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Smart Paws Dog Training is a dog training business in Los Angeles, California offering Group Classes and In-Home Training, with published programs from $45.
Los Angeles • CA • Home-based trainer • 5.0 ★ (20 Google reviews)
Last verified: Sep 5, 2026
94 / 100
Highly transparent
How clearly this listing publishes the details owners need. See our methodology.
What they say about themselves
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.
Consultations and evaluations before you commit to a program.
A single in-home visit intended to assess a behavior problem and talk through possible training solutions with the owner.
Best for: Requires $50 non-refundable deposit upon reservation
Duration: 1.5 sessions
Focus: Basic obedience
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.
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.
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.
Best for: Also available for up to three dogs at a time, splitting the cost
Focus: Basic obedience
Duration: 4 sessions
Eight half-hour one-on-one sessions 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.
Best for: Requires $50 non-refundable deposit upon reservation
Focus: Basic obedience
Duration: 8 sessions
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.
Focus: Leash training, Basic obedience
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Four-Visit Dog Training Program | $588 per program | 4 sessions |
| Eight-Visit Dog Training Program | $588 per program | 8 sessions |
| Training Reinforcement Walks | $45–$60 per session | — |
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.
Best for: Space is limited; deposit required to reserve a spot
Focus: Basic obedience, Socialization
Duration: 5 weeks
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Group Classes | $235 per program | 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.
Method: Reward-based
Uses rewards and positive reinforcement only, without corrections or aversive tools.
Certifications: Not specified on their website
Verification still pending or not yet requested. See our methodology for what verification does and does not mean.
Twenty years in business lends some track record, though specific certifications aren't listed on the site. Insurance, guarantees, and policies around owner communication during training aren't addressed.
Facility: Home-based trainer
Owner visits: not specified on their website.
Video updates: not specified on their website.
Overnight staffing: not specified on their website.
Insurance: not specified on their website.
Guarantee: not specified on their website.
Waitlist: not specified on their website.
Dogs per trainer: not specified on their website.
Booking: Phone only
Price: Smart Paws Dog Training does not publish board & train pricing. Across Los Angeles, 51 programs publish prices from about $85 to $3,750.
Reviews: Smart Paws Dog Training shows 5.0★ from 20 Google reviews among 21 published Los Angeles programs.
Transparency: This listing scores 94 out of 100 (price 100%, program clarity 76%). 4 of 21 Los Angeles listings show certifications; this business does not list certifications.
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.
1406 1/4 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Friday: 9AM-7PM
Monday: 9AM-7PM
Sunday: 9AM-7PM
Tuesday: 9AM-7PM
Saturday: 9AM-7PM
Thursday: Closed
Wednesday: 9AM-7PM
Reach out directly or send a quote request through Smart Paws Dog Training.
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