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Active Canine Academy — Dog Training in Riverside, CA

Active Canine Academy is a dog training business in Riverside, California offering board and train, private lessons, group classes, and virtual training, working from a dedicated training facility. They describe their approach as balanced training (rewards and corrections), accept aggression and reactivity cases, and publish pricing from $100 per session to $4,000.

Riverside, CA • Training facility • 5.0 ★ (55 Google reviews)

Verified listing

Last reviewed: Aug 8, 2026

Transparency Score

90 / 100

Highly transparent

How clearly this listing publishes the details owners need. See our methodology.

Price transparency: 89%
Method transparency: 100%
Program clarity: 78%

About Active Canine Academy

Based on what the business publishes about itself

Viktoriia Shelkunova founded Active Canine Academy after completing advanced coursework at the Royal Dog Academy and apprenticing with breeders and trainers. According to her site, she structures programs around owner education first, the idea being that handlers need to understand communication fundamentals before their dogs can retain new behaviors.

The business operates out of Riverside and serves clients across Los Angeles and Orange County through several formats. Board-and-train stays run two to five weeks, covering house manners, obedience, and leash skills, with longer programs adding off-leash and e-collar work. Private lessons begin with an evaluation and can address reactivity, fear-based behaviors, or service dog preparation. Five-week group classes rotate through locations in the region.

Two offerings stand out as less common. Their separation anxiety program, which they note can extend up to a year, requires owners to maintain nearly constant presence with the dog during treatment, they offer a free initial consultation to determine whether that intensive approach fits the situation. Private training clients reportedly receive ongoing chat support and homework check-ins between sessions. Boarding and daycare are available on-site but restricted to dogs currently enrolled in training.

What dog training programs does Active Canine Academy offer?

Group classes, private lessons, board-and-train stays from two to five weeks, virtual sessions, service dog training, and a dedicated separation anxiety program make up the offerings at Active Canine Academy. The two-week board-and-train is limited to puppies aged two to five months, while longer programs address fear, off-leash reliability, and advanced obedience. Separation anxiety training requires a free Zoom consultation first to confirm the diagnosis fits.

Board & Train (2 to 5 weeks)

This is a 2- to 5-week version of the academy's Board & Train service, blending established training methods with an individualized approach for each dog.

Active Canine Academy publishes 4 versions of this program. The table shows how they differ; anything not listed here was not stated in their materials.

Board and Train options at Active Canine Academy
Option	Length	Price	What differs
Board & Train — 2 Week Program	2 weeks	$1,990	Puppy training, Socialization; puppy program only from 2-5 months old
Board & Train — 3 Week Program	3 weeks	$2,800	Leash training
Board & Train — 4 Week Program	4 weeks	$3,500	Fear & anxiety, Recall & off-leash
Board & Train — 5 Week Program	5 weeks	$4,000	Advanced obedience, Recall & off-leash; Includes owner handoff sessions, follow-up sessions

Private Training

$150 per session

Private Training uses customized methods developed by the founder to address obedience issues, leash pulling, and behavioral problems. Programs are tailored to each dog's personality, with training beginning by teaching the owner.

The owner works directly with the trainer, since the approach centers on relationship-building exercises between owner and dog.

Package: $1,000 for a 10-session package

Focus: Basic obedience, Aggression, Separation anxiety, Leash training

Includes: Lifetime support

Service Dog Training

Price not published.

This program falls under the academy's private training offerings, applying the trainer's individualized methods for building obedience and behavioral skills.

Focus: Service dog training

Group Classes

$600 per course

Group Classes are one of the training formats offered alongside Board & Train, Obedience Training, and Protection work in the Riverside, LA, and OC areas.

Duration: 5 weeks

Focus: Basic obedience, Socialization

Separation Anxiety Training

$600 per month

This program addresses separation anxiety remotely as part of the academy's virtual training offerings, using the trainer's customized behavioral approach.

Requirements: Before starting any training, you must attend free Zoom consultation to talk about your situation to see if your dog is actually having separation anxiety.

Duration: 1 month

Focus: Separation anxiety, Fear & anxiety

Private Online Training

$100 per session

This program delivers the academy's customized training approach remotely, covering obedience issues, leash pulling, and behavioral concerns.

Package: $900 for a 10-session package

Focus: Basic obedience

Includes: Lifetime support

How much does Active Canine Academy cost?

Private lessons run $150 per session or $1,000 for a ten-session package; virtual sessions are $100 each, with a ten-pack at $900. Group classes cost $600 for a five-week course. Board-and-train ranges from $1,990 for two weeks up to $4,000 for five weeks, and the separation anxiety program is $600 per month.

Board and Train pricing

Board and Train pricing at Active Canine Academy in Riverside, CA
Program	Price	Length
Board & Train — 2 Week Program	$1,990	2 weeks
Board & Train — 3 Week Program	$2,800	3 weeks
Board & Train — 4 Week Program	$3,500	4 weeks
Board & Train — 5 Week Program	$4,000	5 weeks

Private Lessons pricing

Private Lessons pricing at Active Canine Academy in Riverside, CA
Program	Price	Length
Private Training	$150 per session$1,000 for a 10-session package	Not stated
Service Dog Training	Not published	Not stated

Group Classes pricing

Group Classes pricing at Active Canine Academy in Riverside, CA
Program	Price	Length
Group Classes	$600 per course	5 weeks

Virtual Training pricing

Virtual Training pricing at Active Canine Academy in Riverside, CA
Program	Price	Length
Separation Anxiety Training	$600 per month	1 month
Private Online Training	$100 per session$900 for a 10-session package	Not stated

Consultations and evaluations

Behavior Evaluation: $70 per sessionTheir materials also describe a free consultation. Barklen shows the published price and does not assume which applies; confirm before booking.

What training methods does Active Canine Academy use?

The site explicitly describes the approach as balanced training, and they accept dogs with aggression issues.

Their public materials mention e-collars. Barklen has not verified how or when they are used, so ask the trainer directly.

Who runs Active Canine Academy?

As described in the business's own materials

Viktoriia Shelkunova, Founder & CEO

According to their site, she grew up caring for animals and developed a strong connection with dogs, which led her into a career as a canine trainer. She began with Master Level 3 training at the Royal Dog Academy and later worked with various breeders and trainers to build her skills.

Credentials listed on their site: Master Level 3 training, Royal Dog Academy. Barklen has not independently verified these.

Where does Active Canine Academy offer dog training?

Active Canine Academy operates from a dedicated training facility in Riverside, CA, offering board and train stays at their facility, private lessons, group classes, and virtual sessions online.

Their site says they serve dog owners in Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange County seeking obedience training, behavior correction, board-and-train services, protection training, or service dog preparation.

The business offers on-site boarding and daycare as an extension of its training programs, available only to enrolled training clients.

Located on Wayman St in the 92504 zip code. Parking availability and accessibility features aren't published.

How does Active Canine Academy compare with other Riverside dog trainers?

Barklen analysis

Barklen analysis based on 7 published Riverside listings (20 with published pricing). These comparisons are computed by Barklen, not claims made by Active Canine Academy.

Price: 37% below the Riverside midpoint at entry price for board and train ($1,990–$4,000 vs. $2,343–$3,848).

Reviews: 5.0★ from 55 Google reviews, among 7 published Riverside programs.

Transparency: 90 out of 100 (highly transparent), with 89% price transparency and 78% program clarity. 3 of 7 Riverside listings show certifications; this business does not list any.

Published prices at Active Canine Academy compared with Riverside ranges
Program type	Active Canine Academy	Riverside range	Barklen read
Board and Train	$1,990–$4,000	$2,343–$3,848 across 6 Riverside programs	37% below the Riverside midpoint at entry price

What should you ask Active Canine Academy before booking?

Generated from what their public materials leave open

Their materials list a $70 per session behavior evaluation and also describe a free consultation. Ask which applies to your situation before booking.
Ask for current pricing on Service Dog Training, which is not published online.
Ask which certifications their trainers hold and who issued them.
Ask for proof of liability insurance.
Ask whether you can visit your dog during a board and train stay.
Ask if anyone is on-site overnight.
Ask how often you will get photo or video updates.
Ask how many dogs each trainer handles at once.

Location and hours

Wayman St, Riverside, CA

Monday – Sunday: Open 24 hours

How Barklen reviewed this listing

Barklen reviewed Active Canine Academy 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: Aug 8, 2026

What Barklen could verify

Programs listed: 9 programs (board and train, private lessons, group classes, virtual training)
Published pricing: Published for 8 of 9 programs
Training method: Balanced
Aggression and reactivity cases: Accepts aggression cases
Facility: Training facility
Booking: Contact form