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In Tune Dog Training

4.8 (50 reviews)
Open • 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Services - In Tune Dog Training

Private dog training

Puppy socialization classes

In Tune Dog Training Photos

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Jeff I.

It's been a couple months and Frida graduated Doggy Prep (Dog 2). After going through three class sets with Nancy, I feel I can write an overall review and what exactly was personally beneficial to myself. I would say the first consultation was a lifesaver. It is quite pricey, but it seems on par among R+ trainers. It took away all the anxiety of becoming a puppy owner. It allowed me to be prepared. I asked her 1000+ questions during the consult and she had an answer to every single one. The consult is what pulled me into her program. She's super knowledgeable and keeps up to date with the science in the field. Since dog training isn't a regulated field, it's difficult to find a trainer who is continuously learning new methods. Nancy does just that. Puppy Preschool - I think, was my favorite class. Nancy didn't focus on obedience, but focused on behavior, fears/aggression, bite inhibition, socialization. Basically topics so that we set a good foundation for our pups. A bonus about this class is that you get access to set up play dates with other students at the school. Nancy will also make recommendations and will even monitor some of these dates (through Zoom) at no extra cost. Nancy also gives email support, even if you graduated from her class. She provides thoughtful and specific responses. Dog 1 - Doggy ABC's - It was so much fun to have some of the pups we knew from preschool in our class. It really is a community on its own and you get back what you put into it. This class was all basic obedience. We were able to use most of it to snag some AKC home titles afterwards. Since this is reward-based training, just keep in mind there are lots of treats given during the whole process. We learned how to properly teach basic commands. I think this was easier for my pup as I tried not to teach her anything ahead of what Nancy was going over. It's more difficult to fix a behavior than to teach you pup a new one. So I put my trust into Nancy during the whole process. The pace of this class was great. Dog 2 - Doggy Prep - This class was SUPER difficult and was so fast-paced. Nevertheless, it's still a fun class. There's lots of interactions between the other classmates and dogs. What made this class difficult was the amount of activities she assigned daily and the amount of homework. It's a big jump going from Dog 1 to Dog 2. What would have made this class easier is if Dog 1 and Dog 2 were split more evenly. Currently, Frida is taking a much needed break to just be a dog. We will revisit the Dog 2 stuff again in the coming weeks. I want her to perfect everything before moving on. We should be taking Dog 3 sometime this year. The great thing about Nancy is she genuinely cares about the success of your dog. She doesn't train your dog for you, that's not her job. Her job is to teach you how to effectively communicate with your dog. She is the modern-day dog whisperer. I don't understand how some of this stuff works, but her methods are proven by science and they do work.

Our puppy after puppy graduation!
Stephanie R.

Nancy's classes have been so helpful! We just completed puppy preschool and have appreciated Nancy's positive approach to training. Each class was followed up by notes and homework. She also has a variety of treats, toys, and chews that she brings to class. We had A LOT of questions when we first got our puppy and emailed a bunch of questions to Nancy. She always quickly responded to our emails with thoughtful tips. She's so good with our rambunctious puppy that we still attend her puppy socials and have enrolled in Doggy ABCs. We can't wait to see how our puppy continues to grow in her classes!

Anxious puppy turned very polite, confident dog.

Nancy is so trustworthy, we're very lucky to have found her as our trainer and mentor. Her training is built on R+, fear free, and science-based methods, which has helped us to shape our anxious, chaotic puppy into a confident, well trained dog. For us, Nancy's personality is perfect because she will communicate clearly and directly so you know exactly what to do in the variety of complex situations you and your pup will encounter. Nancy is a trainer for the dogs and a coach for the people. The best investment you can make for you and your fur-pal's relationship. One more thing. The group of people that go through Nancy's training classes will become your dog's best friends and the puppy playdates they have together are invaluable for consistent socialization.

Lucy B.

I have to say how wonderful and helpful Nancy has been! We started off going to her puppy socials at Petfood Express which were really great for my shy 3 month old puppy. We attended a different puppy social before that scared my dog, but Nancy's puppy social was so well organized and really helped my dog get a positive experience playing with other dogs. We decided to sign up for her puppy preschool and a week later was when the shelter in place order was announced. I honestly was worried about transitioning the class to an online virtual session, but Nancy did such a great job organizing it that it felt like an in person class. Nancy always provided the best tips and tricks on proper socialization and training. Whenever I felt stuck with my puppy in a certain situation like excessive barking she was always available to help with great solutions. She truly cares about the wellbeing of the puppies and dogs first. If you are getting a puppy I would highly recommend taking one of Nancy's classes!

Puppy Preschool graduation certificate!
Kayla F.

Nancy has been a consistent mentor for both my pup and I. In a time of a world pandemic, she acted quickly and altered her in-person curriculum to a virtual format so we can all maintain having puppy school! Ginny and I would at first only attend her puppy socials because we were already enrolled with SIRIUS puppy kindergarten. Once the pandemic hit the Bay Area and quarantine laws put into affect, SIRIUS had cancelled the rest of their puppy classes and I knew I needed a class with someone I already built a trusting relationship with! Thanks to Nancy, Ginny has been growing into a charming, sweet, and well-behaved little pup!

Jessica G.

I attended Nancy's puppy playgroup, puppy preschool and dog 1 and have been very happy with her classes! She teaches you how to train your dog, understand their behaviors and what's hard for your dog to do/focus on. Dogs are really like little kids. Nancy's classes are currently on weekdays after work. I work full-time and tried to find another class that would be on the weekends because going to weekday classes are hard on me. However, I decided to keep on going to Nancy's classes because she knows Mohawk well and is able to give me personalized instructions during class. I was very impressed with the homework she gives us after each class. They're a list of things to read and practice with your dog. Nancy is also very responsive through email and gets back to you very promptly with answers to your questions on the week's lesson. That's another reason why I decided to continue on with her. The most important reason why I come back is that Mohawk loves to go to her classes. He's super excited and wants to go. I can tell it's one of his favorite places.

Little Charlie looking all proud. Thanks Nancy!
Amy T.

The day has come.. Our pup, Charlie, has graduated Doggy ABCs and now, its time for him to venture into the adult dog world, become an independent dog, get a 9-5 job, and start picking up his own dang poops. (I wish). Just kidding, he'll forever be our not-so-little 70 pound pupper. Alright.. on to the review! To set the scene, let me tell you a little somethin' somethin' about Charlie BEFORE Nancy. - Charlie is currently an 11 month old pup. Ever since the first day my boyfriend brought him home, he has been extremely shy. He is very cautious of people and backs away when strangers try to pet him. - He knew basic tricks like sit, down and shake, but he would only really listen if you had a treat in hand. Also, we wanted him to learn more useful (is the the right word?) commands, such as wait, leave it, stay, here.. etc - especially without treats. After doing tons of research, I decided to enroll little Charlie Bean in Nancy's class because: - Tons of availability. Many sessions offered weekdays and weekends. - FAIR (in my opinion, great!) price. God, I found so many dog trainers who were VERY expensive or those who didn't put prices on their websites (that's how you know they are going to cost you an arm and a leg..) - Small class size. Charlie's shy so I didn't want to overwhelm him. Also, its like having your own dog trainer! SCORE! - Positive reinforcement. This was a must!! Nancy's class looked great on paper, and let me tell you something- ITS EVEN BETTER IN REAL LIFE! First of all, Nancy was always in a great mood, which always made me happy to attend class. She is extremely patient and knowledgeable about dogs and their behaviors. She genuinely cares about your dog and his well being and you can absolutely tell she is passionate about what she does. :) Our class was just 3 pups in total. Each class, we revisited commands from the previous classes and always increase the level of difficulty, so your dog continues learning. Then, we would learn a new command and practice with our dog. Nancy is always attentive and watches you to make sure you are doing it right. She teaches you helpful ways to make sure your dog gets the command right and of course, we get homework! Nancy can only do so much in class, so obvi its up to the pup parents to make sure the dog keeps practicing! Also, Nancy is there for you outside of class! I have emailed her questions about what kind of treats I should get Charlie, what to do when Charlie guards toys blah blah and she replies promptly and honestly. Nancy has never tried to sell me anything and I totally appreciate it. From her 6 week class: - Charlie has made AMAZING progress with his shyness! Nancy gave us tons of advice on how to make him more social. Also, being in a class with others humans that feed him yummy treats has taught him that every human in the world has yummy treats :P He now sniffs strangers on his own and even lets them pet him. :) - He knows sit, down, leave it, stay, wait, touch, and here (his recall word)! Charlie has progressed so much since the beginning- it's pretty amazing. He's also starting to listen to us more without treats nearby. Def, proud pup parents :) He's usually a pretty stubborn dog, but since this class, he's learned that if he does what he doesn't want to do, he'll get a treat! Nancy has definitely taught my boyfriend and I SO much about how dogs think. Charlie also loved Nancy and would always run up to her. Probs because she had better treats than mom and dad (haha). Our last day of class, my bf told me that he really liked Nancy and was happy I found her class! Her class and resources have been so valuable to us and we will continue to keep practicing everything she's taught us. I highly highly highly recommend Nancy - not only does your dog become more obedient, but you now have a dog trainer friend for life! :) We already want to enroll him in more classes! Thanks Nancy!

Graduation day!
Dan G.

When we first signed up for the beginner class for dogs 5 months and older (called "A Dog's Life (Dog 1)"), we weren't really sure what to expect. We adopted a rescue dog and while her behavior wasn't perfect, it was decent, right? That's good enough, right? Nope. I can honestly say that my wife and I and our little girl Chloe all learned so much from Nancy, and taking this class was definitely the right decision. Nancy really knows her stuff, and she shares what she knows with you in a very easy to follow way. Her style of training is all positive reinforcement, which we really appreciate. Some trainers prefer a different approach (e.g., show them who the alpha is and correct missteps as a pack leader would in the wild). I'm sure that works (it's on TV, after all), but we're much more comfortable with the idea of rewarding our dog for the behavior we want, rather than scolding her if she does something we don't like and hoping she gets the message (AND doesn't learn the wrong lesson entirely). The class sizes are small (there were just 3 other dogs in our class), so all of the parents and dogs can get the attention they need to learn new skills. Plus, after every class you receive an email with your homework assignment for the week, which reinforces what was covered in class plus sometimes expands on it a bit. The homework always has a list of steps for an assignment, plus a link to a YouTube video of the assignment being demonstrated. If you have any questions that come up after class, Nancy encourages you to send her an email and she'll write you back quickly. Nancy is fantastic!!

Crate re-training an untrickable dog
Dora Z.

Nancy is awesome. She's super patient and of course a really good trainer/coach. I bought the yelp deal because after 3 years of having Mackie (the German shepherd), it was time for some formal training. He knows the basic sit, lay, shake... But my problem was my family and I would have to trick him into going into his room when we would go to out or go to bed. Well he's been outsmarting us lately. Shame on us for not properly training him sooner. Nancy started off by getting the low down and gave some pretty amazing advice. One piece of advice was to change the dog food. My parents had been feeding Mackie...dare I say it... PEDIGREE for years (it's cheap at costco). She told us, "finish off what u have, but change it to a brand that's more natural with meat as it's first ingredient". Apparently, pedigree is full of CRAP that can lead to hyperactivity. Oh yeah and we were overfeeding him. Now couple that with the fact that everyone is too busy to walk him regularly.... Well, that just makes things worse. So, I left the house to buy new dog food immediately. It's been 24hours and I feel like I have a totally different dog. He's less hyper and more apt to listen. Nancy showed me how to re-crate train Mackie. While he wasn't having it while she was there, he eventually got more comfortable with it. Today, he doesn't mind going in his crate. She taught me how to walk my 80 pounder without a prong collar. So far, it's been quite helpful and I'm sure, better for him. Now, he's even sitting at the corner of the crosswalk before it's time to cross. Our home is not the cleanest at this time due to special circumstances... But, Nancy did not judge. Although I felt embarrassed she maintained to make me feel comfortable. She is very professional and understanding and I greatly appreciate that.

My puppy after attending Nancy's puppy social!

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Ask the Community - In Tune Dog Training

Review Highlights - In Tune Dog Training

“I think this was easier for my pup as I tried not to teach her anything ahead of what Nancy was going over.”

Mentioned in 50 reviews

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(120 reviews)

Willow Glen

From "Cujo Junior" to "Polite Gentleman" -- Thanks to Mike! If you've ever adopted a 4-month-old…read moreSchnauzer who treats every living being like a personal insult, you know our pain. Our pup, Diego, didn't just bark; he acted like he was auditioning for a lead role in a horror movie. Walks? Impossible. Visitors? Forget about it. Even our long-time pet sitter--a woman who has survived literal wolves--couldn't go near him without fear. . Our first trainer took one look at him and basically told us we'd adopted a tiny, bearded landmine. She called him "one of the most reactive dogs she'd ever met" and gave us the kind of "good luck" that usually precedes a disaster movie. Enter Mike Hatjes from Bay Area Dog Training. We found Mike on Yelp, and honestly, we were just looking for a miracle. Mike is a unique breed himself: he's incredibly direct (no sugar-coating the fact that your dog thinks he's the CEO of Chaos) but also hilarious. He balances that "tell-it-like-it-is" energy with a sense of humor that kept us from losing our minds. The Transformation Timeline: * The Private Lesson Phase (8 Sessions): We went from "we can't leave the house" to "wait, is he actually sitting on command?" By the end of our eight private lessons, we were taking regular walks. My blood pressure dropped, and Diego actually started building confidence instead of seeing every mailbox as a mortal enemy. * The Group Lesson Phase (The Real Magic): If you told me six months ago my dog would be in a group with 10 other dogs, I would have assumed there'd be a SWAT team involved. But Mike's group lessons are shockingly amazing. Seeing my dog hold a "down" in a row of 10 dogs while each one weaves through the line? It's practically a glitch in the Matrix. The Verdict: Mike didn't just train our dog; he gave us our lives back. We can do family trips, have friends over, and walk down the street without looking like we're wrestling a caffeinated alligator. If you have a dog that makes other trainers cry, call Mike. He'll tell you the truth, make you laugh, and turn your "unbelievable" nightmare into a well-behaved companion.

When we first got our dog, a 4-year-old Jindo from Korea, he had a stubborn prey drive and would…read morepull on the leash hard enough to drag me to the ground. He was also very reactive to other people and dogs. Mike taught me to watch my dog for cues and to communicate with him. After 7 private lessons and two months of weekly group classes, my dog is now a well-behaved walking buddy (most of the time). Thanks, Mike!

Happy Tails To You Dog Training

Happy Tails To You Dog Training

(70 reviews)

Cambrian Park

This review is long overdue. We adopted a 2yo pit bull in February 2020 from a shelter. Then, as…read moreyou know, Covid hit the very next month. Our boy had been found wondering the streets of SJ. With my wife and I, he was the Biggest love bug. So cute, and funny, and cuddly. But we can only imagine the terrible experiences he had endured. He had a scar atop his head and was very nervous around new people, which led to behavior like growling and snapping at times. His fear was only made worse by social distancing and not being around new people. Once Covid settled a bit we sought out a trainer for him. I'll never forget the first day Dawna came to the house. Our pup growled and was very displeased that this stranger was in his space, and worse, trying to interact with him. Dawna was not a bit deterred, which I was impressed by but I remained skeptical. Fast forward something like 2 weeks: Dawna interacted with him with ease on training days and he loved receiving love and pets from her. We couldn't believe it. Dawna taught us how to train him and he was able to meet all kinds of new people and doggy friends on our outings. We are forever grateful. We only had 2 years with him. Cancer. I knew I would get emotional writing this review, which is why it has taken so long. Dawna and Megan (from Dawna's other business, Canine Corral Dog Daycare) changed our lives. We will be forever thankful for them. I couldn't recommend Happy Tails To You enough.

Dawna is MAGIC!! We have worked with her for 20+ years with many different dogs. She is a…read morefantastic trainer with a true gift backed up with extensive knowledge. She is an expert at training us humans so that we can have beautifully behaved canine companions. I love the positive reinforcement (R+) training methods she employs. So grateful for her expertise to help us.

Sit Means Sit Dog Training South Bay - The Sit Means Sit South Bay team hanging!

Sit Means Sit Dog Training South Bay

(114 reviews)

Cataldi, Berryessa

We sent our 1.5-year-old golden retriever for three weeks. We were stunned by the results. If you…read moredon't know anything about goldens, just know that they're very welcoming and friendly, but are also overwhelmingly energetic for the first three to five years. Think zoomies x 10. They're easy to train, but that was the issue. He would ignore our commands because he wouldn't feel like doing it. We asked Ryan to focus on three areas: recall, drop it, and going off-leash. We would spend 15-20 minutes chasing after him after he'd bolt out the front door. He thought it was a game. As you know, running out to the street can be dangerous. 'Drop it' rarely worked. He would have everything in his mouth - sticks, trash, balls - you name it. Sometimes, he'd have things that aren't edible in his mouth. And frankly, we never trusted him off-leash, that was asking for it. Everything was resolved when we brought our pup home. We were so proud of him! His recall was better, he never bolts out of the front door, and with that, we trusted him off leash (only in confined areas, of course). We're super grateful for Ryan and the SMS team. Now it's on us to continue with the training! One more thing to add: our pup had perpetuating issues with digestion/stool and paw and ear infections. It was the worst! We tried everything and spent so much money. Ryan suggested that we transition to a raw diet and we haven't had an episode since. I'm so thankful for that too!

My husband and I have 5 dogs. At the time we put 4 through…read morethe program because we did not have the 5th one. My oldest dog is 12 years old with no training. I soon got 2 more dachshunds and then a German Shepherd. Being that the 3 dachshunds had no training, we knew it was irresponsible on our part to have a bigger dog that was untrained. When I dropped off my first two (German Shepherd 6 mo. & dachshund 1 yr) I told Ryan, good luck! LOL They are very energetic since they are puppies and the GS was already taking in bad habits from the little ones. Always barking, was getting on top of our counters, very reactive. Typical dog stuff. After a couple days we received videos of them walking by other dogs and no barking! I was witnessing a miracle! After 2 weeks we got them back and we saw a MAJOR IMPROVEMENT. Dogs are dogs, so of course they are still a little reactive and bark, but it's much much much MUCH EASIER to stop it! No more haggling. I say quiet and they're quiet! Especially with as many dogs as we have, we had no idea how to train them all at once. Then they took in the other two dachshunds. The 12 year old and the 5 year old who are the most spoiled. To my surprise they were very disciplined the first couple of days! The little ones always pulled on the leash and was starting to hurt my shoulder. Not anymore!! They all walk beside me with no tugging. So now my husband walks the GS while I walk the 3 dachshunds. And yes they are actually pretty good at walking all together. IT IS POSSIBLE! Now that we have another puppy, a GSD Shar Pei mix, we have him into training too. Since the other dogs are into their routine, he falls into place. We also got him a place mat, and an ecollar. Not only does this program know how to train your dog, they are also very passionate and loving about it. You can tell they love your dog like it was their own. They are also very knowledgeable about the raw food diet. I highly suggest talking to them about it. I want to say a huge thank you to Jaden and Sam too who helped make this possible! Also, being that this is basically a franchise for dog training, it was a HUGE PLUS for being in a military family. Training is every week for the lifetime of the dog, so your dog can interact with other dogs that have been through the same program. My husband and I are moving across the country due to military orders, and we don't have to worry about the dogs not socializing with other trained dogs. They have someone out there too! I hope they are just as great as Ryan, Sam, and Jaden! We are truly going to miss this little family!

In Tune Dog Training - pet_training - Updated October 2026

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