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Smart Paws Dog Training is a dog training business in Los Angeles, California offering in-home training and group classes, working from a home-based setup. They describe their approach as reward-based training, accept aggression and reactivity cases, and publish pricing from $45–$60 per session to $588 per course.
Los Angeles, CA • Home-based trainer • 5.0 ★ (20 Google reviews)
Last reviewed: Sep 5, 2026
94 / 100
Highly transparent
How clearly this listing publishes the details owners need. See our methodology.
Based on what the business publishes about itself
Jenina Schutter came to dog training through an unconventional path. According to her site, she grew up around farm animals in Germany, later studied psychology and social work, and moved to Los Angeles in 1992. Her pivot to training came after adopting Boris, a behaviorally troubled American Bull Terrier, in 1998. She describes spending years studying animal behavior and working with rescue organizations before founding Smart Paws in 2000.
Her background includes a year as Head Trainer at the Glendale Humane Society, and she notes being personally mentored by Paul Owens, author of "The Dog Whisperer." The business operates on what they call a "No Pain, All Game" philosophy, positive reinforcement without choke, prong, or shock collars. They frame this as making training enjoyable while still expecting firmness from owners.
Smart Paws lists specialties in several behavioral areas: separation anxiety, fear aggression, dog-to-dog aggression, human aggression, and prey drive management. They also cover standard obedience work and potty training. Services include group classes, in-home sessions, and what they call reinforcement walks, available throughout the greater Los Angeles area including Silver Lake, Echo Park, Glendale, and Burbank. The site appears somewhat dated but provides substantial detail about Schutter's methods and background.
Group classes, in-home training, and reinforcement walks cover the range here. Smart Paws Dog Training offers a 5-week group course focused on obedience and socialization, plus in-home packages of four or eight sessions. Reinforcement walks are reserved for clients who've already completed a training program.
$588 per course
Four in-home sessions totaling about five and a half hours spread over a month, teaching sit, stay, finish, down stay, come, heel, find it, leave it, and go to your spot. Individual behavior issues can also be worked on.
The owner works directly with the dog under the trainer's guidance during home visits over one month.
Requirements: Also available for up to three dogs at a time, splitting the cost
Duration: 4 sessions
Focus: Basic obedience
$588 per course
Eight half-hour one-on-one session over four weeks with the trainer working directly with the dog, covering sit, stay, finish, down stay, come, heel, find it, leave it, and go to your spot. Individual behavior problems can also be addressed.
The trainer works one-on-one with the dog across eight half-hour visits over a month.
Requirements: Requires $50 non-refundable deposit upon reservation
Duration: 8 sessions
Focus: Basic obedience
$45–$60 per session
A trainer walks the dog in its home neighborhood, reinforcing prior training in real-world contexts like traffic, wildlife, and other dogs to build reliability.
The trainer comes to the client's home and takes the dog on a walk to practice training in different settings.
Best for: Younger dogs or dogs easily distracted by vehicles, birds, cats, or other dogs who have already completed a Smart Paws course.
Requirements: Only available to Smart Paws training clients who have completed a training course
Focus: Leash training, Basic obedience
$235 per course
Group obedience classes run 45 minutes to an hour depending on class size, held at a church location in Atwater Village. Training covers sit, stay, down stay, come, heel, find it, leave it, go to your spot, and free.
Dogs and owners attend weekly sessions over five weeks at the church location.
Requirements: Space is limited; deposit required to reserve a spot
Duration: 5 weeks
Focus: Basic obedience, Socialization
Group classes cost $235 for the 5-week course. In-home training runs $588 for either the four-visit or eight-visit program, making the longer option notably better value. Reinforcement walks range from $45 to $60 per session, and deposits are required to reserve spots.
| Program | Price | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Four-Visit Dog Training Program | $588 per course | 4 sessions |
| Eight-Visit Dog Training Program | $588 per course | 8 sessions |
| Training Reinforcement Walks | $45–$60 per session | Not stated |
| Program | Price | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Group Classes | $235 per course | 5 weeks |
The program explicitly identifies as force-free, avoiding aversive tools and techniques. They accept dogs with aggression or reactivity issues, working within that positive framework.
Their public materials state they do not use e-collars and prong collars. Which tools they do use is not specified, so ask the trainer directly.
As described in the business's own materials
According to their site, grew up around farm animals in Germany and had a background in psychology and social work before moving to Los Angeles in 1992. She turned to dog training after adopting a behaviorally troubled dog named Boris, studying animal behavior books and working with rescue organizations to refine punishment-free training methods.
Smart Paws Dog Training runs a home-based training operation in Los Angeles, CA, offering group classes and in-home training at the client's home.
Their site says they serve dog owners throughout the greater Los Angeles area, including Silver Lake, Echo Park, Los Feliz, Downtown LA, East LA, Hollywood, Glendale, Burbank, and Studio City, offering group classes, in-home sessions, and reinforcement walks.
Sessions take place either at the Silver Lake home base or in the client's own home, depending on the program. Parking and accessibility details for the Silver Lake location aren't published.
Barklen analysis
Barklen analysis based on 22 published Los Angeles listings (51 with published pricing). These comparisons are computed by Barklen, not claims made by Smart Paws Dog Training.
Price: entry price below the published Los Angeles range for in-home training ($45–$588 vs. $62–$266); entry price above the published Los Angeles range for group classes ($235 vs. $149–$201).
Reviews: 5.0★ from 20 Google reviews, among 22 published Los Angeles programs.
Transparency: 94 out of 100 (highly transparent), with 100% price transparency and 76% program clarity. 4 of 22 Los Angeles listings show certifications; this business does not list any.
| Program type | Smart Paws Dog Training | Los Angeles range | Barklen read |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-Home Training | $45–$588 | $62–$266 across 3 Los Angeles programs | Entry price below the published Los Angeles range |
| Group Classes | $235 | $149–$201 across 5 Los Angeles programs | Entry price above the published Los Angeles range |
Generated from what their public materials leave open
1406 1/4 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Barklen reviewed Smart Paws Dog Training against the business's public materials and published this listing. That is not a check of licenses, insurance, or certifications. See our methodology for what a verified listing does and does not mean.
Details the public materials do not address (owner visits during programs, progress updates, overnight staffing, insurance, guarantee, certifications, and others) are turned into the questions above rather than filled in.
Last reviewed by Barklen: Sep 5, 2026
Contact Smart Paws Dog Training directly by phone or through their website, or request a quote through Barklen and we will pass it along.
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