Last summer, we adopted our first dog together. Knowing she was a high-energy, intelligent breed, we wanted to start training right away. After looking around, we were really impressed by Laughing Dogs' approach and reviews. We started with the adult group class when she was almost five months old, plus a one-on-one with Alex, and we've learned so much--not just about training, but about dog psychology and philosophy. Seeing real progress with our pup has been awesome, and now we're in our fifth month of classes! We also use their Daily Enrichment service since we're both at work most of the day, and it's been a game-changer. She's always so excited when they pick her up, and we love knowing she's getting great training and exercise while we're gone. More recently, we hosted a family gathering and one of the family members brought their shy, reactive dog. That dog had had previously shown her teeth to ours. Beforehand, we reached out to Alex and Kaylin for advice, and they gave us clear, practical guidelines to follow. Thanks to their help, the family gathering went smoothly, and our dog handled it perfectly. We can't recommend Laughing Dogs enough! read more

Attitude of trainer. Moody, arrogant ,definitely shows breed prejudice. Handles dogs very roughly. He is "ok"when instructing large group. Would never trust him alone with my dog. Our experience was a few years back but it seems from current conversations with other dog owners it has gotten worse not better. read more

Alex, Kaylin and Maya are great! We brought our 6-month old puppy for socializing and life skills. She is doing great! I can't say working with them directly caused this, but I'm sure it was a big part! The adolescent class and entire experience is very well run. They gave great advice in my questions after class. I was hesitant to start working with them, but I'm so glad I did. I was a little put off by the few reviews saying how rough Alex was with dogs, but I have never met someone more empathetic to dogs. Alex can be a little abrasive to people (which he openly admits!), and my guess is the reviewers took it personally and resorted to slandering a local business. I don't believe the reviewers. Also, keep in mind the bias of online reviews, and especially online reviews of pet-related things. No one reviews for an average experience, you get mostly 1- or 5-stars (sorry to contribute to this bias). I was hesitant to pay $75 for a brief consult, but in retrospect, I wouldn't want non-vetted dogs in class! read more

Alex and Kailin are amazing dog trainers. After only one introductory session and a separate one hour session, we learned so much and are very appreciative of their teaching. I HIGHLY recommend them! read more

Laughing Dogs Davis - Maggie Mae - Pet Training Near Me

Alex is knowledgeable and perceptive. He offers many tools to help you with your dog. I have a particularly quixotic puppy that has preset me with many challenges. Alex has been a tremendous help in the process of training my puppy. I really recommend him and his team. read more

Laughing Dogs Davis - This is my puppy...Alex worked magic on him. - Pet Training Near Me

We LOVE these training programs. The consistency we've learned has made the biggest difference for my puppy and our household. It was important for me to raise a puppy before I have my own kids so he is well prepared for human siblings and we are definitely on our way there! We have been training with Alex I believe since February of this year and my 9month standard poodle is learning self control little, how to gently greet other dogs, how to walk with other dogs, and be in a group. He's not perfect in any of these categories, but the progress has been incredible for puppy-hood! As the owner, I continue to learn cues that help me identify what to do while my puppy is reactive or nervous. Over time, it has brought a lot of harmony, routine, and clear expectations to our home that are helpful for everyone! Alex is so great with his training and being honest about sustainable training and helping people with perspectives on their breed of dog! It's been a wonderful experience and I highly recommend that you take your puppy or adult dog to try the group classes! read more

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Excellent trainers. Friendly, very knowledgeable. The trainers really help with your questions, offer excellent advice. I have noticed tremendous progress on my dog , since we started attending. read more

Love Alex and Kaylin! This training is so effective and user friendly. Of course it is really training the people/owners but that's what's needed. My puppy went from a spinning demon in my home to an affectionate (still energetic!) eager-to-please little sweetie (85% of the time- she is only 8 months so I keep it realistic) when i consistently applied the methods they taught us. It's a game changer bc, let's be honest, puppies are HARD! I totally trust Alex's training bc all it is strictly positive focused and he has a true connection with dogs. This training was a game changer for me. I am so appreciative. read more

Laughing Dogs Davis - Pet Training Near Me

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This is the review I wrote a couple years ago to the original Laughing Dogs yelp and would like to repost it here. I would still highly recommend Alex and continue to periodically join him for sessions to keep my now 3.5 year old Shepherd in check. I have a one year old German Shepherd, Shadow, which I had been taking to a dog trainer since he was 6 month old. Shadow quickly learnt basic commands but was starting to show aggressive tendencies in some situations. My trainer was taking the summer off and I wanted to keep up the training so asked around for recommendations. Alex was recommended to me by several friends. In fact my vet had recommended laughing dogs when I was first looking for a trainer but I had been put off due to a yelp review in 2017. As I trusted my friends I decided to go watch the end of Alex's Sunday dog class. The class was performing routine commands which Shadow was already comfortable with but I wanted/needed a trainer for the summer so decided to introduce myself to Alex. Shadow introduced himself baring a full set of teeth and lunging in a very unwelcoming manner. Alex was not intimated. He took Shadow's leash and walked with him. Within a couple of minutes Shadow was walking nicely by Alex's side and had accepted dog treats. Impressed I signed up for 3 x 20minute private sessions. Each time Alex gave me techniques to use which were adapted over time to find the right combination for Shadow. The locations varied too allowing focus on Shadow's reaction in different situations. For example one session was set up outside the vet office to work on Shadow going comfortably from the car to the vets. Shadow has now been attending the Sunday group lessons for a month. I have observed Alex trying to ensure that each dog & owner is getting their issues dealt with. For example in one of the sessions Shadow went around the group and was introduced to each of the owners & dog individually. I watched Shadow accept food from one owner which was very impressive and that fact that he did not react during the whole exercise was amazing. In fact I have received several comments from other class members regarding how much improvement in Shadow's demeanor they have observed in such a short period of time. Dog training is a long process and Shadow and I will continue to attend the Sunday training sessions as well as Alex's new weekly evening group walk. I will also be a little more mindful in the future of the yelp reviews especially if given after a short encounter and especially if never attended a class. read more

Alex is the worse trainer ever! Please do not take your dog to this trainer. I have never liked Alex and even less now after he mishandled our loving Estrella. He went over the top and held her down, so much that she pooped herself. I have never seen Estrella be this scared and I was shocked. Estrella is a small dog and Alex had his full knee and body on top of her. I was in tears by the time we got back to our car because I know Estrella has never felt this way. By mishandling her, he popped a blood vessel in her eye. Worse experience ever! This incident happened a little over a year ago. read more

Alex has been incredibly passionate about helping me develop the kind of bond with my golden, Abbey, that would grow into a working relationship as a service dog. I had been looking everywhere for help in training a service dog and I could tell from our first phone call that Alex's techniques and style would work for me and Abbey. He is extremely positive, motivating, and mindful of his role to help make safe dogs for the community. read more

We enjoyed the first few training classes with Alex (Laughing Dog Training), particularly the opportunity for our 4-month-old Golden Retriever puppy to interact with other puppies. We thought we had signed up for a positive training experience and expressed concerns when we learned a few weeks in that a martingale (choke) collar is required. (We decided to use one during class only.) Our concerns grew when Alex demonstrated how to discourage puppy biting, and made our puppy cry out in pain. When I expressed dismay at this technique, he dismissed my concerns stating he was the professional trainer. When we arrived at one of our last trainings with our puppy wearing a harness Alex loudly BERATED us for not using a martingale collar even though we had it in hand for class. She then started exhibiting anxiety during the training - barking and yelping to join me on the sidelines (as my husband was training her) something she had never done before. After class, Alex agreed I should join the training to help alleviate her anxiety. But, by the start of the next class, he apparently changed his mind and said I could not join her training and since she was barking and exhibiting anxiety -we'd have to leave. We are now happily using a highly regarded training program in Sacramento, Midtown Mutts, where they forbid the use of martingale collars and rely only on positive (never painful) training methods. Our puppy is thriving in these classes and most of her anxiety is now gone. I am so thankful - and wish we had found them much sooner. Footnote: from the AKC website regarding martingale collars: "... many trainers disavow their use, including Kayla Fratt. "I recommend relying on games and treats to teach your dog not to pull, not finding equipment that makes pulling painful for your dog," she says. These collars are not for everyday use ...and they should never be used on puppies younger than six months." read more

Alex is deranged. Dog was fully cowering and not in a well-behaved way. He fully kneed my dog in the chest without communicating in any way about being physically punitive before. Do NOT work with him if you aren't into being berated & having your dog physically punished without prior communication. Website was honestly totally misleading. If you want to "train" dogs through physical pain, advertise that that's your method, don't hide it. No mention of that then coming in as hot as he did is absolutely intentionally misleading. Felt physically intimidated to pay anyway at the end, despite what his website says. Literally a traumatizing experience for all of us involved, including my dog. read more

Didn't even get to a session. The phone conversation with Alex was so unappealing, confirming my suspicion that there is likely some validity to the 1 star ratings and reviews. Controlling, had a temper tantrum over the phone when I asked questions that he took as a challenge to his "wisdom." For $150 per hour, a consultant should be able to endure some initial screening. read more

We adopted a 4.5mo old puppy in Feb 2022 and struggled with her stubbornness. We were at our wits end with her when we found Alex's training program. We ended up doing group classes, an in home visit, and his walk and train program and could not have been happier with the results. He helped us understand our dog on a deeper level so that we can help her become a well mannered pup. I highly recommend meeting him and doing any of his training programs. His passion for dogs, and kind, respectful approach to training is what drew us to his business and I'm so glad we found him! read more

Laughing Dogs Davis - Pet Training Near Me

We've done both private and group lessons with Alex. In both environments, we learned SO much in a short timeframe. I appreciate his positive reinforcement approach and basic behavioral coaching (mostly behaviors owners need to practice to help their dogs exist with humans) and hands on approach to teaching by not just telling but showing. We've used Laughing Dogs with a puppy and an older dog and had great experiences and results both times. read more

Alex and Kaylin are knowledgeable and thoughtful trainers that practice using positive training techniques and have been very helpful. We have been attending puppy classes for about two months now and they have helped us through a wide variety of challenges and Blueberry is on her way to becoming a great dog, thanks to their help! read more

Laughing Dogs Davis - Pet Training Near Me

Heard great things about Laughing dogs from friends and wanted to give it a shot. My pup did great in the first class, then when the second class came and I needed help adjusting the gentle lead, Alex practically choked her to get her to sit and she nipped at him. I was absolutely in shock watching this grown man, "professional" dog trainer get angry and swing my 7 month old pup around to get her to obey. He yelled at me and kicked me out of class saying we "needed private sessions with him". lol. I never went back. Would not recommend to anyone. There are way better trainers out there. read more

Alex is amazing. We've learned so much from him. Emmett is so much more behaved. The 4 sessions are well worth the money.

Amazing dog training service! Alex came and helped us with an in-home puppy training session as our puppy hadn't had his shots yet, and we were feeling very overwhelmed. In 70min Alex had showed us what we we're doing right, wrong and ways to easily train our dog that made it a seamless part of our lives. We're not three weeks in and he's now potty and crate trained, having Alex's help is a huge part of our success! read more

Alex and Kaylin are wonderful! I've learned so much from training both private and group classes. They're knowledgeable, approachable and empathic! The training is demonstrated and practiced so I especially like their hands on approach read more

We had the best experience with Alex and Kaylin! We have worked with numerous trainers over the years and Laughing Dogs is the best by far. Our puppy Ginger had the best time in puppy class. She learned lots of helpful things but most importantly learned that training is fun and to be engaged with us when out and about which has been the best foundation for everything else. Alex's methods are positive, gentle, force-free and all about understanding how to communicate with your dog in a way that they really enjoy so that training is fun for them. He also encouraged us all to call him with any questions outside of class which was super helpful for specific advice. Alex's training was so fun for all involved and has been so effective. We used his training methods at home with our other two dogs and immediately saw a difference in things we had been working on for years. We couldn't be more grateful to Alex and Kaylin or happier that we worked with them, I just wish we had found them sooner. They were recommended to us by the rescue we foster with, Hearts For Paws, and we see why they say that all the dogs they adopt out should work with Laughing Dogs. Thank you Alex & Kaylin!! read more

Laughing Dogs Davis - Pet Training Near Me

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Amazing results. Alex greatly helped me work with my highly reactive rescue dog. My dog is a 15lb rescue who came with a lot of life experience that said he needed to regulate and protect me at every moment outside the house. Alex has helped me work with him to create healthy safe experiences with other dogs so we can go on calm walks together as well as creating less anxiety for him in transitional moments. Alex's toolbox is deep, generous and incredibly supportive. We've done the classes and a few individual sessions and saw tremendous results with each experience. read more

Kaylin, I never said your services were too expensive. Flat out lie. And I only asked if my dog walker could observe to assure she was in sync...like a family member might...additionally she would have been interested in talking to your group about an unpaid apprenticeship but you expressed fear -- and then with what I thought was pure paranoia stated you were Insulted--that after first stating you had no time or space and then stating it would be potential competition. Like I said, you both are erratic and unprofessional and Alex is whoa-no words. I'm delighted to have found a great new trainer for my pup who is willing to share knowledge with joy. Methinks: You both need to work on repairing relationships not trying to sell a brand of positivity while trashing people and pets along the way. read more

We love Sundays in the park with Alex. His love for dogs is obvious, and his techniques are helping my dog become a good citizen. Highly recommend! read more

I've been taking my puppy to the puppy class. I highly recommend Laughing Dog. Alex clearly loves dogs and is a very experienced trainer. Whenever I have a question about any aspect of training he always has an answer. His methods work and are very easy to implement. My puppy is doing great using his methods. I will definitely continue on in the adult class when the time comes. read more

Alex is an engaging teacher and my dog really looks forward to class. I've learned a lot from him that has been really helpful since it's been 20 years since I had adopted a puppy! He really cares about the safety of dogs. read more

I have thoroughly enjoyed and received a great deal of excellent guidance on leash training and socialization from the Sunday puppy classes. Thank you Alex! read more