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Academy of Dog is a dog training business in Santa Rosa, California offering Group Classes and Private Lessons, with published programs from $125.
Santa Rosa • CA • Training facility • 5.0 ★ (1 Google reviews)
Last verified: Sep 5, 2026
90 / 100
Highly transparent
How clearly this listing publishes the details owners need. See our methodology.
What they say about themselves
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.
Consultations and evaluations before you commit to a program.
A consultant evaluates the dog's problem behaviors, such as pulling toward other dogs, barking at strangers, or guarding items, and creates a behavior modification plan rather than teaching new commands.
Best for: Dogs displaying problematic behaviors the owner wants changed.
Duration: 60 sessions
Focus: Aggression, Resource guarding, Leash reactivity
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.
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.
Focus: Basic obedience
Private Lessons in Santa Rosa typically runs $200–$725 across 6 programs that do publish pricing. Ask this trainer for a written quote before comparing.
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Private Training | Not published | — |
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.
Focus: Puppy training, Basic obedience, Socialization
Duration: 4 weeks
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.
Focus: Puppy training, Socialization
Duration: 4 weeks
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.
Focus: Puppy training, Scent work
Duration: 4 weeks
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.
Focus: Basic obedience, Socialization
Duration: 4 weeks
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.
Focus: Basic obedience, Advanced obedience
Duration: 4 weeks
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.
Focus: Advanced obedience, Socialization
Duration: 4 weeks
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.
Focus: Advanced obedience, Recall & off-leash
Duration: 4 weeks
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.
Focus: Leash reactivity, Aggression
Duration: 8 weeks
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy Foundations | $125 per program | 4 weeks |
| Drop Off Puppy Class | $125 per program | 4 weeks |
| Scenting for Puppies Class | $125 per program | 4 weeks |
| Basic Foundations Level 1 Class | $125 per program | 4 weeks |
| Basic Foundations Level 2 Class | $125 per program | 4 weeks |
| Advanced Foundations Level 1 Class | $125 per program | 4 weeks |
| Advanced Foundations Level 2 Class | $125 per program | 4 weeks |
| Busy Brains Class | $400 per program | 8 weeks |
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.
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.
Training takes place at a dedicated facility on Highway 12 West. Insurance, certifications, and staffing details aren't listed on the site.
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: not specified on their website.
Waitlist: not specified on their website.
Dogs per trainer: not specified on their website.
Booking: not specified on their website.
Price: Academy of Dog does not publish board & train pricing. Across Santa Rosa, 18 programs publish prices from about $101 to $1,305.
Reviews: Academy of Dog shows 5.0★ from 1 Google reviews among 5 published Santa Rosa programs.
Transparency: This listing scores 90 out of 100 (price 89%, program clarity 78%). 1 of 5 Santa Rosa listings show certifications; this business does not list certifications.
The facility sits at 5345 Highway 12 West in Santa Rosa. Parking and accessibility information aren't mentioned.
5345 Highway 12 West, Santa Rosa, CA
Friday: 12-6PM
Monday: Closed
Sunday: 12-5PM
Tuesday: 12-6PM
Saturday: 12-6PM
Thursday: 12-6PM
Wednesday: 12-6PM
Reach out directly or send a quote request through Academy of Dog.
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