Private Training
Price not published.
Focus: Basic obedience
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Academy of Dog — Dog Training in Santa Rosa, CA
Academy of Dog is a dog training business in Santa Rosa, California offering private lessons 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 $125 per course to $400 per course.
Santa Rosa, CA • Training facility • 5.0 ★ (1 Google reviews)
Last reviewed: Sep 5, 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 Academy of Dog
Based on what the business publishes about itself
This Santa Rosa training program operates through the Humane Society of Sonoma County, offering group classes, private lessons, and behavior consultations. Their site describes the approach as centered on positive reinforcement, using rewards and gentle guidance rather than punishment, with the stated aim of building trust between dogs and their owners.
The class structure progresses through distinct levels. Puppies under five months can start with foundation courses covering basic skills and socialization, including an unusual drop-off option where owners leave their puppies for supervised play rather than attending themselves. Dogs five months and older move through Basic and Advanced Foundations classes, with the advanced level taking training into real-world settings like parks and cafes.
For dogs struggling with reactivity, barking, lunging, or pulling around other dogs, Academy of Dog offers a class called "Busy Brains" that focuses on handler skills and confidence-building exercises to help dogs remain calmer around triggers. According to their materials, this class isn't designed for dogs showing aggression toward people. One-on-one options include standalone behavior consultations to assess specific problems like resource guarding or excessive barking, private training sessions, or a combined package. Their site frames behavior issues as "opportunities for growth," describing the team as taking a supportive, compassionate role in working through challenges.
What dog training programs does Academy of Dog offer?
Group classes form the core of Academy of Dog's offerings, with a structured progression from Puppy Foundations through Advanced Foundations Level 2. Each four-week course builds on the last, covering socialization, basic obedience, and eventually off-leash recall. They also run a specialized Busy Brains class for leash-reactive dogs, plus private training for individual needs.
Puppy Foundations
$125 per course
This puppy class uses games and positive reinforcement to build the puppy-owner relationship. Puppies practice sit, come, go-to-mat, and early leash-walking while also socializing with other pups and people.
Owner and puppy attend weekly 45-minute in-person classes together for four weeks.
Best for: Puppies five months old or younger, with owners looking for a stress-free introduction to training.
Requirements: Puppies should be 5 month old or younger when starting the class.
Duration: 4 weeks
Focus: Puppy training, Basic obedience, Socialization
Drop Off Puppy Class
$125 per course
Owners drop their puppy off for supervised play with other dogs while running errands, then return about forty-five minutes later to collect a tired pup.
Puppy stays at the facility for supervised group play while the owner is away, for four weekly sessions.
Best for: Puppies five months old or younger needing early socialization.
Requirements: Puppies should be 5 month old or younger when starting the class.
Duration: 4 weeks
Focus: Puppy training, Socialization
Scenting for Puppies Class
$125 per course
This introductory nose work class teaches puppies to develop a search pattern for finding rewards, building problem-solving skills and confidence through teamwork with their owner.
Owner and puppy attend weekly 60-minute nose work sessions for four weeks.
Best for: Puppies who have completed Puppy Foundations, six months old or younger.
Requirements: Prerequisites: Puppy Foundations. At the start of this class, your puppy should be 6 months or younger.
Duration: 4 weeks
Focus: Puppy training, Scent work
Basic Foundations Level 1 Class
$125 per course
This foundational class covers basic skills like sit, come, go-to-mat, and leash-walking while building socialization skills with other dogs and people, with a mandatory first-week orientation.
Owner and dog attend weekly 60-minute in-person classes together for four weeks.
Best for: Dogs over five months old, intended to be taken alongside Level 2 as a complete series.
Requirements: Dogs should be over 5 months old when starting the class.
Duration: 4 weeks
Focus: Basic obedience, Socialization
Basic Foundations Level 2 Class
$125 per course
Builds on Level 1 skills by adding distance, duration, and distraction challenges to previously learned obedience behaviors.
Owner and dog attend weekly 60-minute in-person classes together for four weeks.
Best for: Dogs over five months old who have completed Basic Foundations Level 1.
Requirements: Prerequisites: SOPR Orientation Webinar and It's Elementary Level 1
Duration: 4 weeks
Focus: Basic obedience, Advanced obedience
Advanced Foundations Level 1 Class
$125 per course
Takes previously learned skills into real-world locations around the Barlow, practicing settling, reading body language, and polite greetings amid everyday distractions.
Owner and dog train together in a variety of public locations for four weekly sessions.
Best for: Dogs five months or older who have completed Basic Foundations Level 2.
Requirements: Prerequisites: SOPR Orientation Webinar and Basic Foundations Level 2
Duration: 4 weeks
Focus: Advanced obedience, Socialization
Advanced Foundations Level 2 Class
$125 per course
Continues advanced training in new locations like parks, neighborhoods, and cafes, using long line work and pattern exercises to build on prior skills.
Each weekly class takes place in a different public location for four weeks.
Best for: Dogs five months or older who have completed Advanced Foundations Level 1.
Requirements: Prerequisites: Basic Foundations Level 2 and Advanced Foundations Level 1
Duration: 4 weeks
Focus: Advanced obedience, Recall & off-leash
Busy Brains Class
$400 per course
This class targets reactive behaviors like barking, pulling, jumping, and lunging at other dogs, teaching evasive maneuvers, focus and attention, and leash management, with a goal of neutrality around triggers.
Owner and dog attend weekly 75-minute classes for eight weeks, progressing from handling skills to confidence-building games.
Best for: Dogs that bark, pull, jump, or lunge at other dogs, but not dogs aggressive toward humans.
Requirements: This class is not appropriate for dogs who display aggressive behavior towards humans.
Duration: 8 weeks
Focus: Leash reactivity, Aggression
How much does Academy of Dog cost?
Most group classes run $125 for a four-week course, making the progression through multiple levels relatively affordable. The Busy Brains reactivity class costs $400 for eight weeks. Private lesson rates aren't published on the site.
Private Lessons pricing
| Program | Price | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Private Training | Not published | Not stated |
Group Classes pricing
| Program | Price | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy Foundations | $125 per course | 4 weeks |
| Drop Off Puppy Class | $125 per course | 4 weeks |
| Scenting for Puppies Class | $125 per course | 4 weeks |
| Basic Foundations Level 1 Class | $125 per course | 4 weeks |
| Basic Foundations Level 2 Class | $125 per course | 4 weeks |
| Advanced Foundations Level 1 Class | $125 per course | 4 weeks |
| Advanced Foundations Level 2 Class | $125 per course | 4 weeks |
| Busy Brains Class | $400 per course | 8 weeks |
Consultations and evaluations
- Behavior Consultation: $150 per session
What training methods does Academy of Dog use?
The program explicitly identifies as force-free in its training approach. Dogs with aggression toward other dogs may be considered on a case-by-case basis, though human-directed aggression is noted as ineligible for the Busy Brains class.
Their public materials mention long lines. Barklen has not verified how or when they are used, so ask the trainer directly.
Where does Academy of Dog offer dog training?
Academy of Dog operates from a dedicated training facility in Santa Rosa, CA, offering private lessons and group classes.
Their site says they serve pet owners in the local community, including those needing basic obedience help, socialization for puppies, or support with reactive/behaviorally challenging dogs.
The facility sits at 5345 Highway 12 West in Santa Rosa. Parking and accessibility information aren't mentioned.
How does Academy of Dog compare with other Santa Rosa dog trainers?
Barklen analysis
Barklen analysis based on 5 published Santa Rosa listings (18 with published pricing). These comparisons are computed by Barklen, not claims made by Academy of Dog.
Price: entry price within the published Santa Rosa range for group classes ($125–$400 vs. $125–$207).
Reviews: 5.0★ from 1 Google reviews, among 5 published Santa Rosa programs.
Transparency: 90 out of 100 (highly transparent), with 89% price transparency and 78% program clarity. 1 of 5 Santa Rosa listings show certifications; this business does not list any.
| Program type | Academy of Dog | Santa Rosa range | Barklen read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Classes | $125–$400 | $125–$207 across 8 Santa Rosa programs | Entry price within the published Santa Rosa range |
What should you ask Academy of Dog before booking?
Generated from what their public materials leave open
- Ask for current pricing on Private Training, which is not published online.
- Ask which certifications their trainers hold and who issued them.
- Ask for proof of liability insurance.
- Ask how many dogs each trainer handles at once.
- Ask about current availability and whether there is a waitlist.
Location and hours
5345 Highway 12 West, Santa Rosa, CA
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday – Saturday
- 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Sunday
- 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
How Barklen reviewed this listing
Barklen reviewed Academy of Dog 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
What Barklen could verify
- Programs listed
- 9 programs (private lessons, group classes)
- Published pricing
- Published for 8 of 9 programs
- Training method
- Reward-based
- Aggression and reactivity cases
- Aggression cases by assessment
- Facility
- Training facility
Contact Academy of Dog or request a quote
Contact Academy of Dog directly by phone or through their website, or request a quote through Barklen and we will pass it along.
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