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Dodgers Paws is a dog training business in Pleasanton, California offering Group Classes, with published programs from $165.
Pleasanton • CA • Training facility • 4.6 ★ (51 Google reviews)
Last verified: Aug 20, 2026
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What they say about themselves
Dodger's Paws is a Pleasanton dog training school led by owner and head trainer Martha Metzler-Ghofranian, who took ownership of the business in 2019. The training team includes instructors specializing in foundation skills, nose work, Rally, Barn Hunt, Urban Locating, and other dog sports. The business describes its goal as strengthening the relationship between dogs and their owners through compassionate, positive-reinforcement training.
Programs span puppy socialization, foundation training for adolescent and adult dogs, targeted skill-building classes, AKC Canine Good Citizen preparation, and an unusually broad sports curriculum. Sports offerings include Barn Hunt, rat sports, Urban Locating, Lost Item Recovery, Rally, Shed Dog, K9 Nose Work, and Fenzi TEAM Work. Foundation classes progress through multiple levels, while shorter courses focus specifically on recall or loose-leash walking.
The training philosophy is explicitly force-free in its equipment policy. Dodger's Paws does not allow choke, prong, pinch, or shock collars in class, explaining that training instead focuses on teaching and reinforcing desired behavior without fear, pain, or avoidance. Classes take place across three dedicated rooms, including a main classroom with individual training pods and a separate Barn Hunt ring with more than 55 hay bales. The business does not guarantee training outcomes, noting that results depend on factors such as learning history, genetics, owner consistency, and handler skill.
Puppy socials, multi-level Foundation Skills classes, private one-on-one lessons, AKC CGC preparation, recall and loose-leash mini classes, Control Unleashed, and numerous dog sports are offered. Sports options include Barn Hunt, K9 Nose Work, Rally, Urban Locating, Lost Item Recovery, Shed Dog, rat sports, and Fenzi TEAM Work.
Puppy Discovery Socials cost $25. Foundation Skills programs cost $205 to $245, targeted three-week mini classes are $165, and six-week CGC and Control Unleashed classes are $245. Sports courses range from $165 to $245, with one-time Barn Hunt workshops and practices priced from $35 to $90. Private lesson pricing is not published.
A single 45-minute puppy social session for young puppies to socialize.
A one-time meet-up style social session held once.
Best for: Puppies roughly 9 weeks to 6 months old.
Focus: Puppy training, Socialization
Duration: 1 sessions
A foundation-level obedience group class held weekly for six weeks, one hour per session.
Weekly one-hour group class sessions over six weeks.
Best for: Dogs 6 months and older.
Focus: Basic obedience
Duration: 6 weeks
A mid-level group obedience class continuing skill-building over five weekly one-hour sessions.
Weekly one-hour group class sessions over five weeks.
Focus: Basic obedience
Duration: 5 weeks
An advanced continuation of the foundation skills series over five weekly one-hour sessions.
Weekly one-hour group class sessions over five weeks.
Focus: Basic obedience, Advanced obedience
Duration: 5 weeks
An introductory class based on the Control Unleashed protocol, aimed at helping dogs cope with stress and arousal around distractions.
Weekly one-hour group class sessions over six weeks.
Focus: Fear & anxiety, Leash reactivity
Duration: 6 weeks
An advanced continuation of the Control Unleashed protocol for managing arousal and stress in more distracting environments.
Weekly one-hour group class sessions over six weeks.
Focus: Fear & anxiety, Leash reactivity, Advanced obedience
Duration: 6 weeks
A class preparing dogs and handlers for the AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluation, covering obedience and manners skills.
Weekly one-hour group class sessions over six weeks.
Focus: Advanced obedience, Basic obedience
Duration: 6 weeks
A short mini class focused specifically on building recall skills over three weekly sessions.
Weekly one-hour group class sessions over three weeks.
Best for: Dogs and owners who have taken classes before and want to focus on recall.
Focus: Recall & off-leash
Duration: 3 weeks
A short mini class focused specifically on loose leash walking skills over three weekly sessions.
Weekly one-hour group class sessions over three weeks.
Best for: Dogs and owners who have taken classes before and want to brush up on leash walking.
Focus: Leash training
Duration: 3 weeks
An introductory class to the barn hunt dog sport, held in the business's dedicated hay-bale barn hunt ring using live rats.
Weekly one-hour group sessions over six weeks in the barn hunt ring.
Focus: Scent work, Agility & dog sports
Duration: 6 weeks
A continuing-level barn hunt class building on skills from the intro course.
Weekly one-hour group sessions over six weeks.
Focus: Scent work, Agility & dog sports
Duration: 6 weeks
Focus: Scent work, Agility & dog sports
Group Classes in Pleasanton typically runs $165–$245 across 10 programs that do publish pricing. Ask this trainer for a written quote before comparing.
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy Discovery Social | $25 per session | 1 sessions |
| Foundation Skills Level 1 - 6 Months and Older | $245 per program | 6 weeks |
| Foundation Skills Level 2 | $205 per program | 5 weeks |
| Foundation Skills Level 3 | $205 per program | 5 weeks |
| Control Unleashed - Intro | $245 per program | 6 weeks |
| Control Unleashed - Advanced | $245 per program | 6 weeks |
| AKC CGC Prep Class | $245 per program | 6 weeks |
| Recall Mini Class | $165 per program | 3 weeks |
| Loose Leash Walking Mini Class | $165 per program | 3 weeks |
| Barn Hunt - Intro to the Sport | $190 per program | 6 weeks |
| Barn Hunt - Continuing | $190 per program | 6 weeks |
| Intro to Rats & Rat Sports | Not published | — |
Dodger's Paws uses positive reinforcement and states that its methods are designed to avoid fear, pain, and avoidance. Choke, prong, pinch, and shock collars are not allowed in classes. Training emphasizes teaching an acceptable alternative behavior and reinforcing it rather than using discomfort to suppress unwanted behavior.
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.
Classes are held in three dedicated training rooms, including a six-dog main classroom with individual training pods and a separate Barn Hunt ring. The business publishes vaccination, refund, weather, and equipment policies and follows AVSAB's puppy socialization position statement. It explicitly does not guarantee outcomes, citing the many variables involved in training.
Facility: Training facility
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: No guarantee offered
Waitlist: not specified on their website.
Dogs per trainer: 6
Booking: Contact form
Price: Dodgers Paws does not publish board & train pricing. Across Pleasanton, 14 programs publish prices from about $134 to $245.
Reviews: Dodgers Paws shows 4.6★ from 51 Google reviews among 5 published Pleasanton programs.
Transparency: This listing scores 91 out of 100 (price 92%, program clarity 80%). 2 of 5 Pleasanton listings show certifications; this business does not list certifications.
Located in Pleasanton, California, with three classrooms identified as Rooms 105, 305, and 307 within the training complex. The website provides parking guidance for each area, with front or side parking for Room 105 and rear-property access for Rooms 305 and 307. A complete street address and accessibility information are not published in the provided website information.
39 California Ave Suites #105, #305 & #307, Pleasanton, CA
Hours: Not specified on their website
Reach out directly or send a quote request through Dodgers Paws.
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