The Puppy Academy

Chris Simmers

2024-01

Wonderful spot to set your puppy up for a solid training foundation. The staff is very nice and knowledgeable and they clearly communicate the progression of your puppy. They also provide a ton of instructional videos if you wish to do some independent studying, which I highly recommend. My puppy comes home very tired from a day at school!

Valerie Gomez

2024-01

Was looking forward to bringing my 8 month old pup here. One of my friends suggested for me to check this place out. It was a great experience for my friend so I thought I would give it a shot. I thought it’d be a perfect fit for my pup since he is super friendly and loves meeting new people and pets. And when I say pets, he loves rabbits, cats, and dogs. My pup has had many interactions with many animals. However, after my pups evaluation my pup was rejected. They said that they couldn’t take him in because he had signs of territorial/aggression in the crate. I have never had nor seen this happen so I find it kind of ridiculous that they’re assuming this, just because he lunged in the crate. I feel like the evaluation was not fair and not thorough enough. The trainer had the audacity, to give me his card for private lessons. He suggested that my pup would do better in private. Like it’s sad like you’re supposed to be a training service and help young pups out.But you obviously just didn’t give my pet a chance especially, since he’s in a new environment. Also, please note that the puppy Academy, doesn’t ask for rabies when you first bring ur pup in for the evaluation.So that was a big red flag for coming in for an evaluation. Def not worth 5K bringing your pet here.

Lynne Pope

2024-01

Puppy training in Hermosa Beach has blessed families and pets with education. This most essential time to go beyond the adorable puppy moments for completing a happy,safe and memorable future. I met a graduate dog and was so impressed watching his work with his owner that I had to share this local news.

Olivia Sweet

2024-01

I WHOLE-HEARTEDLY RECOMMEND THE PUPPY ACADEMY to EVERY HUMAN who has a PUPPY!!!!Three months ago I came home with two 7-week-old lab siblings and felt completely exhausted, defeated and overwhelmed by puppies and had no idea where to start.We quickly realized we needed guidance, support and relief. That's when I reached out to The Puppy Academy and after speaking with Sparky, meeting with one of the fabulous trainer's for a tour and chatting with Kimberly I just knew this place was special and got on the waiting list right away!!!The all encompassing program is so well thought out and customizable to your needs. The team/ staff have truly poured their love and energy into our puppies, held our hands every step of the way, problem solved our endless questions, gave us our life back and gave us such a great schedule for both my human family and our puppies to be set up for success.They instilled such a strong foundation, with everything from potty training, crate training, manners, obedience and combatting littermate syndrome (if you're not familiar look it up - I promise you it’s a real thing - and if you’re thinking of getting two at once - I highly recommend you don’t) aka surviving two puppies.The dedication, thoughtfulness and care each team member has shown our family will forever have a special place in my heart. THANK YOU PUPPY ACADEMY from the bottom of my heart!!!! Moose and Lily thank you tooooo!!!!P.S. The only word of warning I'll give, is you'll get out of it what YOU put into it (like anything in life)! But, if you trust the process, remain open minded, ask all the questions, try your best to follow their expertise and most importantly be patient with yourself and your puppy... you will have truly a super star puppy!!! I can proudly say I have 2 SUPERSTAR PUPPIES because of The Puppy Academy!!! Stay positive and do your homework... trust me it's worth every bit of your energy and every penny. And tell your friends!!

Monica Kimble

2020-05

Want help with your puppy jumping on people, not listening to you, having accidents in the house and walking on a leash? Then The Puppy Academy is the best place for training you and your puppy. After one month of our Bernedoodle attending The Puppy Academy, we are able to walk him without him pulling us down the street and the accidents are no more. I can’t say enough about the support the staff gives the owners. They really care about the pups and their families.

Alyssa Ciffone

2017-05

The Puppy Academy exceeded my expectations. We brought our 14 week old puppy to them. They catered his training with regards to what we specifically wanted. The experience is really customized to each owner and what they want their dog to be like. We wanted our puppy to be relaxed and able to be calm with distractions around. He is now able to sit, stay, come, great on a leash, fetch off leash, potty trained, and calm when we are watching TV or working. Overall this place was instrumental in meshing our dogs life into ours. Very happy clients.

Matthew Marsh

2023-05

Puppy Academy is the best decision I could have ever made for my pup. The trainers are so patient and caring with my dog Rufus. They give the best advice and truly care about what they do. I would recommend Puppy Academy to anyone with a puppy.

Alysen Ramey

2021-05

There are so many amazing qualities of The Puppy Academy! Every single person that works there is so kind and patient. They make puppyhood easier! With COVID the school had to close down and then there was a reduced schedule, they met everyone informed and I never had to guess what was going on. They were flexible and very understanding during COVID as well.They set up individual plans, give “homework” to the parents, and keep a grade book along the way. The grade book is amazing because they give you daily feedback and you can also tell them any struggles you are having.My puppy started when she was just 12 weeks old (the youngest they will accept) & because of COVID graduated at 8 months. She learned so much!!Her walks have gotten so much better. They also work on impulse control, which is hard for puppies. I wouldn’t say my 8 month old puppy is completely oblivious to distractions, but much better and I know how to work with her on it.Everyday that your puppy is there they take photos and videos!! Which is fun to see how much they grow over time.They literally think of every detail. Again, the team there is amazing! Rebecca was my puppy’s favorite trainer! She is a rockstar! But they are all incredible!I definitely recommend The Puppy Academy!

Grace Bonet

2017-05

We love The Puppy Academy!! My boyfriend and I had just adopted a little fur baby and we were so overwhelmed with the unlimited options of puppy training courses and puppy day cares. We had driven by the puppy academy multiple times so we decided to give them a call. After taking our phone call and scheduling a sit down with us, the staff was able to explain all things puppy training to us! We both have weird work schedules and The Puppy Academy was the perfect solution. It's a great combination of puppy training & daycare - Our little man "Franklin" gets training AND socialization skills at the same time. We just finished our first "semester" and we're coming back for "grad school." The staff is so nice & accommodating. The program fit right into our hectic lifestyle and we can't imagine what it would be like without sending Franklin to TPA!

Brian Stokes

2017-05

Our French Bulldog has been attending The Puppy Academy since it opened, as an alumni of its predecessor, Animal Plaza. He loves it, and we love what a good dog he's become ever since.A couple of years ago my wife and I felt the best way to help him cope with us being gone much of the time and to not develop bad habits was to have him go to a daycare of some sort. Trouble was, very few offer any sort of training. Most venues are free-for-all play areas, and while they do wear him out, he was not getting the human guidance that younger puppies need. Once he came home with his eye scratched.Luckily we found Ayumi and the other trainers at The Puppy Academy. They run it like a kindergarten, with both structured and unstructured time. Every dog gets his/her own school bag, a toothbrush, and a journal with daily updates. The trainers start with the basics, but also work with parents to identify problem behaviors or concentrate on learning specific commands or tricks. In our puppy's case, he was often stubborn when it came to walks, but after a short time he came home eager to walk for long distances!What I appreciate about this place vs. taking our puppy to a dog trainer is that he gets socialized, and has fun during the day while we're working.There are several things I recommend to new puppy parents for their dogs -- health insurance, socializing, excellent food, obedience & agility classes, and if they can, a school like Puppy Academy.

Anita Pestano

2017-05

We took our puppy to The Puppy Academy because we tried at least 4 other places with no help on potty training, barking & bad behavior. The owners & staff were so friendly & knowledgeable. They were able to train our Coco and now we have no problems with her. I highly recommended The Puppy Academy to friends & family.

Jimbome Jomes

2017-05

I cannot speak highly enough about the Puppy Academy and their staff. So much so, in fact, that I honestly feel our pup is most times better off in their loving, structured environment with positive reinforcement and plenty of pals to play with than our chaotic, modern household. Nevertheless, with the help of the whole team, our dog Gobi went from an unruly, mischievous puppy to well behaved, attentive doggo truly on his way to becoming the lifelong companion we had always dreamed of owning. And, I suppose that is the crux of what makes the puppy academy great - with a career and two young children, at this point I choose not to learn (at a pet store) how to create the artful dog, I would rather have a team with lifelong experience and understanding immersion train my puppy and then later pass on tidbits of info to me. Even if the cost seems steep at first glance, I would urge anyone to consider the amount of training the pupperino actually receives and consider it an investment in a lifelong companion. Really, we couldn't be happier.

One Detailed Mama

2017-05

The Puppy Academy is by far the best decision I have made in regards to the training of my two puppies. They are so caring, knowledgeable and helpful. They have truly made a difference in the happiness of my pups, and in the happiness of my daughter and I! We are forever grateful!

Keila N

2017-05

This is the only dog training facility that I know that focuses on puppies up to 2 years old. The staff members train the puppies in a loving and caring way. The owners are very knowledgeable about training puppies.The Puppy Academy also provides Dog CPR/ First Aid classes for dog lovers. It also has a retail component that provides unique gifts.

Leslie Fier

2017-05

Awesome! That pretty much sums it up.My Bella went to the academy after being rescued with severe issues of mistrust of her surroundings, not just people literally everything.The staff, with a special shout out to Liz and Yumeh, did an outstanding job helping her gain trust while also providing training, for both her and I.Bella went from being terrified to secure in a matter of weeks. I know she would have never gone from a scared dog hiding under the bed to who she is today in such a short time without the Puppy Academy.If you need help with correcting unwanted behavior or ensuring your pup, and you, learn good habits from the start The Puppy Academy is the answer. You won't be disappointed.Thank you Puppy Academy for all you did for my Bella. I am forever grateful.

Kirsten Staley

2019-05

Our 6-month-old puppy graduated from The Puppy Academy (TPA) last month. He started in May and he is not the same dog now. My husband had had older puppies in the past, and I adopted stray cats and dogs when I was a kid but neither of us had any experience raising a young puppy. I watched some YouTube videos and was able to teach Tahoe the sit and down commands, and begin some basic potty training but we needed professional help. He was nipping (especially me), jumping, pulling on walks, ignoring people when called, frapping (aka a case of the zoomies) twice a day, refused to go near his crate, would not poop with distraction, and was showing early signs of separation anxiety. We looked all over the area. Most places would not take him because he had not had his 3rd round of vaccines and / or had horrible reviews. Most places also require that your puppy is fixed by 6 months of age. We were about to do a board and train when I found TPA. My husband and I both work from home so we discussed it then scheduled a consultation / evaluation. Tahoe slept through it but we were completely stoked after speaking with Ricci and Marco. TPA offers mental and physical stimulation as well as socialization while equipping pet parents with the tools needed to continue this at home.We had to wait 2 weeks but that worked out for the best (our poor guy had a few health issues right before and during his admission). Tahoe mastered all of his commands, is 100% potty and crate trained, is no longer poop shy, willingly goes into his crate, and no longer sleeps in our bed. He only fraps 2-3 times a week and his separation anxiety never fully developed. His nipping was replaced with licking (and that’s when I knew we were making real progress). I was able to additionally teach him look at/watch me, let’s go, and potty bell (he rings the bell when he needs to potty and does so appropriately when his schedule is a little off). He still struggles with jumping, barking, and staying on place but we have the knowledge and confidence we need to help him, especially since he’s going through adolescence now. TPA and its staff are comprehensive, thorough, caring, responsible, and knowledgeable. Because of the time they spend with the puppies and their attention to detail, we learned even more about our dog (i.e. he’s a humper and plays rough). Other examples: The day before one of his school days, we’d hired a Rover sitter for the first time. He took our pup to a dog park and Tahoe’s harness was dirty. I didn’t have time to wash it and when we picked him up from TPA the following day we realized it was missing from his school bag. I called TPA to let them know and when we picked Tahoe up the next school day it was returned clean. He also got sick during a walk one day. Josh informed us, took pictures, and provided more details for me to pass on to the vet. Julia, Sparky, Rebecca, Megumi, and Kimberly are also amazing (sorry if I misspelled anyone’s name).Our puppy was always ecstatic to go to TPA and would cry with excitement whenever we grabbed his schoolbag (though training has since helped with that too). On the drive back to Glendale, he would sleep and be mellow for the rest of the evening. And yes, I said Glendale. It was worth the drive and we are seriously considering doing it all over again for the grad program in a few months. Tahoe claimed me the moment he laid eyes on me but thanks to the TPA crew we have a stronger bond based on respect, understanding, and communication.

Vanessa Bishop

2017-05

I had no idea what I was doing when it came to training my new pup! The Puppy Academy helped crate a training plan tailored specifically to the needs of my puppy to ensure at the end of the semester I would have an obedient companion. Josie has shown so much improvement in the last 2 months and I have TPA to thank!!! ❤️❤️

Julie Eamer

2017-05

I love this puppy school. This is the only dog training center that I know of that you drop off your puppy in the morning and they are trained all day and you pick them up after work and get briefed on the training day. It is so much safer than doggie day care and your puppy is trained by professionals. Very impressive.

Adam Link

2019-05

They are the best. My dog is two years old and has been going to the Puppy Academy since the day we got him. They treat every dog with care and I would give them 6 stars if I could.

Liz Consuegra

2017-05

The Puppy Academy is awesome....taught me all the things that make my relationship with my doggy so much better!My puppy loved it, and I found myself smiling every time I was there..I highly recommend this place for puppy training!

John Uriostegui

2020-05

We love this place. We took our dog here and the whole family and we followed their instructions. We keep the schedule they recommended and the dog was well trained in a very positive way.Strongly recommend anyone getting a dog to go

Jennifer Hohm

2022-05

Sparky and the staff there are amazing and are knowledgeable on all dog breeds characteristics.

Jbuchek17

2020-05

Amazing training school for your pups!!! Highly recommended!!! :)

Alan Fishman

2017-05

I Absolutely love this place. The staff is so friendly and knowledgeable. I'm a Huge fan and recccomend this place to all my friends.

Charlie Candelas

2021-05

Nice staff...good training