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Ma & Paw Kennel is a dog training business in Simi Valley, California offering Board and Train, Group Classes, and Private Lessons.
Simi Valley • CA • Training facility • 4.6 ★ (54 Google reviews)
Last verified: Sep 5, 2026
45 / 100
Limited information
How clearly this listing publishes the details owners need. See our methodology.
What they say about themselves
Gina Gables has been training dogs in Simi Valley since 1991, bringing an unusually varied background to the work. According to her site, she spent over ten years as the resident trainer at a Ventura County pet lodge before starting Ma & Paw Kennel, and has since worked with thousands of dogs across obedience, behavior modification, personal protection, and herding. She actively competes in stockdog trials, and her site notes that an Australian Shepherd she trained reached eighth in the country in its sheep herding division.
The business has developed some distinctive specializations. Their rattlesnake avoidance training has been used by canine units from multiple local law enforcement agencies, including the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. The Humane Society of Ventura County has also hosted training clinics with Gables at their Ojai location.
Their stated approach centers on positive reinforcement and what they describe as a partnership model—owners learn alongside their dogs rather than dropping them off and expecting results. The site is direct about who they're a good fit for: people who want to understand how their dog thinks and communicates, rather than those seeking dominance-based methods. Programs range from puppy classes held in a sanitized indoor space to board-and-train options and behavior work aimed at dogs with fear or aggression issues.
Group classes cover puppies through adults, with Puppy Preschool (a 6-week course for dogs 10–18 weeks) and Puppy Kindergarten for older puppies up to a year. Ma & Paw Kennel also offers a Reactive Rover program for leash reactivity and fear issues, rattlesnake avoidance training, and board and train with handoff sessions included.
What board & train costs in Simi Valley
Private sessions in Simi Valley sit around a $150 median among listings that publish prices. Ask what a full program would cost for your dog.
The dog stays with the trainer and receives training while the owner is unavailable or away. Before returning home, the owner comes in to be taught the dog's new skills and reconnect with the dog.
The dog boards and trains at the facility, and the owner attends a handoff session afterward at no extra charge.
Best for: Owners who are too busy to train their dog themselves or are away and want a well-mannered dog upon return.
Focus: Basic obedience
Includes: Owner handoff sessions
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Board & Train | Not published | — |
A program aimed at dogs that react on leash, addressing reactivity issues, though further detail is not shown in the provided text.
Best for: Dogs that display reactive behavior on leash.
Focus: Leash reactivity, Fear & anxiety
Private Lessons in Simi Valley typically runs $150–$745 across 5 programs that do publish pricing. Ask this trainer for a written quote before comparing.
A clinic that teaches dogs to avoid and alert to rattlesnakes, used both for pet dogs and by several regional police canine units.
Dogs attend a clinic session where they are trained to recognize and avoid snakes.
Best for: Dogs at risk of encountering rattlesnakes, including working police K-9s and family pets.
Focus: Basic obedience
Private Lessons in Simi Valley typically runs $150–$745 across 5 programs that do publish pricing. Ask this trainer for a written quote before comparing.
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Reactive Rover | Not published | — |
| Rattlesnake Avoidance Training | Not published | — |
A six-week class held indoors at a sanitary facility, meeting once a week for an hour, focused on early puppy foundations. Covers manners, basic commands, socialization, and bite inhibition.
Puppies and owners attend weekly one-hour indoor sessions together over six weeks.
Best for: Puppies between 10 and 18 weeks old, before bad habits or fearfulness can set in.
Focus: Puppy training, Socialization, Basic obedience
Duration: 6 weeks
A class for older puppies continuing foundational manners and socialization work as they approach adulthood.
Best for: Puppies older than 18 weeks but under one year old.
Focus: Puppy training, Socialization, Basic obedience
Group classes for dogs past the puppy stage, covering obedience training for older dogs.
Best for: Adolescent and adult dogs.
Focus: Basic obedience
| Program | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy Preschool | Not published | 6 weeks |
| Puppy Kindergarten | Not published | — |
| Adolescent/Adult Dog Classes | Not published | — |
The site explicitly states a force-free approach. They do accept dogs with aggression or reactivity histories, including through the Reactive Rover program.
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.
Thirty-five years in business, operating from a dedicated facility that allows owner visits during board and train. Insurance, certifications, and overnight staffing arrangements aren't mentioned on the site.
Facility: Training facility
Owner visits: Owner visits allowed
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: Phone only
Price: Ma & Paw Kennel does not publish board & train pricing. Across Simi Valley, 9 programs publish prices from about $48 to $715.
Reviews: Ma & Paw Kennel shows 4.6★ from 54 Google reviews among 5 published Simi Valley programs.
Transparency: This listing scores 45 out of 100 (price 0%, program clarity 58%). 3 of 5 Simi Valley listings show certifications; this business does not list certifications.
The Simi Valley facility is at 3655 Alamo St #100. Parking and accessibility details aren't published.
3655 Alamo St #100, Simi Valley, CA
Friday: 9AM-6PM
Monday: 9AM-6PM
Sunday: Closed
Tuesday: 9AM-6PM
Saturday: 9AM-6PM
Thursday: 9AM-6PM
Wednesday: 9AM-6PM
Reach out directly or send a quote request through Ma & Paw Kennel.
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