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Woods University Dog Obedience Training is a dog training business in San Luis Obispo, California offering in-home training and group classes, working from a dedicated training facility. They describe their approach as reward-based training, take aggression cases by assessment, and publish pricing from $150 per course to $275 per course.
San Luis Obispo, CA • Training facility • 5.0 ★ (3 Google reviews)
Last reviewed: Sep 6, 2026
83 / 100
Highly transparent
How clearly this listing publishes the details owners need. See our methodology.
Based on what the business publishes about itself
Woods University operates as the dog training arm of Woods Humane Society, a nonprofit shelter that has served San Luis Obispo County since 1955. The program runs out of a dedicated training facility on the shelter's campus at Oklahoma Avenue, separate from the general shelter operations. Eric Stockam, who holds the CPDT-KA certification, serves as the staff trainer, he earned his credentials in 2016 under the mentorship of the shelter's Behavior & Training Manager, Michelle Rizzi.
The curriculum centers on group classes using what they describe as positive reinforcement methods. Their six-week C.H.A.R.M. School covers basic obedience for dogs six months and older, while a Puppy Social Hour addresses socialization for younger dogs between 10 weeks and 5 months. For owners dealing with dog-reactive behavior, they offer Feisty Fido, a specialized six-week course capped at four dogs that requires pre-qualification before enrollment. According to their site, adopters from Woods receive discounted rates on the reactive dog class.
Private in-home training isn't handled directly through the program. Instead, the shelter refers owners to outside trainers for individual sessions. The facility also includes a retail area selling training supplies, and the program operates in coordination with San Luis Obispo County Animal Services.
Group classes range from a single-session Puppy Social Hour to multi-week courses like C.H.A.R.M. School for basic obedience and Feisty Fido for leash-reactive dogs. Woods University Dog Obedience Training also offers private in-home sessions, though those require direct contact to discuss. Puppy classes have specific vaccination requirements, and the reactivity course requires pre-qualification rather than open registration.
Price not published.
Woods refers clients wanting private, in-home dog training to a short list of independent outside trainers rather than offering this service directly.
Woods provides contact information for external trainers; the training itself is arranged and delivered by those independent providers, not by Woods.
Focus: Basic obedience
$25 per session
A single-session class for puppies covering appropriate play style, manners around people, tolerance of gentle restraint, and confidence meeting strangers. It also introduces basic commands like sit, down, and come using positive reinforcement, plus leash walking, greeting without jumping, bite inhibition, and managing chewing.
Puppies attend a single group session limited to 10 puppies, learning manners and socialization skills alongside their owners.
Best for: Puppies between 10 weeks and 5 months old.
Requirements: Puppies age 10 weeks to 5 months; must have completed two sets of DAPP vaccinations and a Bordetella vaccine
Duration: 1 session
Focus: Puppy training, Socialization, Basic obedience
$150 per course
A basic obedience class covering sit, down, come, stay, focus, leash manners, leave it, and place, plus humane ways to discourage jumping and pulling. The first class is held without dogs present, and the course runs over six weeks.
Owners attend weekly group classes with their dogs over six weeks, starting with a dog-free orientation session.
Best for: Dogs six months or older with minimal or no formal training who can tolerate being around other dogs.
Requirements: For dogs 6 months and older that are social enough to tolerate being in a room with other dogs
Duration: 6 weeks
Focus: Basic obedience, Leash training
$275 per course
A structured six-week class for dogs that react to other dogs, teaching strategies so walks and outings become manageable rather than stressful. Enrollment is capped at four dogs, and dogs do not attend the first class.
Owners and dogs meet weekly over six weeks in a small group capped at four dogs, with the first class held without dogs.
Best for: Dogs that are reactive to other dogs, pre-qualified before joining.
Requirements: Dogs must be pre-qualified before entering the class; online registration is not available
Duration: 6 weeks
Focus: Leash reactivity, Aggression
Puppy Social Hour runs $25 per session, while the six-week C.H.A.R.M. School course is $150. The Feisty Fido reactivity program costs $275 for six weeks. Private in-home training rates aren't published online.
| Program | Price | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Training Sessions (Private, In-Home) | Not published | Not stated |
| Program | Price | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy Social Hour | $25 per session | 1 session |
| C.H.A.R.M. School | $150 per course | 6 weeks |
| Feisty Fido | $275 per course | 6 weeks |
They explicitly identify as force-free in their training approach. Aggression and reactivity cases are considered individually, with pre-qualification required for their Feisty Fido class.
Public materials reviewed by Barklen do not specify which training tools are used.
As described in the business's own materials
According to their site, started at Woods as an animal caregiver after volunteering and fostering at another shelter, then became a nationally certified dog trainer in 2016 under the mentorship of the Behavior & Training Manager. Also listed separately as offering private in-home training.
Credentials listed on their site: CPDT-KA. Barklen has not independently verified these.
According to their site, mentored staff trainer Eric Stockam through his certification process.
Woods University Dog Obedience Training operates from a dedicated training facility in San Luis Obispo, CA, offering group classes and in-home training at the client's home.
Their site says they dog owners in San Luis Obispo County, including the general public and adopters from Woods Humane Society, seeking basic obedience, puppy socialization, or help with reactive dogs.
Training takes place at Woods University, a dedicated dog training facility located at the Woods Humane Society San Luis Obispo campus, part of a larger 25,000 sq ft shelter complex.
The facility sits on Oklahoma Avenue in San Luis Obispo. Parking arrangements and accessibility features aren't detailed on their website.
Barklen analysis
Barklen analysis based on 3 published San Luis Obispo listings (3 with published pricing). These comparisons are computed by Barklen, not claims made by Woods University Dog Obedience Training.
Price: too few San Luis Obispo programs publish pricing in the same categories for a like-for-like comparison yet.
Reviews: 5.0★ from 3 Google reviews, among 3 published San Luis Obispo programs.
Transparency: 83 out of 100 (highly transparent), with 75% price transparency and 76% program clarity. 1 of 3 San Luis Obispo listings show certifications; this business lists CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, KPA-CTP, and ABCDT.
Generated from what their public materials leave open
875 Oklahoma Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA
Barklen reviewed Woods University Dog Obedience 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, dogs per trainer, and years in business) are turned into the questions above rather than filled in.
Last reviewed by Barklen: Sep 6, 2026
Contact Woods University Dog Obedience Training directly by phone or through their website, or request a quote through Barklen and we will pass it along.
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