and I know my puppy wishes the program could go on forever! special shout-out to Isaiah at the front desk! read more

See all

My dog Tashi just completed his first level class with Fawn. She is an amazing dog trainer and a an excellent teacher for doggy parents. Tashi is learning a lot, and so am I. We already signed up for level two. I am positive that it will be good for both of us. We also liked puppy socials there. It was great to take Tashi for a social so he would have a chance to play before the class. He was always more attentive and open to learning afterwards. read more

This was by far the worst decision my wife and I ever made for our young dog. Bringing our dog here created issues for us that we would not otherwise have had. I'm writing this review 4 years after going to puppy prep with a lot of hindsight while considering what to do with our second dog. Our older dog is incredibly well-behaved and we've had her go through the AKC's Canine Good Citizen, Trick Dog Novice, and Trick Dog Intermediate certifications. At puppy prep our young dog was let loose in a room full of roughly 10 other dogs to run around and play with just a couple of staff watching over them. This is not proper socialization, this is just chaos. No assurances of positive interactions to build confidence-- no treats for proper play. The staff do try to spot positive interactions with the dogs, but in my experience and from the videos I have from that time, the dogs are often rewarded for interactions that are quite rough or that make the other dog visibly anxious. This has no business as part of anyone's journey with their dog. One day while picking her up I watched her play with the other dogs. I noticed that she was running away from them but didn't think much of it because she likes to play chase. What did concern me, however, was when she ran under a table to try to get away from the other dogs. One of the staff members kind of shrugged it off and coaxed her out so that she could get back to playing. This is senseless-- it teaches her that she cannot create her own boundaries for other people or dogs to respect and it can and did push her to fend for herself. This unsurprisingly lead to over-stimulation and could have lead to fear-based aggression over time. Unfortunately as a first-time dog owner I trusted the people at puppy prep to know what was best for her. Another day while picking her she began barking pretty seriously and she would not stop even once she was in her carrier. One of the trainers asked me if she demand barked at home to which I responded "She doesn't. In fact she doesn't bark at all unless we're playing. This is new." I tried to calm her down but she didn't stop until I was halfway home and I found it impossible to soothe her. It was incredibly sad and concerning at the time. It only got worse from there. Because our dog didn't have the ability to set boundaries for herself she became more and more hyper while playing. Eventually they chose to move her upstairs to play with the big kids. This was exactly what she did not need and it's frustrating to think that they thought this was a good idea, in hindsight. Why not work on that and encourage better play? How is the solution to take a small dog and put her in with the larger dogs? To add insult to injury, once we graduated with our dog and we were taking pictures of her one of the trainers said to us "There's no dog quite like her" in a snide tone that suggested that she was truly awful to work with and that we had done something very wrong. We certainly weren't perfect-- nobody is. But we worked hard to set her up for success and we did a lot of research. The fact is that regardless of that it is your job! Find a productive way to limit these behaviors instead of keeping the dogs in a free-for-all and then wondering why some of the dogs become unruly. Please never bring your dog here. At best your dog will get used to the idea of other dogs being some of the highest currency possible when that should be you. At worst it may cause aggressive behavior because your dog feels continuously unable to be left alone. read more

I cannot emphasize enough how happy I am to have enrolled in SF puppy prep. I brought my puppy to dayschool from the week after I took her home all the way till she was fully vaccinated (when she transitioned to outdoor ed). I would love to shoutout Amrit, Drue, Isaiah, and Erin specifically for being so kind and sweet to her. At school, she got exposure to different things (textures, new objects), learned quickly how to break out of her shell, and how to play and interact well with other puppies. A bonus is that they do crate time at school which was very important to me because it really helped with crate training at home and Strawberry learning to be by herself. One of the biggest pros I think there is to enrolling in day school is that it gives your puppy the opportunity to be away from you at an early age which can help reduce separation issues and exposes them to new humans that they can trust. All that being said, I want to focus on talking about their Outdoor education program because I feel like isn't talked about enough. The main person who does outdoor ed is Ellie, and she is the BEST! Ellie is one of the sweetest most genuine people and she is so good with dogs!! She takes the pups around to different parts of the city and exposes them to different environments. They also do 1-1 training with your puppy every day and you can tell them specific goals you have for your puppy (eg loose leash walking, reactivity, playing fetch etc). One of the biggest perks of the program is you are actually allowed and encouraged to join training sessions so that Ellie can show you what your puppy has been working on and teach you how to implement the training when you are at home. I was so impressed when I joined one of Strawberry's later sessions and she did amazing with loose leash walking. It was such a massive improvement from when she had first joined and had no idea how to even walk on leash. One thing I really liked was that Ellie focused on helping strawberry ignore distractions and be more confident outdoors since she is a little more on the cautious side. I would highly recommend enrolling your puppy in outdoor ed, they'll learn so much and I know Ellie will take amazing care of them! read more

See all

I was looking for a class specifically for our puppy before he was fully vaccinated and landed on SF Puppy Prep. We had a really great experience with them. You can sign up for everything via their website and if there are any issues or if you need to change any of the parent-teacher-conferences or classes, you can email them and they're very flexible and accommodating. Also, when we needed to skip some days, the school was very flexible and the days we missed rolled over so you get the exact number of days you pay for. We signed our puppy up for the day school for 4 weeks as we wanted him to get as much exposure and socialization as possible. It was also a great way for him to play with other pups around his size and age. He LOVED it. At first he was timid but he warmed up quickly to the staff and the other puppies within the first week and he was exposed to so many different things at school. Each morning, once he realized we were near the school, he'd try to wiggle his way out of our arms to get to school faster. Nothing really seems to phase him now and we chalk that up to the great job SF Puppy Prep did in exposing him to a variety of things (vacuums, scarecrows, costumes, boxes, bags, backpacks...etc). During July 4, I was worried our puppy would be agitated by the fireworks but he didn't care. He merely looked up to see where it was coming from but after that he didn't care or react. He even slept through the night despite people playing with fireworks around our area late into the night. I also really like how the school is very diligent about puppy vaccinations and keeping the puppies safe. In order for you to start the day school, you have to show proof of the first round of puppy vaccinations. They also have a solution for the staff to clean the bottoms of their shoes before they walk into the school area to keep the puppies safe from highly contagious diseases (ie. parvo). There was an incident where another puppy had caught Parvo and went to school unknowingly. When the school was notified by the pup's pawrents, the school immediately notified all the puppy pawrents and closed the school for a week to do a deep cleaning. They take things seriously to protect the health of the puppies. I would highly recommend their day school. I'd love to go to one of their puppy socials but with the pandemic, we haven't had a chance yet. read more

JUST SIMPLY AWESOME!!!! Puppy Day School. We now have a well balanced, eager to learn puppy. He learned all the basic socialization and commands, and then some. We only wish we could do the puppy years again, so we can take him back. Every puppy needed to go through this program!!! read more

Do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not wait another minute - SF Puppy Prep truly is the right answer. I sent my rescue puppy Roxie to them... she was initially very fearful of new people, unsure of her place in the pack, and timid around other dogs. Within days at Puppy Prep, she was noticeably more confident, initiating play and contact with strangers. I started her at 3 days a week and quickly upgraded to the 5 days because it was clearly so good for my dog. she graduated today and I am deeply sad she doesn't get to go back tomorrow. Without a doubt, I wouldn't have the loving, warm, confident pup I have today without this program. Stop hesitating and go. read more

SF Puppy prep is amazing. With a 12 week old Australian shepherd pup (Otis) on my hands, I had a big task ahead of me. SF Puppy prep made everything so much easier. The socialization, training, and just general experience my pup got here left him happy and mentally-satisfied every day. Their sign-up portal and process was super easy and they were ALWAYS so speedy about responding to my questions via email. Seeing my pup so happy every day made me immediately upgrade from the 3 day/week daycare to the 5 day/week daycare. He just loved it so much, he was always excited to arrive and always happy and confident leaving. When I picked him up they were always good about giving me a quick 5 min update about what he was up to during the day. Additionally, Otis did catch 2 puppy colds there (but it was to be expected since he wasn't fully vaccinated), and their policy really made me feel good about the puppies they let attend their classes. Otis needed to go at least 48 hours symptom-free before he could return. While it was tough to have him home with a cold, it reassured me that they had great safety measures in place to prevent anything worse than a puppy cold. Plus, my days did rollover so he could go to school even past 18 weeks of age and get the full school semester (lol). Seeing my pup now have fabulous manners when playing (plus just being outgoing and confident with pups) and being more patient in general, is so rewarding and I know SF Puppy prep definitely had a large hand in that. Don't forget that you still need to reinforce all that's learned and trained at school, but they lay some amazing groundwork for a well-balanced, friendly, and happy pup! Thank you SF Puppy Prep!!! Otis will miss you!!! read more

SF Puppy Prep is a great option for new pups! My puppy attended day school three days a week before she had finished all of her vaccinations. Socializing a puppy has been challenging during the pandemic but day school was great for this. The trainers have been incredible in setting a strong foundation for training at home. My puppy was also so excited to go to school and see everyone each day. The parent teacher conferences provide updates on progress and tips for home. Puppies are exposed to different objects at day school and there's always a theme of the day. My puppy left school more confident with unknown objects and other dogs! read more

We LOVE SF Puppy Prep! The training was thoughtful and useful! It increased our ability to communicate effectively with our French Bulldog. Mac is AMAZING! We've completed Kindergarten and Jr High. Looking forward to High School next! We cannot image life with our city dog without SF Puppy Prep! The homework helps you to perfect commands during the week and then build upon them! Puppy socials are also a must! Great learning experience for puppy and parents! read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

We took our incredibly shy Chihuahua mix puppy to several puppy socials. Having a small pups separated out really helped her. She's now almost a year old and confident around other dogs. I'm not sure what makes a great puppy social, but of the three we went to this was the only one we went back to twice as they had the space to separate out the particularly smaller dogs. read more

Can't say enough good stuff about SF Puppy Prep. We are so happy with how they helped mold our golden retriever, Gansett. We've taken advantage of pretty much every service they offer -- puppy day school, socials, kindergarten, and their "outdoor education" dog walking for older puppies. The staff is amazing. Gansett was always ecstatic to see them, and they clearly had taken the time to get to know him well. There was a great continuity that built up as we worked through all their programs. We loved that the trainers would cite something he should work on (say, jumping up at treats), identify ways for us to improve it, and celebrate when he finally would sit still for chicken. It's reassuring to have a whole team helping you as you move through the first few months of puppyhood. Definitely ask about the outdoor education program when you sign up -- it's not currently on the website, but the leash skills + recall foundation they built up there have been hugely useful. read more

See all

After years of being the cool aunt to my sibling's dogs, I felt I was ready to own my own pup. 2018 finally came, and me n my bf were ready to start our own little family. Kuma (red chow chow) came to us through AKC.org, all the way from Kentucky! Safe to say, the first couple of weeks, we had our hands full, but our hearts were even fuller. We were first time pupper parents, but we knew we had to be very diligent in training, and set a foundation as soon as possible. We were referred to SF Puppy Prep by my sister, since she had added her Shiba Inu Mochi into her family around the same time we got Kuma. We ended up putting our pups in school together which was such a great experience! [Why SF Puppy Prep??] Training your dog is so important!! Please, don't get a dog just to get a dog. It's really like having a child - you have to teach them right from wrong, and socialize the heck out of them. Sf Puppy Prep not only trains pups, but owners as well. I'm also glad that there are so many opportunities to socialize your dogs - whether if it's at the end of each class or at their puppy socials. At their puppy socials, they separate the dogs by size (such a good idea). The assistants also give you mini tips and tricks to help facilitate your dog's play and prevent them from getting aggressive. [Ambience] Entering SF Puppy Prep was like a new world to me. You're hit with the smell of dogs (there's really no fixing that smell lol). Their waiting room is a good size - they have a couch, a few chairs, open space for people to stand. They also have a lot of informational pamphlets and flyers supporting other small businesses. Their upstairs and downstairs training rooms are about the same size. From the outside, it doesn't look like the place is too big, but their training rooms are incredibly spacious. [Service] We had the absolute pleasure of working with Mac and her assistants for both Puppy Kindergarten and Puppy Junior High. I loved the fact that she sent out detailed emails on what we would be doing in class, as well as best practices for our pups at home. When we went to our first meeting with Mac, she let us know her experience, knowledge with puppies, and her training style with her own dogs. Throughout our time at SF Puppy Prep, Mac was extremely helpful in answering all of our questions, and was quick to correct our behaviors (not just Kuma's!) during sessions. During every class, she makes sure to have one on one time with everyone so we're all on the same page. She can spot errors from across the room which is pretty amazing haha. Mac contributed to Kuma's success, and we can't thank her enough! My initial worry coming into puppy prep was the bad rep that Chow Chows can have. A lot of people believe their temperament to be aggressive and extremely territorial, which is why a lot of businesses won't work with Chows. Mac was extremely knowledgeable with the breed, and understood that Kuma needed to take time to warm up to her (typical chow behavior to be cautious). She never came on too strong, and was patient with him when he was feeling extra shy and cautious of her. What I love most is that even after puppy classes, Mac welcomed us to keep in touch and to feel free to ask her any questions. There were a few times where we had sent Mac some videos of Kuma because we were a bit concerned with the way he plays with other dogs. She was super quick in replying! She really goes above and beyond with her clients, which tells a lot about her character and professionalism. I'm happy that she genuinely cares about Kuma's success and overall wellbeing. [Worth it???] We paid $200 for a 6 week class, overall $400 for 12 weeks including puppy junior high. To be honest, I felt like Puppy Kindergarten was 100% worth every penny. It definitely made Kuma a better pupper. It's like night and day, when I see people who haven't really trained their pups compared to Kuma (not throwing shade or anything lol). If you have new pups, do them the honor of enrolling into SF Puppy Prep, and take the class with Mac! read more

We love SF Puppy Prep (and our puppy, Oliver, loves it so much that he literally hops out of the carrier whenever we go). We signed Oliver up for the 4-week Day School program and opted for 5 days a week. 1) Schedule - Their schedule is fantastic - most places in SF (including dogwalkers - not that puppies can be walked before they get vaccinated!) start their pickup times at 9am and drop off before 2pm, which can be hard for people who work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and more often more than that when Zoom calls start earlier/later to accommodate different time zones and transactions. You can drop off your puppy at SF Puppy Prep as early as 730am, and pickup as late as 3pm. 2) Feedback - You get a report card on the first day and on the last day, as well as credits for two parents teacher conference, *and* everyday during pickup they give you a quick verbal update on what went well and what needs more training. They post on Instagram stories everyday so you always see your puppy and know who they're playing with and how they're playing (and they take amazing photos of puppies that we can't seem to do at home - they're always smiling at school). 3) Training - our puppy learned "down" almost immediately after the first week, and showed a lot less "demanding behavior" (e.g, barking, being vocal unless there were actual needs) ever since being in Puppy Prep. He learned to play by himself quietly when we were occupied at home on weekends, and learned how to sit properly and wait when we were preparing his food and water. We did hire a private trainer for an hour just to make sure we weren't missing much but to be honest the folks at Puppy Prep did such a good job there wasn't a lot we learned and we always get compliments from other neighbors on how well behaved our pup is. 4) Staff - they're very responsive and courteous, and you can see they absolutely love the pups of all sizes and breeds. They are incredibly patient - there were other pawrents with unique asks that we saw or heard and they were always polite and never lost their temper whether virtually or in person. We're so glad we enrolled the puppy once we got him and are bummed that we don't have a stop gap now that the program has ended! Our only feedback would be that we wished they had continuous training day care as puppies age (e.g., adolescent training, loose leash training - they do partner with Outdoor Education but the wait list is multiple months at this point) so that the pup could stay and grow with them. read more

Our puppy has a fantastic time at SF Puppy Prep - during the pandemic, they were one of the few places still running, and they provided a wonderful foundation for our pup through socialization with dogs and people as well as desensitization to all kinds of potential triggers. Highly recommend. read more

We got the "full" package at Puppy Prep which includes Day Care, Puppy Classes and Puppy Socials. Day Care: The main reason we sent our puppy Mana to daycare was because we work full time and could not stay home to take care of her. But now I feel like even if we could, sending her to daycare at Puppy Prep would be a no brainer. The daycare not just includes playtime but includes socialization with other puppies and humans, training and everything else that lays the foundation for your puppy to grow up to be a well behaved and trained dog. The amount of socialization that Mana got at daycare would be really difficult to achieve on our own. Furthermore, we would get "homework" for skills which we needed improve on so it was a continuous learning experience both for the puppy and us. Puppy Classes: We took Mana to Kindergarten and Junior high with Mac and both of them were very valuable and a great learning experience. I think the classes mainly help the humans because it gives you an opportunity to train your puppy in the presence of highly qualified trainers and learn the right ways and what not to do. Mac, our trainer/instructor, also listened to our feedback and incorporated them into the classes. Puppy Socials: These are a great alternative to Daycare or Classes and give you both you and your puppy to socialize with other dog owners and puppies. But since this is mostly free play, there is not much training that happens during socials so we only did this as a supplement. Overall, we had a fantastic experience with Puppy Prep and even though it's pricier compared to other daycares, we felt like it was worth every penny. The outcome is we have a extremely well behaved puppy and it felt like raising a puppy is not really that hard as people claim it to be. Big shout out to Mac, Amrit, Marie, Jessica and the other folks at puppy prep, you girls are are the best! Highly Recommend!!! P.S Since Puppy prep is only for puppies upto a certain age, we also enrolled Mana in Outdoor Education which is a continuation where they take puppies to the outside world and train them. I could say the same things about this program too. read more

SF Puppy Prep - Graduating daycare - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Did a sequence of puppy kindergarten here. It was a fine facility and the instructor was very knowledgeable. Ultimately wouldn't recommend, though, given the price tag and service. The classes are pretty rushed and there is minimal one-on-one attention to your dog. The instructor was weirdly condescending at times. When people asked questions or made a mistake, she would scold them and sometimes publicly present their error. I get that someone's mistake can be illustrative for the class but it came across as "shaming" and left a bad taste in people's mouths. When I asked for a refresher on a lesson, she told me that there wasn't time to re-teach it. Just a bit strange when you're paying for the classes. I learned helpful material but not an incredible/enjoyable experience. read more

My partner and I got an 8 week old Goldendoodle puppy and we were super ready and braced for puppy rearing. We did all of our research on socialization, desensitization, training, etc. After a few weeks with us in the city though, it became clear our puppy had become overwhelmed, shy, fearful, and anxious with new noises, people, and objects and we realized we needed help in supporting him. It took us a few weeks more to decide on SF Puppy Prep and I so regret not enrolling him sooner. For starters, the team is AMAZING. Every single person we've interacted with has been so knowledgeable and helpful. We went to a puppy social ahead of enrolling and the trainer we met there was the most helpful we'd encountered at structured socializing classes. We'd gone to a few other socials where trainers were perfectly fine, but this trainer immediately saw Fio was shy and was giving us hands on support on how to manage first interactions. We also attend the conferences that are included with the day school program and that alone is invaluable. What really got us is the 1:1 you get prior to enrolling or in the first week. Ours was with Mac and words cannot describe how helpful she was in determining a realistic plan for our pup. It's also a huge relief everyday being able to drop your puppy at a place where you know he is being handled with care and getting dedicated time to training and socialization. We've finally gotten time back to focus more on things outside of our pup since we have a sense of relief that he's getting exposure that's even better than what we could provide. The last aspect is the outcomes. He's only been at SF Puppy Prep for 5 days, and our guy is pretty nervous so things go slowly for him, but he's certainly gotten much more confident in environments that he's already comfortable in. He would sometimes get scared of going on our patio to go to the bathroom if a car was going by but within the week he confidently strolls out there and enjoys watching the world go by. We also had to turn on the garbage disposal and had some dreaded sneezes, but he's started taking this in stride. We will be continuing with Outdoor Education field trips once he's vaccinated. We really feel our pup has the best shot at learning to manage city life with this team! Thank you!!! read more

I don't leave Yelp Reviews often...but i just had to leave one for SF Puppy Prep! I got my 13 week old goldendoodle, Willow, a month ago and enrolled her in puppy dayschool at 9 weeks old. They were awesome about taking her young (not many schools do) and optimizing the puppy socialization period by having her play with other pups and learning basic commands. I work full time at a real estate start-up in the city, so being able to be reassured that she is in good hands while I am busiest at work has been amazing. She is tuckered out by the time I pick her up and naps all the way till I am done with work. We always get complimented on how well-mannered she is in public. Highly recommend SF Puppy Prep, Lauren and team!! read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

The day school program here was hands down by far the best investment I've made for my puppy, Wally. SF Puppy Prep provides the unique opportunity for your young puppy to learn and interact with other puppies in a safe and supervised environment and sets a great foundation for them to continue training even beyond graduation. Wally was super shy when he first started but came out of his shell with the encouragement of his teachers, and he is so friendly and well-mannered with every dog and human he encounters now. When I take him to the dog park I frequently get comments from other owners about how well he's able to play, even with the adult dogs who normally don't like playing with others, let alone puppies. He's outgoing and confident but can pick up on social cues and take breaks (most of the time). The program also includes object socialization (e.g. skateboards, shopping carts, etc.), crate/alone time training, and basic obedience and impulse control. There's the added bonus/challenge of training in a distracted environment where there are other puppies running around. The staff is so knowledgeable and caring, and they really take the effort to bond with the dogs and keep their humans updated on their progress. Scheduling is flexible and they are very responsive through email. Most importantly, SF Puppy Prep probably saved my mental health during this high-energy puppy period because it got Wally out of the house for a few hours at a time, and when I picked him up he'd be calm for the rest of the day and sleep soundly through the night. I highly highly recommend SF Puppy Prep day school as well as any of their training classes! read more

I would highly recommend SF Puppy Prep! My 9 week old puppy was enrolled in puppy school and we also took some training classes together. Although a little nervous on her first day, my puppy grew to LOVE her time with SF Puppy Prep, and the best part was she was learning everyday. I also found comfort in seeing the level of knowledge and professionalism held by staff. Lauren is the first face you see when you walk in. She is such a kind and caring individual and I looked forward to seeing her in the mornings when I would drop off my puppy. She had mine and my puppy's names memorized after the first day of us meeting (which I was very impressed by). She was really thorough in ensuring all the dogs (including my puppy) were up to date on vaccinations and passed a health check before joining the other pups. This was important to me because my puppy's safety is my #1 priority and I felt great heading off to my workday knowing she was in great hands. Amrit was really knowledgable in doggy behavior and is for sure an expert in her practice. She gave me great advise for continued training of my pup while at home and also helped in encouraging my puppy to socialize with the others and to help build up in confidence around other doggies. Another thing that really stood out to me was their ethical business practice. They were incredibly accommodating when I had some unexpected circumstances in life arise, and they worked with me and my puppy to ensure we were able to get the classes we needed for the package we purchased. The best part about SF Puppy Prep is that at the end of the day, I know my puppy was in excellent hands, she learned a lot, and had the opportunity to play hard (burning off some of that puppy energy) with her new friends she made in school. After class she would be ready for a nap, allowing me the opportunity to get some stuff done around the house before she would wake and be ready to play again. :-) Thanks Puppy Prep!! read more

Can you believe it's been a year?!! You guys really set us up for a happy life. Pebbles is doing great, goes everywhere with me and loves everyone she meets, dogs and people alike. Thank you so much for taking this exuberant, alpha puppy and giving her the foundation and tools to have a happy life. She loved going to SF Puppy prep! read more

SF Puppy Prep - Pet Training Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is awesome! Have taken two different puppies to puppy socialization at a couple different places but sf puppy prep is leagues ahead of the others. The trainers are knowledgeable and provide guidance to both pets and owners. read more

Waffles loved the puppy socials here. We also had a great experience with Dominika for puppy kindergarten. I would highly recommend taking her class if you can! Only small complaint is that it feels a bit dirty/messy in the building, especially in the human-only areas such as the office and bathroom. The actual dog areas are pretty well kept. read more

SF Puppy Prep is by far the best investment I made for my puppy and also for my mental health. I was overwhelmed with the responsibilities of having a new puppy while working full-time, and SF Puppy Prep became the best support system I could have asked for. I was recommended SF Puppy Prep by a local trainer, and after 2 weeks of trying to juggle everything on my own, I signed up my pup, Poppy. Poppy was shy in the beginning and hesitant to meet new pups and people. Fast forward a month and she was so excited to go to school her tail would wag her entire body and she would go in without even looking back. She came home tired and happy, and has blossomed into a well-socialized and well-behaved pup! We did day school and the 100 and 200-level puppy classes - I would recommend all three. The classes were great for learning many practical skills and getting real-time feedback, and Quin was an incredible trainer and teacher. I'm so thankful to SF Puppy Prep and feel like Poppy and I both have the tools for her to be an amazing dog and do well in the city. We're going to miss coming here, and cannot recommend it enough to new puppy parents! read more

I've been taking my puppy here every time we are in SF on a Sunday and I've gotta say it's by far my favorite puppy social!! This place has the biggest play area for puppies and staff here knows how to properly split up the dogs by size and playfulness. Marie is great with dogs and will help you out with tips on how to properly train your puppy. My puppy was very shy during his first 2 puppy socials here. I've brought him to other puppy socials on other days and it took him about 5 or 6 socials to really open up and play with other dogs. Marie is very patient and observant of what's going on with all the puppies. She would do stuff like switch out a dog from one play area to another if she feels that the dog is better suited there and ask you to "got cha" your dog if it's on top of another dog for too long. She even goes as far to give every dog, shy or not, a fair chance of engagement. She would personally get up and open up a small pen area if your dog is super shy so they can play with each other or just watch the other dogs. I love the attentiveness here! I've been to other puppy socials where the play area is literally the size of a 6x8 area and since it's such a small area, big dogs and small dogs are lumped together. I do not recommend going to those kinds of socials until your shy dog has learned that other dogs no matter what size are friends. My puppy is tiny compared to most of the dogs at the socials and when he first started going to socials, he was afraid of every little thing and would hide behind people or in a little corner. He gradually got better when he let other dogs approach him, then he started playing with smaller dogs on his level and now he will play with any puppy no matter what their size (he played with a golden retriever like 4 times his size last week) Def take your puppy here if it's their first social or if your dog is really shy. With patience and multiple socials, I promise your dog will open up and be able to play with other dogs in no time!!!! read more