Dog Training Classes: Dog & Puppy, Obedience, Manners, Behavioral Issues

Why Take A Class With Us?

To get a polite, happy, well-socialized dog you can take anywhere.

Our teachers are highly educated and experienced.
Our classes are fun - with us, dog training is straightforward.
Our training methods are humane, science-based, and extremely effective.

Our Classes

Puppy PreSchool
4-week course, $125
Ages: 8 weeks to 5 months

Start your puppy off on the right paw with playtime with other dogs and positive interactions with new people in a safe environment. In this beginning puppy class, your dog will receive socialization with other dogs and people as well as training in general manners such as sit, down, stay and coming when called. Common puppy issues such as housetraining, chewing, crate training and other problem preventions will also be discussed.

Class size is limited to 5 dogs for individualized attention and instruction.
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Just the Basics for Rescued & Adopted Dogs
5-week course, $140
Ages: 5 months and older

During this five-week introductory training course, your dog will receive basic obedience training in sit, down, stay, loose leash walking, wait, leave it, coming when called, touch and go to your bed. Behavior issues common to shelter and rescue dogs, such as jumping up, counter surfing and housetraining, will also be discussed.

The first week of Just the Basics for Rescued & Adopted Dogs is a human-only orientation. Do not bring your dog, but do bring your questions about your dog! We'll discuss setting your dog up for success with good pet parenting, mental enrichment, exercise and management strategies.

Class size is limited to 5 dogs for individualized attention and instruction.
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One Paw Beyond
4-week course, $130
Ages: 5 months and older

Is your dog ready to take it to the next level? Are you looking to grow your dog's real-life obedience skills and improve his/her mastery? With this intermediate training class, your dog will build on the skills learned in Just the Basics and improve his/her sit, down, stay, loose leash walking, wait, leave it, coming when called, and go to your bed by adding distractions, distance and increasing overall difficulty.

Class size is limited to 5 dogs for individualized attention and instruction.
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Beyond the Basics
8-week course, $220
Ages: 5 months and older

A combination of our popular classes, Just the Basics and One Paw Beyond, this eight-week hybrid course allows you to fast-track your dog's training education and save money.

During the first four weeks, your dog will receive basic obedience training in sit, down, stay, loose leash walking, wait, leave it, coming when called, touch and go to your bed. In the second four weeks, your dog will build on those newly learned skills but improve their reliability by adding distractions, distance and increasing overall difficulty. Common behavior issues and problem prevention will also be discussed.

Class size is limited to 5 dogs for individualized attention and instruction.
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Fancy Fido (Advanced)
Weekly drop-in class, $15
Ages: 5 months and older

Has your dog mastered the basics and now you've decided it's time for a bit of polish? Or perhaps you've enjoyed the progress you've made with your dog and want to maintain this level of improvement? With this weekly advanced drop-in class, your dog will take the skills he/she has learned in Just the Basics and One Paw Beyond - and be put to the test in indoor and outdoor situations that will improve response time and reliability.

Class size is limited to 5 dogs for individualized attention and instruction.
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Steady, Ready, Go! Prep for the Canine Good Citizen
5-week course, $135
Ages: 5 months and older

In this 5-week course, participants use the skills learned in Just the Basics and One Paw Beyond (or equivalent courses) to prepare their dogs for the specific items included in the Canine Good Citizen® examination from the American Kennel Club. As this is a fast-paced course, it is recommended that your dog be familiar with the required behaviors but benefit from a bit of refinement and coaching. While each dog will be given individualized attention to overcome his/her particular challenges, participation does not guarantee test success.

Course price for Steady, Ready, Go! includes the Canine Good Citizen examination.
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Cautious Canine (Do you have a cautious canine? Click here for more info)
5-week course, $150
Ages: 5 months and older

Does your dog run away or hide from other dogs on leash, cower when meeting new people or become overwhelmed when walking around town? Chances are your dog may be shy or fearful and would benefit from a class that specifically addresses his/her needs. With this specialized course, your dog's quality of life will improve by giving you the tools to manage real-life situations while your dog receives skills training that boosts his/her self confidence.

Due to the sensitivity of its canine participants, class size is limited to 4 dogs. The first week of this course is a human-only orientation.
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Drama Queens and Divas
5-week course, $150 + $85 (initial behavior consultation)
Ages: 5 months and older

Does your dog bark or growl at dogs on leash? Lunge as bicyclists, joggers or skateboarders as they pass by? If so, your dog may have difficulty learning in a traditional training environment and would benefit from a more individualized class where his/her behavior and relationship with you can improve. With this specialized course, you'll learn how to effectively control your dog in a variety of situations by utilizing proper equipment, obedience skills, management strategies and behavior modification techniques.

Prior to enrolling in this class, an initial behavior consultation is required. Due to the potential reactivity of its canine participants, class size is limited to 4 dogs.
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Advanced Drama Queens & Divas
Weekly drop-in class, $20
Ages: 5 months and older

Are you a graduate of our Drama Queens and Divas (or equivalent reactive dog course), and you'd like to continue improving your dog's behavior in real-life on-leash situations with dogs, joggers, skateboarders or other triggers? With this weekly advanced drop-in class, you and your dog will build on the skills he/she has learned in Drama Queens and Divas and apply them to more difficult outdoor settings to help your dog increase comfort and behavior while working together with you on-leash.

Curriculum is designed each class with participants' requests and goals in mind. Class size is limited to 5 dogs for individualized attention and instruction. No behavior consultation is required for Drama Queens & Divas students.
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Canine Clown College
5-week course, $150
Ages: 5 months and older

Is your dog a natural performer or a wallflower waiting to shine? Is his/her circus potential untapped by the average obedience class – and you’d like to spice up his/her repertoire with dance moves, balancing acts and funny tricks?

In this intermediate course, your dog will receive training on such tricks as crawl, rollover and take a bow; balancing on everyday items and novel objects; agility skills including targeting and a-frame climbing and dance moves like spinning, weaving and hoop jumping.

Class size is limited to 5 dogs for individualized attention and instruction.
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Our Workshops

Really Reliable Recall | No More Pulling | Control Yourself! | Separation Anxiety | Alumni Group Walk

Really Reliable Recall
Two-week mini-course, $60
Ages: 5 months and older

Has your dog forgotten how to come when called or never knew how? With this two-week intensive mini-course, you and your dog will work on improving his/her recall through exercises that boost focus as well as increasing the distance and distractions your dog can successfully handle. Dogs should be currently enrolled in, or have completed, Just the Basics (or equivalent) to attend this workshop.

Class size is limited to 5 dogs for individualized attention and instruction.
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No More Pulling
2-week mini-course, $60
Ages: 5 months and older

Do you dread walking your dog due to rude manners that leave you sore and frustrated? With this two-week intensive mini-course, you'll learn what equipment works to aid your particular dog in his/her loose leash walking efforts and which techniques really improve attention, discourage pulling and encourage walking nicely by your side. Dogs should be currently enrolled in, or have completed, Just the Basics (or equivalent) to attend this workshop.

Class size is limited to 5 dogs for individualized attention and instruction.
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Control Yourself!
2-week mini-course, $60
Ages: 5 months and older

Is your dog young and out of control or did he/she never stop being a teenager? With this two-week intensive mini-course, you'll learn techniques you can utilize in your home to get and encourage the behavior you want, as well as step-by-step instructions on improving such obedience skills as stay, wait and leave it. Dogs should be currently enrolled in - or have completed, Just the Basics (or equivalent) to attend the workshop.

Class size is limited to 5 dogs for individualized attention and instruction.
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Separation Anxiety: Relief for Your Distressed Dog
1 day, 1+ hour, $25
Ages: 5 months and older

Does your dog bark, cry or whine when you leave the house? Does your dog chew on windowsills, pull down blinds or scratch at the door when he/she is alone? Your dog may be suffering from separation anxiety.

In this one-plus hour introductory workshop, join the behavior consultants of Pawsitive Tails and Chris Anderson, DVM as they discuss proper management and treatment strategies to change your dog's behavior.

Topics to be discussed include: identifying symptoms of separation anxiety, using management strategies to prevent distressed behavior, using rehabilitation techniques and incorporating drug therapies for improved success.

Separation Anxiety: Relief for Your Distressed Dog is a human-only workshop, but do bring your questions about your dog!
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Alumni Group Walk
1 day, 1 hour, $10
Ages: 5 months and older

Is your dog a Pawsitive Tails' alumni or currently enrolled in one of our training classes, and you want to feel more confident about allowing him/her off-leash? With this one-hour group walk led by our dogwalking experts, you'll learn how to read your dog and other dogs' body language and use training techniques to improve attention and recall. Dogs should be people and dog-friendly with no prior incidents of human or canine aggression, dog-to-dog resource guarding or predatory issues.

These walks occur on a bi-monthly basis at Fort Funston.

Group walk size is limited to 6 dogs for individualized attention and instruction
Click here to register