About Canine Learning Academy
Canine Learning Academy is a premier training facility that provides your puppy with the perfect formula of learning, enrichment, play, socialization, and experiences in an optimized environment supported by a world-class team.
We are more than a positive reinforcement-based training facility; we are a movement towards creating harmonious living between pets and their families, built on mutual respect, understanding, and love.
As one of the industry’s most highly-regarded professional dog training programs, we are proud to be Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partners Q. Pledge – meaning? We are certified Fear-Free and offer training that is easy to follow and fun for both dogs and people.…and clearly, we adore dogs!
Committed to kind,
effective excellence
Positive Reinforcement Dog Training in Huntington Beach
There are different ways to train a dog.
Our stance on this is clear because we care deeply about your results, your dog’s well-being, and the lifelong relationship you share – none of which we are willing to sacrifice for speed or ego.
A great relationship requires some front-loaded effort, and we don’t cut corners where ethics, kindness, and learning are at stake.
We stand firm in our fierce commitment to cutting-edge, science-based, Force-Free, and Positive Reinforcement Training; no shortcuts, no threats to your puppy’s well-being, and no damage to your relationship.
Happy Clients
“Canine Learning Academy is a fantastic, full service resource for pup parents.
We’ve used most of the CLA services since our dog was 8 weeks old including board and train, puppy school, in person, online classes and home visit help prepare our space.
As a result our fur baby is well trained and socialized. There’s no other place we board her when we go out of town.”
She is now almost 2 1/2 years old. Yo and her team treat our dog Pippa like family and we are so thankful to have a great establishment that will take care of her while we are out of town.
We also utilize the classes for socialization which is fantastic and she comes back happy and tired!
A+ service!”
Why we say NO to aversive methods
Aversive training methods such as prong collars, shock collars, vibration collars, slip leads, punishment-based learning or outdated ‘alpha’ type philosophies and even control equipment (like the halti-head collar or ‘no pull harnesses as a first ‘go to’’) entice many well-meaning dog owners.
They appear to achieve a fast result with minimal effort, and if a ‘professional’ recommends them, it’s an easy sell.
However, this shortcut frequently has a severe hidden cost, which good Professional Trainers and Behaviourists know only too well, and now you will too.
These methods and tools can have long-term negative consequences on your dog’s behavior, trust in you, and feelings of safety. They work by creating an unpleasant consequence that ‘shuts down’ or suppresses behaviors.
What is gained is speed, but what is lost will impact your relationship forever.
Aversive training methods can result in escape and avoidance-related behaviors, generalized apathy, increased pessimism, unpredictable results (such as a dog that will ‘behave’ for one person but not another), and reactivity later in the dog’s life.
And YES to positive methods
Positive reinforcement-based trainers spend lots of time cleaning up this early damage with the adult dogs we train, by which time the dog:human bond has already paid the price, and behavior is much more complex to change.
There are also things that are lost along the way. Your dog is robbed of the opportunity to become a confident learner, your bond never flourishes into a deep working partnership, and trust and communication are diminished when the threat of punishment or aversives lingers in the background.
No one performs at their best when force is the leverage, and the teacher is unpredictable and scary.
You and your dog deserve more than that. You deserve a life together based on understanding, respect, and reliably excellent behavior. We at Canine Learning Academy are committed to kind, ethical training and precision results for the owners who want the very best for their puppy.
Yes, it may take longer to do things the right way but you and your puppy and the amazing life ahead of you are worth it.
What makes us unique
Our methodology stems from a deep respect for animals and the uniqueness of every dog and their family. We know that every dog has their own needs, fears and quirks and requires the nurture and freedom to work at their own pace.
We use the formula of a school day in our carefully created environment and tailor each puppy’s 1-on-1 training to be the perfect fit. Our unique, comprehensive curriculum is designed to build manners, powerful communication, exemplary behavior, and a confident demeanor because you deserve a happy, healthy, well-behaved dog you can be proud of.
But it’s not just our formula that makes us unique. World-leading positive reinforcement trainers oversee our highly qualified training team to pursue a common goal: developing positive growth experiences for each puppy and creating success that sets them up for life. We consider “success” to be a student who graduates as a confident, well-mannered thinker who understands the world around them and trusts in you.
Our mission
We aspire to create our dream of a pioneering community center, rooted in every city across Southern California, dedicated to nurturing young puppies and developing well-mannered dogs in every community.
Our goal is to lay the foundational and social skills necessary for puppies and dogs of all ages to flourish to their utmost potential in a safe, positive, and force-free environment.
Our passion is supporting new puppy parents with empathy, kindness, and effective training to strengthen the bond with their puppy, build excellent behavior, and make puppyhood a memorable and joyful experience for all.
We believe in school for dogs!
